How I Paint Easy Misty Trees: Watercolor Wet on Wet for Beginners

In this video, I’m going to show you how I paint a misty, overcast landscape featuring conifers and water reflections. We will be working primarily wet-on-wet, which allows us to keep our initial drawing very minimalist. I’ll walk you through how I mix a series of greys using Cobalt Blue, Permanent Rose, and Raw Sienna to capture the mood of a cloudy day. We’ll also talk about paper preparation—I start by thoroughly wetting the back of my paper so it stays flat on the board while I work. In this lesson, I’ll cover: • Building Depth: Why I start with my lightest tones and gradually increase the paint strength. • Brush Techniques: How I use a fan brush for the tree shapes and a rigger for the trunks. • The Importance of Timing: How to watch the "shine" on your paper so you know exactly when to add detail or lift paint. • Atmospheric Effects: Using a thirsty brush or a tissue to create mist and ripples in the water. • Fixing Mistakes: How to re-wet an area with clean water if it dries too fast, so you can keep those soft edges going. I really enjoy this way of painting, and I’ve made sure to keep the steps easy to understand and fun to follow. ⏱️TIMESTAMP⏱️ 00:00 Intro 00:34 The drawing 01:34 The colors of the sky and trees 05:15 Painting the sky and trees 28:20 Painting the water and reflections 40:31 Painting the water and foam 14:58 Final details, buildings, boats, birds If you find this tutorial helpful, please give the video a like and subscribe to the channel if you haven't already. If you’re able, I’d also appreciate your support over on Patreon. www.patreon.com/joecartwright Happy painting! ________________________________________ Colors used in this project: • Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Permanent Rose, Cad Orange, Burnt Sienna, and Raw Sienna. Brushes & Tools: • Fan brush, Rigger, Round brush, and a tissue for lifting.