I love this bridge. I know a guy who would dig the location. Trolls are having harder times finding good real estate these days.

"Details won't fix bad values" - Oh my head! That's the perfect description of what I've been struggling to do, in the last 2 years of learning watercolor painting. Last week, I finally got up the determination to do what folks kept suggesting - use black and white photos, to learn how to capture values. And botheration - it works! Thank you for demonstrating the fundamental ways it transforms work and for a quote that will stick with me, probably for the rest of my life!

@xTK421x

2 жыл бұрын

I remember my favorite Bob Ross vid was the one where he used B&W Gesso a paper towel and some foam brushes(the cheap ones from the hardware shop) and he painted a very busy forest with a great value and very little detail. Steve, please, Bob Ross is a legend to me and all his stuff is free and I hope you do not mind me referencing(not plugging) a super hero. If there is any issues I will remove the comment.

@cataylor4109

2 жыл бұрын

Paint can’t fix a bad drawing either….. something else I need to remember!

Thinking of you and your family and sending wishes for comfort and peace.

Great painting. Glad you felt the love and concern. Keep moving forward. Best wishes.

I love the idea of using the waterbrush for sketching. Your painting turned out lovely. You are such an inspiration ✨️

amazing drawing and painting! 👍Thank you to show us how …💐

Great advice Steve about values. I’m usually scared of the darker ones. I loved the subject too. It’s a very Scottish looking bridge and when I saw it I thought you had come for a visit. Thanks again.

I am in Lewistown, PA. Stone Arch Bridge is a very popular place.

Worthy of a sketchbook? I’d hang this in my house ❤

Recently i realized I have to work more on values and have been practicing by going back to graphite drawings. Thanks for this video reminder. Saddened by your news. My painting hobby has helped me through many sad times. I appreciate your teaching and sharing.

I always get so overwhelmed by details of a landscape scene I end up not trying

So soothing watching you paint with such ease. Thank you. Sending the same kind of comfort for your recent losses ❤️💋🌷

I´m one of those people who focus a lot on the colors. It really frustrates me sometimes because it never comes across as soft and natural in the end. It looks artificial and overworked. I really hope I manage to focus on the essentials at some point. Your videos help a lot with that. Thank you and best wishes.

Love the palette dirt sketching method. I have to try that.

Everything pops. Love the stonework bridge.

Really nice composition,good advice..thanks

Heyyy Steve! This video certainty came in the perfect timing into my day, certainly brighten my afternoon. Thank you so much for sharing this with us minders. Sending lots of good wishes and healing to you and your family.

@dawnmolyneux5840

2 жыл бұрын

So sorry for your sadness , I missed what has happened but thoughts and prayers 🙏

Your paintings always make me want to go there.

Great photo tip.

Wow! This is one of your best!

This may be my favorite one yet. Been with you since 2017 when I binged on your videos as a complete beginner. Keep up the great work.

Has anyone ever notice that Steve, although may not respond to every one, but he most certainly reads every comment.. Tip of the hat. Besides taking the time to script, film, paint, and edit he finds the time to appreciate his fans./clapsloudly

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Correct sir. I read them all. Thanks for the kind comment! They are great fans after all!

@xTK421x

2 жыл бұрын

@@mindofwatercolor awwww shuks

Wow that’s a gorgeous landscape painting of the arched bridge! I will definitely have to remember that phrase you said, “Details won’t fix poor values.” I have been guilty of trying to paint details on a poor valued photographs of mine. Love how you captured the stonework of the bridge with minimal details yet it looks like there’s so much detail. Thanks for sharing this wonderful informational video with us. Once again you make it look easy to accomplish.

Love this one!

This demo is exactly what I need to prompt me to paint a similar type of bridge photo. Definitely values are the most important, and I’m realising that now. I like the way you use a water brush to sketch with and just leftover paint. I will try that too. So many good hints here. Thank you and God bless!

This is so good! I think you are so right...we beginners are asking about what color? when we are really trying to figure out values. I think I am an "experienced beginner" when it comes to watercolor. I know just enough to stop before I get into too much trouble! And it is values that I wonder about. I like it when teachers use terms like, "light warm green," or "dark cool green". This keeps me focused on values and I can figure out what color to use from my own palette. Thanks, Steve! Such good info, as always. Glad to hear your family is getting some healing. Hugs to all!

