Watercolour Top Tips with Oliver Pyle

In this video, landscape artist Oliver Pyle demonstrates how brush control can completely transform your watercolour painting. Using the Aquafine range, he explores a variety of strokes that every artist can practise and master:

• Dry-brush strokes for creating texture and natural effects such as grasses or tree bark.

• Broad, loaded strokes that deliver smooth, fluid washes, perfect for skies and open landscapes.

• Edge-of-brush marks to achieve fine detail and delicate lines.

• Rotating and varying pressure to mimic organic shapes like foliage, contours, and ground textures.

Oliver highlights how simple adjustments – changing brush angle, varying pressure, or altering the water-to-pigment ratio – can produce a huge range of expressive marks.

This tutorial is a reminder that the brush itself is one of the most versatile tools in a watercolourist’s kit. With practice, these strokes can help capture depth, movement and atmosphere in your work.