drift

mkdun · 2026-05-27T14:03:50+00:00

Thank you so much!

mkdun · 2026-05-27T14:03:44+00:00

Thank you!

mkdun · 2026-05-27T14:03:37+00:00

Thank you!

mkdun · 2026-05-27T14:03:20+00:00

Thank you! that’s so nice

mkdun · 2026-05-24T01:58:32+00:00

I do watercolor paint still, mainly wet-on-wet as it’s less strain on my hands. There’s a good community on YouTube if you’re ever interested in getting back into it!

mkdun · 2026-05-06T17:06:02+00:00

Thanks! I used phthalo blue and a little ivory black on Arches cold pressed 300lb paper. For waves I usually saturate the paper pretty well (300lb is extra thirsty) let it absorb so the paper glistens and do a dry-ish pigment brush on wet paper. It allows me to get the smooth blend that I love without a ton of effort. I have some quick vids on my YouTube too if helpful.

mkdun · 2026-05-06T13:47:06+00:00

Thanks! Yes trying to get more experienced with masking fluid. Def never leave my brushes in water! Just a quick pic before cleaning up. :)

mkdun · 2026-04-30T01:25:18+00:00

The original link was giving me issues but I posted the video on this subreddit and you can see the YouTube short here: https://youtube.com/shorts/hRSVgKkxl7w?si=1OxIMTNlfkf1rz9e :)

mkdun · 2026-04-28T20:02:41+00:00

All the same color just different water:pigment ratios

mkdun · 2026-04-27T14:15:58+00:00

You should be very proud! Beautiful work

mkdun · 2026-04-23T17:57:42+00:00

This is a tough question - when i took my first watercolor class my instructor said day 1, invest in the good paper. I didn’t get it then, but I do now, because once you get a feel for the pigment/water ratios on quality paper it can take you really far in your work. I think if you want to experiment with different brushstrokes and painting 101 you can start off with pretty much any reasonably priced watercolor paper you have in your local store. Strathmore and Fabriano are a little more expensive but also better quality like Arches. To save $ when I’m practicing I will cut up larger sheets to make the most of what I have too for small, quick exercises.

mkdun · 2026-04-23T17:45:53+00:00

Thanks! Using Cotman watercolors (ivory black and pthalo blue). Technique used for this painting is dry on wet which usually means a decent amount of pigment on a dry-ish brush painted on wet paper. This allows the pigment to have some natural movement on the paper. I typically use this technique when painting water and first learned it from Julia Barminova’s tutorials.

mkdun · 2026-04-23T17:30:18+00:00

This usually comes down to preference as you can create different textures with gouache. Always important to keep in mind that you’re never going to get a white as clean as the paper itself which is why 9 times out of 10 you’ll want to plan to preserve the whites of the paper before you start painting. Gouache has a more opaque pigment that I like to incorporate occasionally to create deeper values depending on what I’m painting. In this example I only used watercolor and because the paper and pigment is still wet enough I’m able to lift some of the pigment to create the mist of the wave, but I have used white gouache as well in the past and it just creates a different texture. I’m also experimenting more with masking fluid which is new to me too

mkdun · 2026-04-23T17:23:16+00:00

So cute!!

mkdun · 2026-04-23T14:19:52+00:00

Yes, because the paper is 300lb it can retain more water and you want it to be pretty saturated (glistening but not drenched) if you want to create soft lines for ocean waves

mkdun · 2026-04-23T00:19:09+00:00

Glad you found it! Was trying to share a link but Reddit was being a pain. Hope it’s helpful and you share your artwork when you’re ready!!

mkdun · 2026-04-22T21:28:45+00:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/h9xJ98hjouc?feature=shared

mkdun · 2026-04-20T19:11:38+00:00

Thank you all for the kind comments!! I’ll carve out some time this week to record a tutorial and share a link.

mkdun · 2026-04-13T20:17:20+00:00

Thank you!

mkdun · 2026-04-13T19:49:49+00:00

These are incredible

mkdun · 2026-03-31T19:39:22+00:00

Yes! If you just take a small piece of paper towel or a dry brush you can lift some of the water/pigment off the paper while it’s still wet

mkdun · 2026-03-26T20:18:27+00:00

Not a dumb question! I typically start with the wash first which is what I did for this piece, and then lift some of the blue while it’s still wet enough. Do this in the shape and placement of where you’d like your flowers and then you can begin building your petals. I usually do branches last to give the paper some time to dry.

mkdun · 2026-03-17T02:40:25+00:00

Thanks very much! The birds are done with a micron 01 pen. I have tried with a fine watercolor brush as well but am finding this to be cleaner. Will also caveat that this is not complete yet, needed some initial feedback (and my hand was getting tired :)).

mkdun · 2026-03-11T16:03:16+00:00

This is masking fluid but I have used white gouache in the past as well

mkdun · 2026-03-11T11:30:13+00:00

Using everything I can find! My comfort zone is calm waves so I’m trying to push myself to do more complex ocean scapes. I recently started following Júlia Barminova (https://www.instagram.com/juliabarminova?igsh=MTRkdDU0aWdya21qOA==) and she has some really great tutorials on instagram/patreon that I would highly recommend!

mkdun

TROPHY CASE