Love this!

Beautiful branches! I love how you made the bridge (& the shadow of the bridge) ~ pop! 😍

Values are SO important! I've given myself the challenge of doing 100 days of portrait practice at the moment and people are sending me in photos to paint. The ones with no light and shade on the face make the WORST paintings. Having contrasting values is super important no matter what the subject.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

So true!

Thank you, Steve! The bridge turned out great! I'm in western PA so I enjoyed watching how you handled the trees. You've given me some good ideas for my next painting.

Great video and painting. Thanks for all the info. Much appreciated.

Awesome, lovely sketchbook painting. Thank you!

Merci, Steve, Thank you so much, this is a very nice landscape, perfect for understanding values and I love the idea of sketching with a waterbrush and leftovers in my palette 😊👏

Another great video! Thank you for sharing and inspiring.

Beautiful bridge Steve thank You 🙏

Excellent video, excellent painting, excellent teaching. Thank you once again Steve. Blessings.

Wonderful idea that I think I will use Steve, sketching in with the water filled pen will be an easy way to kick start a painting. Thank you for sharing this idea! 😏

Very beautiful Steve! Thank you for sharing advice on values.

I'm just now catching up on your latest video. Thank you for sharing this! I'm so excited to hear about this sketchbook and can't wait to get my hands on one. I've been making my own with 100% cotton paper for the longest time. It nice to just pick up a nice sketchbook without having to guess the quality. I love your painting! ❤

Thank you!

Nice! Real nice!

This accent on values is so helpful in thinking about both photo and painting. I will keep this in mind on my soon-to-happen trip to Italy. Thank you. Oh, also love the idea of sketching with the waterbrush and leftover paint.

Magnifico trabajo, Steve. Sigo tus videos y siempre me enseñan algo. Enhorabuena.

Have two tone gray and tan.like them a lot. Got them from watching you.

Beautiful.

Very nice. Thank you for this content.

Awesome painting 👍👍👍👍👍

Very lovely.

Very beautiful interpretation. The paper held up nicely to your washes. I ordered a couple of the square wc sketchbooks and look forward to putting them through their rigors. Also thanks for using the azo green. I had wanted to try it for another convenience green but just kept forgetting. Enjoyed your painting and thank you.

@jennw6809

2 жыл бұрын

I have some of the squares already and I just totally abused one of the pages. I could not believe what it stood up to. It's very softly sized so not great at lifting, however it does not pill for a long time when scrubbed. It's possible treating with a lift aid might help for those who love to lift.

@jenniefrench1338

2 жыл бұрын

@@jennw6809 Thank you, that is great to know since I abuse my sketchbooks all except for my largest one and use them for composition concepts and on the go ideas.

I used to live in that area.

Freakin awesome

My home state. I'm from Elizabethtown PA.

I've been painting nearly daily in my new Hahnemuhle square sketchbook and I really love it :-) The paper is wonderful and it's so nicely made, although it does have a soft surface, quite different than The Collection. I did have some tearing with regular masking tape, and tinted masking fluid from a masking pen just sank in and didn't come up in spots. In the future I will try low tack tape, and remove it promptly. And I will try another brand of masking fluid with no tint and a different application.

@waymire01

2 жыл бұрын

If it was a pebeo pen I had major disaster with it as well. I switched to winsor newton mask and have used it on dozens of papers, it's never grabbed and refused to come up. Some papers can't handle mask and will tear, but it still comes up. I like a silicone nib or ruling pen to apply.

@jennw6809

2 жыл бұрын

@@waymire01 Mine is a "Moltow" brand I picked up in my local art store, it appears to be made in Germany. But it's tinted blue like the Pebeo. I've used it on other papers just fine. In the new book though, some of it came up, some left weird gray smudges, and some just sank in and didn't budge! I have a silicone nib I will try next time. Hahnemuhle says this paper can handle mask... I might write and give them my feedback. (I wrote to ask a question last year and they very kindly replied and sent samples!) I hope they continue to tweak the paper, which appears to have been made specially for this book.

Value is the cake, colour is the sprinkles, that is what my art teacher used to tell me.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Well said. Yes!

If you were in Lewistown, you were very close to my relatives. I call it the "boonies".

