Back when I started painting, drawing and sketching and learning my craft to become an artist, there were no watercolor YouTube channels to learn from.
I have been painting that long and yes I am that old!
YouTube may be known better for entertainment channels, but as a resource for learning everything from A to Z it is perhaps the best of all the resources.
Perhaps the only advantage a video type course has over YouTube and the free videos to learn from are that you still have to search for the relevant videos to educate yourself.
What I mean is that a video course you pay for will have a structure, starting you and getting you to an end point. With YouTube you need to figure out your own strategy.
So to help you with that these are the best watercolor YouTube channels I subscribe to and have benefited from learning watercolors.
1. Marco Bucci
I wasn’t sure if I should put Marco at #1, as his channel has maybe more digital content than watercolor content, compared to the other watercolor YouTube channels on this list.
But he has to be #1! Bear with me, because Marco is simply the best teacher of art on the platform in my opinion, not just with his watercolor teaching.
Best Watercolor Teacher
There are lots of the best tutorials on the fundamentals of art that are of the most important to anyone learning watercolor painting.
This video is one video I watch over and over, it is the best explanation of color theory I have watched or read. It changed the way I paint watercolors.
As well as that, his watercolor painting tutorials are full of color theory analysis and art fundamentals.
I really love his style of art. It’s very sketcherly, almost scruffy, complimented by the use of vivid hues.
Here are a few of Marco’s great watercolor sketch demos that you can glean so much juicy learning from:
Here is a closer look at his tools and sketchbook:
2. Teoh Yi Chie
Teoh Yu Chie a.k.a ParkaBlogs is a graphic designer and blogger who has been in the watercolor scene online for as long as I can remember.
In fact his own website is a great resource for art books that I use regularly to check out his flip through YouTube videos.
I think that is actually how I found Teoh. On Amazon reviews his review for art books is usually the top review and has the flip through YouTube video.
Teoh is a prominent figure in the Urban Sketchers scene, of which I am also a member of. So I was always going to come across his work.
More about Teoh’s Channel
What I love about Teoh’s work is the sketcherly feel. Teoh employs pen and ink (usually a Pelican cartridge pen and black ink) overlaying watercolors on top.
This is one of my favorite styles of painting and perhaps why I am drawn to his art.
As well as painting on his channel. There are a lot of great watercolor analysis reviews on pigments, brushes and other tools. The wealth of information is a great resource. The best among watercolor YouTube channels listed here.
Teoh doesn’t just paint however. On his YouTube channel are lots of great video reviews for the latest digital tools as well. The latest digital tablets, monitors etc.
These are some of my personal favorites from Teoh, take note of his technique with the pen. If this is to your liking, check out the Urban Sketcher community on Facebook:
3. Gary Tucker
Gary is definitely one watercolor painter whose videos I look forward to watching.
Gary’s channel is a very traditional channel in that it is purely a painting channel. I don’t believe he does and reviews or product analysis.
If he has, it has been a long time.
Far from being a criticism, this is actually in my opinion a strength. I know his next video will be a painting.
Interestingly this is why I have watched every video he has released, because they are all paintings.
Whereas with Teoh Yi Chie, his content is more varied, so when he does a video on a digital tablet from Huion, I probably won’t watch it.
More about Gary’s Channel
As I said, Gary’s channel is one of the painting demo only watercolor YouTube channels on the list. His video lengths which is another pro are usually about 10-15 minutes long.
What you can expect are preparatory and study paintings like the one above.
Watching as Gary works out value and shape in black white first is a great technique. Eschewing color means there is less to also work out, so he can concentrate on the value and shape.
Gary brings it together with final painting, so we can see his journey from concept idea to finished piece.
These are a few of my favorite scenes Gary has painted on his channel:
4. James Gurney
James Gurney has been teaching watercolors for as long as I can remember on YouTube. Possibly one of the oldest watercolor YouTube channels.
I would definitely put him up there with Marco Bucci as one of the teachers to follow to learn watercolors.
Perhaps why I prefer Marco is that the style in which he teaches is much more conducive to how I learn.
But that’s no knock on James. Not only is he a great teacher of the fundamentals, his knowledge of color and light is plain to see in his paintings.
James has recently been more proficient in Casein painting, which is similar to oil painting. But he still has a wealth of watercolor demo tutorials to go over.
These ones are definitely aimed at above beginner levels, but that shouldn’t stop a beginner. They can inspire you to keep learning.
5. Mateusz Urbanowicz
One of my favorite artists in the illustrative field. Mateusz works in Japan as an illustrator and comic book artist.
I first learnt of his work through his japanese shop illustrations. Mateusz employs beautiful pigments from Schmincke Horadam in his work.
There aren’t many tips on techniques or tricks, but there is still much to learn from his watercolor demos.
6. Café Watercolor – Eric Yi Lin
Eric Yi Lin is another artist I have been following for many years. Another favorite of mine for painting demos.
Eric’s channel is primarily painting demos, art anecdotes and documenting his life as an artist. He peppers in the odd review here and there too.
Eric’s channel is a great resource for learning a lot of fundamentals and theory. This is something the previous channels mentioned don’t do as much.
There is lots of great video content on different techniques and color theory, value studies, wet on wet etc.
For learning techniques I would definitely use Eric’s channel as a resource to refer to.
