1. Using Too Much Water

The Mistake: Applying too much water can cause colors to bleed uncontrollably, making details difficult to maintain. It can also lead to warping of the paper.

How to Fix It: Use a quality watercolor paper that can handle water well. If you’ve already applied too much water, gently blot the excess with a dry brush or paper towel. To avoid this issue in the future, control your brush’s water load by dabbing it on a tissue before applying paint.

2. Creating Muddy Colors

The Mistake: Over-mixing colors or layering too many can result in dull, muddy tones instead of vibrant hues.

How to Fix It: Stick to mixing only two or three colors at a time. Avoid overworking the paint on the paper—let layers dry before adding more. Use a clean brush and fresh water when switching colors.

3. Overworking the Paper

The Mistake: Repeatedly brushing over the same area can damage the paper, causing it to pill or tear.

How to Fix It: Be patient with your layers. If you notice paper fibers lifting, stop immediately and allow the area to dry completely before making further adjustments. Using high-quality cotton paper can also help prevent damage.

4. Uneven or Harsh Edges

The Mistake: Sometimes, watercolors dry with unwanted hard edges, disrupting the flow of a painting.

How to Fix It: While the paint is still damp, use a clean, damp brush to soften the edges. If the paint has already dried, try lightly re-wetting the area and blending it out.

5. Colors Drying Lighter Than Expected

The Mistake: Watercolor paints tend to dry lighter than they appear when wet, leading to less intensity in your painting.

How to Fix It: Adjust by making your initial mix slightly darker than you think you need. Layering glazes can also help deepen colors without making them muddy.

6. Unintended Backruns (Blooms)

The Mistake: Adding too much water to a partially dried area can cause blooms or cauliflower-like patterns.

How to Fix It: To fix an unwanted bloom, you can try lifting the excess pigment with a dry brush. To prevent blooms, wait for one layer to dry completely before adding more paint.

7. Skipping the Planning Stage

The Mistake: Jumping into a painting without a plan can lead to composition issues or unintentional mistakes.

How to Fix It: Lightly sketch your composition before painting and test colors on scrap paper to ensure they work well together. Having a rough roadmap will help guide your painting process.

Conclusion

Mistakes are a natural part of learning watercolor painting. The key is to understand how to fix them and how to avoid them in the future. By practicing these corrective techniques, you’ll gain more control over your work and develop a better understanding of how watercolors behave. Happy painting!

Watercolors are often associated with soft,  romantic effects, but achieving vibrant, bold colors can be a challenge. If your paintings tend to dry duller than expected, these key techniques will help you maintain rich and lively hues.

1. Use High-Quality Pigments

The quality of your watercolor paint plays a crucial role in vibrancy. I tend to use the Windsor-Newton professional brands but you can use others lid Daniel Smith. The professional-grade paints tend to contain a higher pigment concentration and fewer fillers, resulting in more intense colors. Look for single-pigment paints, as they mix more cleanly and retain their brightness.

2. Choose the Right Paper

Watercolor paper absorbs and reflects pigments differently. Use 100% cotton paper with a good weight (at least 140 lb/300 gsm) to maintain color richness. Rough or cold-pressed paper enhances texture, while hot-pressed paper provides smoother, more controlled color application. One of my favorites is a 300 lb cold press paper sheet cut to size. It tends not to buckle when wet unlike lighter papers. Try out different weights and brands to get the paper that gives you the results you’re after. 

3. Control Your Water Usage

While water is essential in watercolor painting, excessive dilution can weaken color intensity. To maintain vibrancy, use less water when mixing pigments and apply richer, more concentrated washes where needed. Watercolors tend to dry lighter than they appear when wet which brings me to my next point.

4. Layer Strategically

Building up layers enhances depth and richness. Apply light washes first and let them dry completely before adding subsequent layers. Glazing (layering transparent washes) can amplify color intensity without muddying the hues.