Great video. Thank you for the reminder that values matter more than color. As a beginner I am drawn more to color. What tape did you use to create that border in your sketchbook?

@jennw6809

2 жыл бұрын

It looked like it might have been a low tack paper "labeling" tape, like 3M 3051. I am curious too. I used regular masking tape in one of these sketchbooks and left it 24 hours, and it did damage the paper, so next time I will use low tack taper. Also be careful with masking fluid, I had some sink in and not come out. Other than that I love the paper!

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

It's white artist's tape. I have it listed in my Amazon storefront under misc. www.amazon.com/shop/mindofwatercolor?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp

Hello Masterminder? I was wondering if you could make a video of a bonfire? I am struggling.

Hey Steve, good to hear from you and glad you're doing ok. I'm curious why you prefer the waterbrush for sketching with palette dirt, rather than just a regular brush?

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Not always. I like pencils too, but I do switch it up sometimes. It blends nicely with the painting. Check out the video I did explaining the process. kzread.info/dash/bejne/kWt4o9GIk5qykZM.html

11:38 "combining areas that have the same value"... ok, this stopped me in my tracks! At first it seems to be about simply suggesting the bridge stones rather than detailing them so tightly that they'd be out of synch... spotlighted in a whole different level of magnification.... but... now I'm wondering. Is grouping values a basic design principle? Either way, many thanks. Lovely graceful piece, this... and your chats are a joy.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Its a basic "simplification" principle in art, esp. watercolor.

Beautiful work! Which Lebanon brushes are you using for the trees and bridge work? She has a lot of choices but I’d like a super fine one like the one(s) you use. Your help/suggestion is greatly appreciated.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

There's a list in the description. The medium goat/synthetic and the Silver Fox have the finest points.

@danahill666

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

@@danahill666 You bet! don’t forget to use MIND at checkout for a discount. 😁

@danahill666

2 жыл бұрын

@@mindofwatercolor - I will! Thanks, Steve!

Hi there, I am new to watercolors and want to use color watercolor brushes from Windsor & Newton and Zig Kuretake.......Do you recommend either over the other? I'm not rich btw....Thanks

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Either should be fine. Depends a little which brush. They make several.

@stefos6431

2 жыл бұрын

@@mindofwatercolor Hi and Thanks Which of the watercolor brush markers do you recommend? Windsor and Newton or Zig Kuretake? I like both darker and bright pastels...thanks

I received a Hahnemühle 7.7 x 7.7 inch cold pressed 120 lb. 60 pages 100% cotton sketchbook from Wet Paint Art. Hat tip to Marty Owings who mentioned on his channel that it's discounted this month: 30% off MSRP. Because I got antsy about your recent giveaway, I went ahead and also ordered your MOWC M. Graham 10 set. WPA were kind enough to throw in a freebie: Magnani 1404 100% cotton hot pressed 140 lb. pad of 20 sheets 4.5 x 9 inch Portofino DS ("New enhanced double sizing for higher performance"). Will double sizing mean brighter colors? I'm going to use your videos on color mixing with this set to swatch out and note for future reference.

@jennw6809

2 жыл бұрын

Aren't the Wet Paint folks great? I got some free Hahnemuhle paper with a recent order, as well as the sketchbooks. I'm not familiar with Mangani paper, but it's a little unclear to me what they mean. At first I thought they meant there's MORE external sizing, which would make the paint perform differently by staying on the surface longer. That could mean brighter colors and different effects. But they also might mean that they are using internal and external sizing (as all good papers do). The internal sizing keeps paper from warping, and the external keeps water from soaking in too fast. It might just be a sort of "new and improved" thing; perhaps they have simply improved their sizing process recently. Hope you enjoy it!! PS Best way to get brighter colors is to use more concentrated paint in each wash!

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, enjoy the paint!

Just wondering if you have a blog or website? I thought some folks, especially some who can't get out easily, might like to download that photo and try it themselves. Just a thought...

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

I do have a blog that has not been super active lately. I only share reference on Patreon though.

First!

Is using an image on an ipad /which is lghted from behind vs using an image on paper/ie printed a different experience??

@pibarrante6901

2 жыл бұрын

Cant ya use a grey scale filter to recapture the image on a tablet??