These are some videos I have selected as great watches:
7. Kelogsloops
Kelogsloops probably has the best YouTube name on the list of watercolor YouTube channels for sure. But seriously, he is one of the most talented artists I follow.
The channel’s focus is more on watercolor painting demos and documenting his life as an artist.
So his channel is definitely a great resource for inspiration for your watercolor painting more than a learning resource.
One other thing that sets him apart from the above artists is that he is primarily a character watercolor artist. While he does do landscapes, it’s not what I know him for.
Characters in watercolor is perhaps one of the hardest skills, and doing it with great style is why Kelogsloops is at 1.2M followers on Instagram and ¾ of million on YouTube.
I was following him when he had a fraction of that! His growth as an artist has been amazing to watch.
Check some of these videos, which are in my favorites folder:
8. Tim Wilmot
Tim Wilmot’s channel is very similar to Gary Tucker, with lots of beautiful watercolor landscape scenes.
The amazing exception that Tim uploads full length watercolor demos. Lots of demos over an hour long elicit so much wisdom watching a master at work.
I call it amazing, because few artists upload work at this length unless it is behind a paywall. So I usually soak up every minute of Tim’s demos pouring over the technique.
Tim’s technique is mainly loose with vibrant colors. He has a very distinctive style which I can recognize instantly.
Some of those long demos I would recommend you get a comfy seat with snacks for are:
9. Szczepan Urbanowicz
Szcepan’s channel is relatively small, but don’t be deceived, his watercolor skills are up there with the other artists in this list of best watercolor YouTube channels.
I actually found him when he did a review of my watercolor palette from the Watercolor Box Company.
Like Gary Tucker and Tim Wilmot, Szczepan’s channel is predominantly a landscape watercolor painting channel. Which you have noticed is where I lean towards.
There are lots of great top down watercolor demos ready to be studied and poured over
10. Laovaan
Laovaan specializes in portraits, manga drawings and digital art. Mixed in those are some amazing watercolor tutorials.
If you like watercolors themes on popular culture, like sci-fi or comics etc. this is a channel to check out.
11. Paul Wang
Paul Wang is an artist I came across from the Urban Sketchers scene in Singapore. He is a regular contributor and teacher when they come together for workshops.
His style is very very loose and sketchy. I believe he has even used unorthodox tools like twigs and branches to create watercolor art.
These methods create new ways to make art with textures and strokes you wouldn’t get from a normal brush.
His channel isn’t particularly prolific, but I have noticed an increase in content, so he may be gearing up to be more regular.
12. Holly Exley
I have been following Holly for years. She’s a professional watercolor food artist who uses Winsor Newton Cotman colors.
Proving you don’t need professional grade paints to create incredible watercolors.
Her channel is mainly demos and documenting her journey as an artist. Although she also includes content about her Vegan lifestyle.
13. WatercolorShop
Haha, ok so depending on when you read this, this may still just be a placeholder. But rest assured, content to my YouTube channel is on the way.
So I have to include it in this watercolor YouTube channels list!
What I plan are demos, reviews, tips and tricks, all with a bit of entertainment. So basically a bit of everything I like about these 19 channels I follow in this article.
Best Watercolor YouTube Channels for Beginners
Thee are some of my favorite watercolor YouTube channels that are specifically tailored to watercolor beginners.
14. Makocccino
Despite being probably one of the most popular and prolific watercolor YouTubers I’ve only just recently followed Makoccino’s work.
That is because Makoccino’s channel is aimed at beginners and intermediate watercolor artists. However there is still lots to teach old heads.
15. HulloAlice
Similar to Makoccino HulloAlice is a great learning channel for beginners.
HulloAlice is actually quite an entertaining channel as well, regularly changing up the content with different formats like challenges and art vlogs.
16. Mind of Watercolor
Another one of the best watercolor YouTube channels for beginners learning the trade. Mind of Watercolor combines learning with a great sense of humor.
Steve Mitchell brings 30+ years of experience to his channel with tips and techniques explained in easy to digest content.
17. Liron Yanconsky
I’ve only been subscribed to Liron’s channel for a year, and I have become an avid follower. Rising to be one of my favorite among my best watercolor YouTube channels list.
Liron is documenting his journey as he learns watercolor. By showing the process of learning new ideas, learning from mistakes, Liron’s channel is also a great inspiration for beginners.
Liron has now become a great watercolor painter in his own right. Some of his latest pieces are a joy to look over and study.
He is building his knowledge and understanding of light and color which is evident in his work.
Sharing this on his channel is a great source of knowledge for aspiring watercolor painters.
18. Watercolor by Scarlett Damen
Another great multi layered channel that provides demos, tips, tricks and reviews.
These types of channels are great for their varied content. There’s a lot for everyone, from painting flowers to characters.
19. Watercolor Misfit
Another great channel to learn lots of different tips and tricks for beginners.
A lot of content is specifically aimed at the beginner watercolor painter.
Honorable Mention
20. Alvaro Castagnet
Alvaro is one of the, if not the, best modern day watercolor artists. I would even go further to say one of the best of all time!
He does in fact have a YouTube channel, but he is not a prolific YouTube content creator. Hence why he is last on my list for the best watercolor YouTube channels.
He prefers to have most of his content on paid for platforms like Vimeo and APV Films.
But what he does have is, in my opinion, always worth listening to. Alvaro is a genius artist so even a small insight into how he works with watercolors is worth a mention.
