2025 Ultimate Watercolor Playlist

Stay inspired over the holidays with these exclusive demos from five top watercolor painters.

Eliminate Clutter for Better Paintings with Kathleen S Giles

Follow along as Kathleen explains how she decides which supporting elements matter most within a composition, how she evaluates the hierarchy of information, and how she uses detail not simply to “finish” a piece but to strengthen the story behind it.

Value Does the Work (Color Gets the Credit) with Jessica L Bryant

In this demo, Jessica dives deep into value. She explains how we perceive value, how to teach yourself to see values accurately, and how to apply a nuanced understanding of value to your own work and painting style.

How to Unify a Painting with Carla Gauthier

Carla walks you step-by-step through working from wet-in-wet passages to dry cotton paper, showing you how to control a full range of edges—from soft, atmospheric transitions to crisp, defining lines.

Edges in Portraiture with Lorraine Simonds

Lorraine shows you how to use hard, soft, and lost edges alongside confident, intentional brushstrokes to bring your portraits to life.

Light & Shadows Essentials with Amid El Haddad

In this lesson, Amid demonstrates how to use shadows to awaken the light, create depth, and weave shapes together so the viewer’s eye moves naturally through your painting.

Tune in to Art School Live with Eric Rhoads for more great pastel demos and interviews.