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Watercolor Painting Tutorials

Why Your Watercolor Feels Stiff (Loose Seaside Demo)

Forget the usual broad washes—this watercolor seaside scene with coastal homes uses an unconventional, block-by-block approach. Loose, expressive, and full of fresh surprises.

Learn unconventional watercolor techniques - seaside landscape demo

You don’t always have to follow the traditional rules of watercolor. Most seaside scenes begin with broad washes that cover the entire paper. But in this tutorial, I’ll show you a different way—a direct, block-by-block approach that feels more like painting with acrylics, but still keeps the freshness and sparkle of watercolor.

But before we dive too deep into watercolor techniques, here's a little story that reminds me of these moments...

I learned this lesson the hard way. Back in 2020, I was all in on Skillshare. I was posting classes every couple of weeks, giving assignments, offering critiques — the whole thing. It was working too. I was making $6,000 to $8,000 a month consistently.

Then one email changed everything. They adjusted their payout model. What they said would be a small cut turned into more like 60–80%. My income dropped almost overnight — down to a fraction of what it was.

At first, I was frustrated. But looking back, the problem wasn’t Skillshare. It was me. I had all my chips in one basket.

How this Relates To Loose Watercolor Landscapes

And honestly, painting can work the same way. If you rely too much on one technique… one approach… one “safe” way of working…You get stuck.

Your paintings get tight. Controlled. Overworked. That’s why I’m a big believer in fundamentals first — but after that, you’ve got to let go.

Experiment. Push things. Make a mess. That’s where your style actually starts to show up.

If you want to go deeper, I’ve got full courses where I walk through this process step-by-step — from fundamentals to loose, expressive landscape painting.

No Fear Watercolor Landscape Course

Learn how to paint loose, expressive watercolor landscapes with a clear structure. A step-by-step system designed to help you simplify complex scenery and create with confidence.

View Course
Unconventional watercolor techniques - loose watercolor landscape with seaside and homes

Why This Approach Works

It may look unconventional, but this direct method keeps your watercolor fresh, alive, and expressive. By skipping the blanket washes, you gain flexibility and spontaneity—and you allow the medium to surprise you along the way.

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