5. Avoid Over-Mixing Colors

Over-mixed colors can become dull and lifeless. Stick to a limited palette and allow colors to mix naturally on the paper for a more dynamic and fresh look. Understanding color theory will also help in creating harmonious yet vibrant compositions. Learn to be aware of how colors mix and how to control the mixing process whether on the palette or paper. One challenge that I’ve tried to grasp is mixing colorful skies. Keeping the sky blues separate from the yellow sunset glows is a trick! I’ve learned to transition from yellow to red, to blue to avoid getting a green sky. 

6. Take it Slow

Placing a color where you want and letting it dry before painting an adjacent color will keep the colors from accidentally blending. Also test what colors are painted next to each other. A color can change vibrancy when surrounded by different colors. 

7. Embrace Contrast and Value

Vibrancy is not just about color but also contrast. Utilize strong darks to make bright colors pop. Understanding values and leaving areas of pure color unmuted by excessive blending can enhance visual impact.

8. Let the White of the Paper Shine

Unlike other mediums, watercolor relies on the paper’s white surface for highlights. Preserve whites by planning negative spaces, using masking fluid, or lifting paint while it’s still wet. 

9. Avoid Overworking Your Painting

Repeated brushstrokes can disturb pigment and create muddy effects. Work with a light touch, allowing colors to blend naturally without excessive manipulation.

10. Test Colors Before Applying

Before committing to a wash, swatch your colors on scrap paper. This helps anticipate how they will dry and ensures you achieve the intensity you want.

Final Thoughts

Achieving vibrant watercolor paintings takes practice, but with the right materials, techniques, and understanding of color interactions, you can create bold and dynamic works. I’ve found that watercolors can have a life of their own but with practice you can start to get more control and come out with vibrant paintings!

Early creative development

It could be that you’re struggling with the “I can’t Draw or Paint” myth simply because of your environment when you were young. When you’re first picking up a crayon as a child, there aren’t many inhibitions. You can scribble till your heart’s content! As you get older you start to tune in to the feedback that you get from your drawings. Did you get complimented? Did a parent scoop it up and throw it in the trash? Did you or how did you get corrected or encouraged?

Moving into school, your peers and teachers play a huge role in encouraging your creative juices. You also may be comparing yourself to others around you – thinking that their drawings or paintings are so much better. So what do you do or did you do about it? That leads us to the whole genetics.

Genetics

There’s no getting around it – people are made up of different stuff. You have your socialites, your talkers, your introverts, creatives, etc.

Because of how we’re built and our brain chemistry some are just naturally better at the creative side. So what can be done about it?

Solutions to the “why I can’t paint” problem:

Stop comparing yourself to others

The imposter syndrome is real! That inner voice keeps saying, “I’m no good at drawing and painting”. Stop listening and push through the resistance to stop drawing! Someone is always going to be better than you and I. Use yourself as a guide – do you see improvement in your drawings and paintings over time? Some of the most famous paintings are some that I scratch my head over wondering who would want that hanging on their wall – did someone say “The Scream“?. Painting and drawing is an expression of yourself, your feelings, and your interpretation of the world around you. Relax, have fun and express yourself the way you want through your paintings and drawings.

Practice drawing and painting exercises.

There are lots of steps you can take to improve drawing technique and to get your brain to think in a different way. You can try to flip a reference image upside down and think more about the shapes and placement in a new way. You can listen to music or have a conversation with someone while working to take your mind off of the details that might hang you up. One of my best acrylic paintings was done while talking to my creative daughter on the phone. I felt like my mind was in a little different place and I was happily surprised with the results! Call it “distracted painting” if you will!

Join a Group

Painting with others can help to spur you on to keep at it. You can pick up tips and tricks from others. It can put your painting and drawing exercises on a regular schedule rather than just when you get around to it. Just being with the right group can make your painting time fun.

Keep it Simple

Don’t try to do a masterpiece all at once. Do mini painting sessions on smaller sheets of paper or canvas. Do a small study – a part of what might be in a larger painting. For instance practice drawing a tree shape, a small reflective pool, an apple, etc. Also keep your painting tools handy. If you have to go through an entire process to get started you may not do it.

– So, let me know what you think! Are you seeing improvement in your paintings over time? Are you blocking out the imposter in you? Let’s get painting and drawing!