Watercolour Tip | How Dark Should You Paint?

This great watercolour tip talks you through the lightest and darkest parts of your watercolour process. In this video, we explore a fundamental question for any watercolour artist: How dark should you go with your values? Whether you're sketching in nature or painting from a reference photo, understanding the extremes of light and dark in your scene is crucial to creating art that pops with contrast and texture. While many beginners shy away from using strong contrasts, I’ll walk you through how to confidently judge and apply dark values without killing the life in your painting. Using real examples, I’ll explain how to recognize true light and dark tones, avoid the "black hole" effect, and balance your painting with effective layering and shadow work. This video includes practical demonstrations, value studies, and tips on building up contrast while keeping your watercolour work alive and expressive. We'll also do a full sketch-and-paint session of a rusty old truck — a perfect subject to test those darks! If you enjoy bold sketching, rich values, and loose watercolour technique, this one’s for you. 👉 Like what you see? Join me on Patreon for ad-free videos and exclusive tutorials: https://patreon.com 👇 Got tips or questions about value and contrast? Drop them in the comments — I’d love to hear from you! ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 - Intro: How Light and Dark Define Your Painting 00:25 - Why True Black and White Are Rare in Nature 00:44 - Example 1: Painting a Dark Bird Without True Black 01:06 - Why Overusing Black Can Kill Your Image 01:29 - Value Studies and Using a Single Ink 01:59 - Example 2: Capturing Texture in Architectural Shadows 02:19 - Example 3: When Too Much Black Goes Wrong 02:41 - Beginner Mistake: Not Enough Contrast 03:08 - Push the Contrast to Find Your Limits 03:28 - Sketching a Truck: Intro to the Demo 03:48 - Join Me on Patreon for More Content 04:08 - Line Drawing with Fine and Thick Pens 05:05 - Watercolour Base Layer: Raw Sienna and Blue 05:49 - How Colours Soften as They Dry 06:09 - Adding Shadows with French Ultramarine and Sienna 06:29 - Using Chrome Green for Foliage 07:04 - Drying & Adding Patina Details to the Truck 07:23 - Zooming in: Why Imperfections Bring Life 07:59 - Final Thoughts on Layering Values and Shadows 08:22 - Paint Dries Lighter: Be Bold with Your Darks 08:48 - Glazing vs. Confident Shadows 09:06 - Knowing When It’s “Too Dark” or Just Right 09:29 - Final Words: Make Time for Art & See You Next Time 💬 Let’s Connect 🎥 Subscribe for more sketching & watercolour tips 👍 Like & Share if this helped your art 💬 Comment below with your experiences using dark values 📸 Follow me on Instagram [your handle] 💌 Newsletter & updates: #WatercolourTips #WatercolorContrast #UrbanSketching #ValueStudy #SketchingInNature #ArtTutorial #WatercolorPainting #ArtTips #ContrastInArt Exclusive content, longer videos, more sketchbook fun, more support and no ads! Find me on Patreon:   / dougjacksonartlessons   My Shop - https://dougjacksonartwork.com/origin... My Website - https://dougjacksonartwork.com/index.... About my Materials - https://dougjacksonartwork.com/materi... Instagram -   / doug_jackson_artwork   TikTok - tiktok.com/@doug_jackson_artwork