Beebly's Watercolor Vault - Your watercolor painting knowledge base.

Paper: a little history, a little trivia The variety of surfaces used to paint, draw, write and tally on have run the gamut from cave walls, clay tablets (Sumerians 5000-2000 BC), wood planks, papyrus (+-2500 BC), to parchment (1500-250 BC) and vellum, a finer variant of parchment. Papyrus was a woven mat of reeds, pounded together into a hard, thin sheet. Parchment and Vellum are make from specially processed animal hide (calves, goats, sheep) that are smoothed to a fine finish. The word "paper" actually comes down to us from the word "papyrus". According to contemporary Chinese records of AD...

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Sterling Edwards is a North Carolina (USA) watercolor artist who has received international recognition for his luminous watercolor paintings. Combining rich values, bold composition, and transparent paint, Sterling has established himself as an excellent watercolor artist, workshop instructor, and juror. His unique philosophy about art and artists, combined with years of experience, has earned Sterling Edwards the respect of his peers, students, and collectors of his work. In 1985, he began studying watercolors and was captivated by the versatility and luminosity of the medium. Sterling spent several years learning from watercolor master Zoltan Szabo, as well as...

Techniques for Drawing Values Drawing Lines and Values Drawing involves the use of lines and clusters of lines called "values". Lines and values often merge spontaneously as you draw, one springing from another in the same stroke. The better you understand the range of expression and working qualities of your pencil or pen, the broader your palette of artistic options are when you create. A line is a flowing stroke of your pencil that defines an edge in the image you are drawing. Value is the gradation of grays you use to define the mass, form, light, and design of...

There are thousands of talented artists who deserve to be highlighted on Beebly’s blog. We are doing our best to find them all… for now take a look at this selection of artists who produced these interesting paintings in 2017.

Summer is all about fun, color, and carefree activities. Here's one great way to chill and get some painting practice - painting colorful watercolor popsicles!

Experimenting is the best way to discover how to use watercolor and its various techniques, and this quick watercolor painting tutorial is perfect for beginners. It finishes off with an easy portrait painting as well!