Medium: Watercolor (Daniel Smith)

🖼️ About This Scene

This project is inspired by Color Cube Card #473 from artist Sarah Renae Clark.

This scene explores an analogous palette—a harmonious range of colors found on the same side of the color wheel. Expect soft transitions, moody gradients, and beautifully cohesive color movement.

🎨 Paint Colors Used (Daniel Smith Watercolors)

• Lunar Black - (stunning granulation—adds gorgeous texture)
• King’s Royal Blue - (bright, regal, and slightly cool)
• French Ultramarine Blue - (classic warm blue with subtle granulation)
• Indigo - (deep, velvety shadows)
• Chinese White - (soft opacity for atmosphere and glow)

This palette is perfect for nighttime skies, misty mountains, or anything with depth and mood.

📄 Paper

• Hahnemühle 300 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper
  (This heavyweight paper can take a lot of water and layering without buckling—perfect for this project!)

🖌️ Favorite Brushes for This Project

• Princeton Snap (great for expressive marks)
• Princeton AquaElite (excellent water loading and a crisp point)

✨ Before You Begin

Set yourself up for watercolor success with a few simple prep steps:

• Lay down paper towels or, at Huntsville Art Café, we use puppy pads—they absorb water beautifully.
• Water
  • Optional: If you use a LOT of paint, then you'll want to prepare two jars of clean water:
    • One for first rinses
    • One for final clean dips
    • Bonus tip: Some artists keep one jar for warm colors and another for cool colors to maintain clean mixtures.
• Keep a mixing palette nearby.  
• Have a soft cloth or paper towel ready for lifting color or softening edges
• Take a breath and enjoy the process—watercolor loves patience and playfulness!

🧼 Brush Care: Do’s & Don’ts

Taking care of your brushes will help them last for years. Here are a few quick tips:

✔️ Do

• Rinse your brush thoroughly between colors
• Wipe your brush in one direction on a towel (just like you’d smooth your own hair)
• Reshape the bristles gently before laying the brush flat to dry
• Use fresh water often to avoid muddy mixtures

❌ Don’t

• Do not leave your brush sitting in water
• This bends the bristles and can loosen the adhesive inside the ferrule
• Avoid scrubbing your brush back and forth quickly—this breaks down both natural squirrel hair and synthetic (Taklon) fibers
• Don’t store your brushes upright while wet

Show them a little love, and they’ll reward you with beautiful strokes every time.

🛍️ Need Supplies or Want to Upgrade?

You can pick up everything used in this tutorial (and more!) at Huntsville Art Supplies.

✨ Refill kits, brush upgrades, and paper packs available here.

Whether you're painting at home or inside the Art Café, the right tools make magic.

▶️ Ready to Paint?

Choose your video below:

• Full Real-Time Tutorial
• Sped-Up Demonstration

Full Real-Time Tutorial

Sped-Up Demonstration

🌟 Continue Your Creative Journey

Loved this project? Come explore more colors, more mediums, and more creative experiences at the Huntsville Art Café!  

Whether you want to try watercolor, gouache, markers, ink, or something totally new, we’ll have everything set up and ready for your next artistic adventure.

🎨 Book your next Art Café Experience here: 

huntsvilleartcafe.com

💛 Bonus:
Any art supplies you purchase during your Art Café session are 10% off
(as long as they aren’t already discounted).

We can’t wait to paint with you again!