@waymire01

2 жыл бұрын

I find the backlit screen far superior, not only is it more vibrant but you can zoom and pan so easily. You can also browse online for content, save it directly, and have instant access to it. I actually bought a tablet just for my painting. I still print out a photo if i plan to use my lightpad for line work though. There are lightpad apps for tablets as well that allow you to work directly over your screen but I just don't feel comfortable using it that way, I'm afraid I will damage it. A lightpad is a much less expensive risk, mine was less than $30 on Amazon.

@raykimbrough6004

2 жыл бұрын

It can be but it really comes down to how you like to work. An image on a screen is backlit and actively produces light, which you will not be able to recreate in paint. The image will tend to appear more contrast-y because of the implied greater range between your illuminated brights and your darks (the image is what it is but the backlighting tricks the eye somewhat). This isn't always a bad thing for a reference image and digital makes it easy to switch back and forth between b&w and color, which can be very helpful when working with values. However, your visual interpretation of the values and colors on a screen is much more dependent on the ambient light in the room you are working in. Think of how glaring black text on a white screen is in a dark room vs how hard it is to see that same thing in bright daylight. A printed image is more consistent in this way because you will always be viewing it in the same lighting that you are painting in and it will not change. It will also stay the same scale (no zooming in on a detail then stepping back from your painting to realize that your scale is now off) and doesn't 'go to sleep' and disappear while you're working. But you will be limited by the quality and tonal range of the printer and paper that you are using. A lot home printers struggle with fine tonal distinctions, particularly with the very light and very dark ends of the spectrum. But again, this isn't always a bad thing - by losing some of the fine value shift, you will see more of the overall blocks of value and how they play together as a whole in the image. A helpful exercise when learning to see values in color is to print the image in color and draw the shapes of the different value areas and mark them on a scale of 1-10. Then, print the image in b&w, repeat & compare the two. So it really does come down to understanding how the two methods work and their pros/cons and figuring out what works best in your workflow. I often use a combination of both - ipad for quick sketches/studies and a printed image for larger/more time-consuming pieces. Sorry if this got a bit wordy, my background is in photography and the differences between screen and print are really important.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Not especially. Maybe better details and more contrast.

I have a question for you. I teach a watercolor class at our Retirement Home, how can I get mfgr's donate supplies at our class. I've been using my supplies, which is no problem, but would be better if each person ad their own supplies. Help

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

In most cases mfgs. only donate supplies to promote their brand. It's an advertising expense. If that doesn't happen to a reasonably wide audience they don't have incentive. Some may be willing to donate out of good will for community charity. You just have to ask. If you're getting paid to teach the classes they probably won't.

@Paula19482

2 жыл бұрын

@@mindofwatercolor ty I don’t get paid

FOLLOW

my new t-shirt will read - details won't fix poor values. sigh.

Hi Steve, is there perhaps a bias by males toward values being more important than color? I think the opposite, that colors set the mood and atmosphere of the painting. Guys see differently than us females and I was just theorizing that there might be a bias here. Yes values or contrast are important, they give structure, but colors are equally if not more important. Thanks!

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Haha. That’s just ridiculous! This is a joke comment right? I hear the same thing about values from accomplished representational female artists too. It comes from those who have discovered value’s importance no matter who you are. And I never said color can’t make a difference or set a mood but with out foundational values you’ve got nothing.

@carolynderricks3226

2 жыл бұрын

@@mindofwatercolor As I’ve said, the values or contrast do give structure and composition, but I feel it is color that catches my eye and conveys the emotion or tone of the piece, so to me they are more important. Otherwise we may as well just do graphite drawings!

@carolynderricks3226

2 жыл бұрын

@@mindofwatercolor I’m sorry but I recently saw an example of what I’m saying: a closeup of pink flowers against a bright blue sky. The colors not the values (which are very close) are what bring together that picture; because the warm and cool colors play off each other and create the structure and the mood of the picture.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

@@carolynderricks3226 Art is always a preference but the ridiculous part is saying value is a “guy” thing. I absolutely LOVE color. But correct values have to come first when realism is desired. A very well established art concept guy or girl.

Many doodles are made from a dirty palette.

@mindofwatercolor

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed!

Lovely brushes ,but way over priced !