Expressive Clown Girl: Adventures with Watercolor Pigment Sticks
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

Expressive Clown Girl: Adventures with Watercolor Pigment Sticks

After falling in love with Imperial Purple, I couldn't resist trying another Daniel Smith watercolor pigment stick—this time in Lamp Black to create a hauntingly beautiful clown girl with just two colors. Discover how this unconventional technique creates both structure and fluid expression in one magical process!

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How to Paint a Peacock in Loose Watercolor with Bold Texture
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

How to Paint a Peacock in Loose Watercolor with Bold Texture

In this watercolor tutorial, I paint a peacock with bold colors and expressive texture, embracing spontaneity without a sketch. Using techniques like wet-into-wet blending, salt for texture, and unexpected drips, I create a lively, atmospheric composition. Join me as I push my creative boundaries and rediscover the joy of play in watercolor!

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Creating Magic with Rainbow Skin
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

Creating Magic with Rainbow Skin

Dive into the enchanting world of rainbow skin tones, where traditional flesh colors give way to ethereal purples, pinks, blues, and greens inspired by the luminescent quality of opals. Through this step-by-step tutorial, I'll show you how to create a magical portrait that captures both likeness and imagination while embracing watercolor's natural tendency to create unexpected beauty.

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Painting Loose Watercolor Portraits: Embracing the Flow Without Sketching
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

Painting Loose Watercolor Portraits: Embracing the Flow Without Sketching

Dive into the liberating world of sketch-free portrait painting, where watercolor's natural magic becomes your greatest ally in capturing the human essence. Through simple value mapping and strategic color choices, you'll learn how to transform intimidating facial features into approachable shapes while creating ethereal, dreamlike portraits that speak to the soul.

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Painting a Nocturnal Gaze: Creating a Magical Barn Owl in Watercolor
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

Painting a Nocturnal Gaze: Creating a Magical Barn Owl in Watercolor

Join me on a creative journey as we paint a mysterious barn owl emerging from an intuitive watercolor wash, using temperature and lost edges to create a magical effect. This tutorial combines freestyle background techniques with strategic detail work to capture the soul and character of these beautiful nocturnal creatures.

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Painting Loose and Light-Filled Hollyhocks: A Summer Memory in Winter
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

Painting Loose and Light-Filled Hollyhocks: A Summer Memory in Winter

Journey with me through the process of painting ethereal hollyhocks in watercolor, where we'll explore how breaking traditional techniques and embracing unexpected compositions can lead to magical results. This tutorial combines limited palette techniques with loose brushwork to capture the essence of summer light in delicate flower petals.

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Painting Pot Roast: A Whimsical Journey into Mythical Creature Art
Valerie Englehart Valerie Englehart

Painting Pot Roast: A Whimsical Journey into Mythical Creature Art

Step into my studio as I share a whimsical watercolor adventure where I reimagined a mythical Griffet as a delightful owl-pug hybrid! Inspired by the cozy fantasy world of "Bookshops and Bone Dust," this painting combines the ethereal grace of a snowy owl with the charming characteristics of a pug, all brought to life through dreamy watercolor techniques and intuitive brushwork. Join me as I reveal how letting go of rigid sketching and embracing the flow of pigment on an 18x24 inch canvas led to one of my most joyful artistic experiments yet. 🎨✨

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