Negative Painting Watercolor: Seahorse (Part 1: Choosing Colors)
Before we even begin painting, one of the most important watercolor skills to understand is color selection.
In Part 1 of this watercolor seahorse tutorial series, I’ll walk you through how I choose a limited color palette for my negative paintings and why that simple step can completely change the way your painting flows and comes together.
A lot of watercolor artists feel overwhelmed by color choices. But when you understand how your colors mix, blend, and create value together, painting becomes much more relaxing, intentional, and enjoyable.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn:
🎨 How to choose a cohesive watercolor color palette
🎨 Why limited palettes create stronger paintings
🎨 How I test colors before I begin painting
🎨 How value matters more than color itself
🎨 How to simplify the painting process before you even pick up your brush
This lesson is perfect for beginners and intermediate watercolor artists who want to better understand color harmony, value, and the foundations of successful negative painting.
Sometimes the secret to a beautiful watercolor painting begins long before the first brushstroke.
So grab your paints, play with color, and let’s begin this seahorse journey together.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about what to buy or overwhelmed by all the options… then this is for you.
Inside my free mini-course“Supplies I Can’t Live Without!”, I walk you through the exact brushes, paints, paper, and materials I personally use in my own work and classes. And more importantly, why I use them.
Because in watercolor, your supplies shape how the paint moves, blends, and flows. And that directly impacts how confident you feel as you learn.
I’ve carefully curated this list to help you get started right away so you can spend less time guessing, and more time actually painting.
You can explore and shop everything through the links provided inside. These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.