From my studio
Why I begin with big shapes
The little windows, branches, and buttons can wait. A painting first needs a strong arrangement of light and dark that reads from across the room.
Watercolor lessons from Patricia Elliott Seitz
Pull up a chair.
Let’s learn watercolor.
Friendly, honest guidance for beginners who want to understand the medium—one small, useful exercise at a time.
“Big shapes. Lost edges.
Light doing the storytelling.
Your first lesson
A painting starts before the color.
Before choosing pigments, reduce your reference to three clear values. This makes complicated scenes feel manageable and gives every later wash a job to do.
1Paper white
2Middle value
3Strong dark
- 01Squint
Look for the largest light and dark families, not objects.
- 02Connect
Join similar values into broad, simple shapes.
- 03Place the dark
Use it sparingly to lead the eye to your focal point.
A quick look at my process
Urban sketching, ink and wash.
Loose watercolor does not mean careless watercolor. Watch how a few direct marks, simple shapes, and transparent washes can capture the feeling of a place without explaining every detail.
This short studio glimpse is a taste of the step-by-step demonstrations coming to the lesson library.
Visit my YouTube channel ↗Beginner guide library
Practice one thing at a time.
01Values
Vicky’s: a real three-value study
See how I reduced a busy ice-cream stand to white paper, one middle value, and one connected dark.
Featured lessonOpen guide ↘
- Squint at the reference and circle the lightest connected shape.
- Join the middle values into broad, simple families—leave out little things.
- Place the darkest dark only where it strengthens the focal point.
02Values
From street photograph to strong value design
Follow one busy street scene from my reference photograph, through a three-value plan, and into the finished watercolor.
Reference-to-painting lessonOpen guide ↘
- Choose one clear story before drawing anything.
- Reduce the scene to white paper, one middle value, and one connected dark family.
- Let the color follow the value plan instead of starting the design over again.
03Color
Cazenovia Chickens: from first wash to final darks
Follow my painting through three stages: one light connected wash, broad middle-value shapes, and a few final dark accents.
Three-stage lessonOpen guide ↘
- Begin with one pale, connected wash and let the drawing remain visible.
- Build broad middle-value shapes through the ground, trees, chickens, and seated figure.
- Connect the final darks, clarify only the important forms, and stop before the painting becomes fussy.
04Composition
From house photograph to sunlit watercolor
See how I cropped an ordinary street photograph, removed distractions, and used connected shadows to make the sunlight feel stronger.
Reference-to-painting lessonOpen guide ↘
- Choose the main subject and crop away what does not support it.
- Simplify windows, shrubs, wires, and architectural details into larger shapes.
- Paint the cast shadow as one connected shape that leads the eye through the scene.
05Brushwork
How I keep watercolor loose and fresh
See how simple planning, larger connected shapes, varied edges, and a clear stopping point help me keep a painting alive.
Complete beginner lessonOpen guide ↘
- Make the composition and value decisions before painting.
- Use the largest brush the shape will allow and give each stroke a chance.
- Step back, check whether the idea reads, and stop before details weaken it.
06Water
Learn the shine of the paper
Recognize wet, damp, and dry paper before the brush touches down.
10 minute exerciseOpen guide ↘
- Paint three clean water rectangles and start a timer.
- Drop the same color into one while glossy, one while satin, and one nearly dry.
- Label the results. Your paper, room, and weather will each change the timing.
07Edges
Lost, soft, and found edges
Use edge variety to keep the focal point clear and the rest of the painting breathing.
15 minute exerciseOpen guide ↘
- Paint two neighboring shapes while both are damp to lose an edge.
- Soften one edge with a clean, thirsty brush.
- Leave one crisp edge near the focal point and compare the pull of your eye.
08Color
A small, dependable palette
Practice warm and cool mixtures with fewer colors so your washes stay fresh.
20 minute exerciseOpen guide ↘
- Choose one warm and one cool blue, red, and yellow.
- Make a page of two-color mixtures before adding a third pigment.
- Write the pigment names beside mixtures you want to find again.
09Brushwork
One shape, fewer strokes
Paint a subject as one clear silhouette instead of many small marks.
8 minute exerciseOpen guide ↘
- Choose a simple subject and draw only its outside contour.
- Load a larger brush generously and paint the silhouette in as few strokes as possible.
- Let it dry before deciding whether it truly needs one more mark.
10Supplies
What a beginner really needs
A short, practical kit: good paper, a useful brush, and a few transparent colors.
Quick referenceOpen guide ↘
- Choose 100% cotton watercolor paper when the budget allows; paper changes the experience most.
- Start with one medium round brush that holds water and comes to a point.
- Use a small split-primary palette and learn its mixtures before buying more colors.
Notes from my studio
Studio journal
Short reflections on practice, patience, and learning to see.
A watercolor reminder
Leave it alone—and paint another
Watercolor often becomes tired when we keep correcting it. A second small attempt can teach us more than another twenty minutes of fussing.
Behind the painting
Finding stories in ordinary places
A quiet Syracuse street, winter light on an old building, or a figure crossing the road can hold everything a painting needs.
Meet your guide
Hello, I’m Patty.
I’m Patricia Elliott Seitz, a professional watercolor artist in Liverpool, New York. I paint Central New York’s historic buildings, quiet streets, changing seasons, and everyday stories with transparent watercolor and expressive brushwork.
Watercolor is beautiful, surprising, and sometimes stubborn. I believe beginners deserve clear foundations, encouraging practice, and permission to learn in baby steps.
Coming as the studio grows
A gentle place to share paintings and ask questions.
The future community area will let beginners learn together in a friendly, thoughtfully moderated space.