Watercolor Styles: Loose vs. Tight



(c) jlowaterolor.2018

Watercolor Style: Loose vs. Tight

 First off, is one “better” than the other? The answer is unequivocally- h#ll no! I can’t stress enough how important it is to try and let go of what you think something “should” look like, and just give-in to what happens on the paper. I say this to you as a reminder to myself, because I still struggle with expectations.

Painting loose or painting tight (detailed) is simply the style you bring to the watercolor. You may enjoy one more than the other, or incorporate both into your work! Below we will look at some examples of loose and tight watercolor paintings, along with tips and advice for trying them out.

Loose Watercolor

Examples...

(c) Victoria Prischedko


(c) Steve Micthell


Loose Painting Tips-

Here is a great article from the Artist's Network that gives helpful advice on painting loose.

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/watercolor-painting-loose/


Tight/Detailed Watercolor 

Examples...

(c) Steven Kozar


(c) Maria Raczynska

Tight/Detailed Painting Tips-

Check out this short video from Anna Mason

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7bxCFjIKDE


Final Thoughts…

Although I believe it is helpful to learn as much as you can about the watercolor options available to you, please keep in mind they are just that- options. It is so easy to slip from looking at others art as inspiration, to comparing our work and feeling like we come up short. You, your art, is uniquely you!

I will leave you with an insightful and entertaining video from the Mind of Watercolor. Happy painting!




Please leave any questions or comments below.

Next week’s blog: Ready to Share Your Watercolors?

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