Painting Textures in Watercolor

Bricks have a rough texture and the older they are the more worn and cracked they can become. They make a fascinating study just on their own.  I'll show you a simple method of painting bricks in just four stages.

Let’s now paint a picture which includes both bricks and stones, using the techniques we have learned. I’ve added in a window for further interest.

Here are two great ways of painting wood. Try them both out and see which you prefer – or use techniques from both of them to create your own wood texture. 

I'll show you how to use spattering, scraping in and drybrush to create the texture of old painted wood.

A rusty roof can really enhance a painting, and here we will paint a little scene of a couple of barns with rust on the roof and doors to show you how it is done. 

The difference between a shiny surface and a dull surface is easy to create when we learn how to use edges and value contrasts correctly. Here I'll show you how to do this as we paint a still life together.

Use the techniques you learned to paint shiny and dull surfaces as we paint a copper kettle and a brass bucket. See how easy it is to create the texture and material of these two metal surfaces.

Glass may seem tricky to paint, but it’s actually quite straightforward. The key is to paint exactly what you see. In this exercise I will show you how to paint a glass step-by-step. 

Rusty objects are fun to paint, and here I'll show you two ways to get the look of rust on some old tools from the shed.

Find out how to paint grass and shrub-land that looks natural and organic. I'll teach you various ways of creating that natural feel and then we will paint a landscape using these techniques.

Here I will show you how to paint the feel and texture of waves crashing against rocks. We will use various techniques to create the hardness of the rocks and the swell of the sea and the splash of the surf. 

There are many ways of depicting leaves on trees, but I want to show you two simple methods that you can adapt to your paintings. Foliage does not need to be complicated and we do not have to paint every single leaf! Learn how to simplify the leaf masses and to paint them in just a couple of washes.

The bark on tree trunks varies tremendously with the type of tree, but here I’ve shown you two ways of painting different types of tree trunk which I hope will give you an idea of how to approach the subject.

Hair and fur can be painted with just a couple of layers of paint – a first wash of color, possible another shadow layer if necessary, and a few details. Here I’ll show you two ways of painting short fur and long hair. 

Cloth may seem daunting to paint, but in fact it is quite easy. Just follow the examples I¡ll show you here and see how you can paint fabric with just a couple of washes and a little detail.  I'll also show you a few ways to create different looking fabrics.

Here are three textures that we can create which are random and largely uncontrolled. They just do their own thing, but they create some wonderful effects that can be used in paintings. Experiment with them as I have done here.