20 Most Famous Watercolor Artists To Inspire You

When it comes to watercolor painting, getting familiar and drawing inspiration from the most famous watercolor artist allows you to get inspiration and motivates you to be better over time. As a beginner, you may be inspired and intimidated at the same time. This is normal as most artists have been there, an expert was once a newcomer, like you, and this article is written to be inspired and get going with your artistic journey.

As a newcomer, how do the most famous watercolor artists inspire you to improve your skills and learn new techniques? Are there easy techniques you can practice to be one of the most famous watercolor artists of this generation? What materials should you invest in when starting with this painting medium? Is watercolor painting hard? 

Who Are The Most Famous Watercolor Artists Of All Time?

For some, watercolor painting is easy and accessible. Most likely, every artist has painted their canvas or paper using watercolors. If you are a newcomer to this painting medium, this list of the most famous watercolor artists will inspire you to create your next artwork real soon. We’ve included a brief overview of how their watercolor painting journey began that, at some point, will inspire you to do more. 

Let’s get to know the people behind the unique and vibrant world of watercolors:

John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) 
He is an American artist that is considered to lead portrait painting throughout his generation. With over 2000 watercolor paintings and over 900 oil paintings, unnumbered charcoal drawings, and sketches under his name, he traveled to various places to showcase his artworks and inspire others at the same time.

His artworks are characterized for their great technicalities, particularly his unique techniques of drawing using a paintbrush. However, this skill was both criticized and supported. His methods were consistent when it comes to portraiture and displays impressionism. Later on, he started creating mural paintings and works “en Plein air.”

His watercolor paintings draw inspiration to this date from newcomers and advanced watercolor artists. They moved from the English countryside to Tyrol, Venice, Corfu, Montana, Middle East, Florida, and Maine. Every destination offers picturesque treasure and stimulation. Painting has been Sargent’s way to escape pressure and leisure, painting with restless intensity from morning tonight. 

He’s one of the most famous watercolor artists, and his artworks include: 

• Gondolier’s Siesta (1904)
• The Chess Game (1906)
• Muddy Alligators (1917)
• Paul César Helleu (1882-1885)
• Nicola D’Inverno (1892)

Rhoda Holmes Nicholls

Rhoda Holmes Nicholls (March 28, 1854 – September 7, 1930) 

She is an American-English oil and watercolor artist who was born in England. Her artworks are viewed, awarded, and popularly published in various journals and exhibited in various famous institutions, which bring her fame to native countries, the USA, and the United Kingdom. 

As a successful artist, art instructor, and writer, she inspires this generation and newcomers in the wonderful world of watercolor painting. 

Her famous watercolor paintings include: 

• Roma (1880)
• Encampment near Mount Coke, South Africa (1881-1884) 
• Picking Wildflowers (1990)

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890)

Van Gogh is considered the most influential and one of the most famous watercolor artists in the art world and history. Anton Mauve, a cousin, has introduced him to watercolors and teaches him this excellent painting medium. 

This paves the way for Van Gogh to create 150 artworks in the watercolor medium. Most of his creations come from large-scale artworks, which help perfected his painting techniques and skills. Though a misunderstood genius, all of his artworks are considered the most expensive artworks worldwide. 

His famous watercolor paintings include: 

• Woman Sewing (1881-1882)
• Flowering Peach Tree (1888)
• Boy Cutting Grass with Sickle (1881)
• Beach with People Walking And Boats (1882)
• Church Pew with Worshippers (1882) 

Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne (January 19, 1839 – October 22, 1906)

Post-impressionist and French artists/painters whose journey has explored the various possibilities of using watercolors. His artworks were often used to understand this unique medium yet offer aesthetics that you cannot quickly achieve but inspire others to create. 

Paul Cézanne has created the bridge of 19th-century post-impressionism and 20th-century cubism technique. He is remarkable for repetitive and adventurous brush strokes on most of his paintings. He also used small brushstrokes and plane colors, which create complex fields. 

His famous watercolor painting includes: 

• Circa, self-portrait (1895)
• The Green Pitcher (1887)
• Leaves in a Green Pot (1902)
• Flower Pots (1887)
• Still Life with Green Melon (1906)

Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910)

One of the most famous watercolor artists that will inspire you is Winslow Homer, an American printmaker and landscape painter renowned for his marine concepts—considered one of the pre-eminent figures for American art. 

A self-taught artist who worked as a commercial illustrator took up sophisticated oil painting and later produced studio works characterized by density and weight exploited from this medium. 

Homer also worked intensively with watercolors and created a prolific oeuvre and fluid, mainly chronicling his vacations while working. While the first watercolor creations are not pleasing to most critics, he improved his skills and began selling preparatory sketches and original artworks. 

His famous watercolor painting includes: 

• The Green Hill (1878)
• Bermuda (1901)
• Three Fisher Girls (1881)
• Boys in a Dory (1873)
• Two Boys Watching Schooners (1880)

Elizabeth Murray

Elizabeth Murray ( 1815 – December 8, 1882)

She was considered one of the most famous watercolor artists of her generation. A British watercolor artist, born Elizabeth Heaphy, primarily created landscapes and portraits where she lived.

Murray was one of the Royal Institute of Painters’ members in Water Colours and founded the Society of Female Artists in the UK. Since she spent ten years of her life in Canary Island, most of her creations draw inspiration from that place and in Andalusia and Morocco. 

Inspired by her father, Thomas Heaphy, she then develops a remarkable style. She uses the typical English method of imposing subtle layers of detailed mixed colors in creating depth and color effects. 

Her famous watercolor paintings include: 

• Marruecos – Morocco landscape painting (1849)
• Dotty Simple (1869)
• Alfred Diston watercolor portrait (1854)
• Pifferari Playing to the Virgin Scene in Rom/Black and White watercolors (1859)
• A Peasant (1834)

John Constable

John Constable (June 11, 1776 – March 31, 1837) 

An English traditional landscape painter is known for revolutionizing the landscape concept. Constable has tons of famous paintings that continue to draw inspiration for newcomers in the world of watercolors to this date. 

After 1829, he preferred using watercolors for his artworks as he worked with oil paints. Later on, he created a trademark that showcases tradition and depicts a particular interest in the sky atmosphere. This technique is commonly showcase of him using opaque colors and thick brushstrokes to convey darker surroundings. 

His famous watercolor paintings include: 

• Stonehenge (1835)
• Tillington Church (1834)
• Cottages and a Windmill (1834)
• A House Amongst Trees (1832)
• A Mill Near Colchester (1833)

William Blake

William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827)

William Blake was known as an English poet, printmaker, and a famous watercolor artist. With unconventional painting skills that stand out from any traditional techniques used by contemporary artists in the 19th-century. 

His painting technique includes drawing in ink, pen, or graphite and later applying watercolors. There are plenty of watercolor paintings he had created, but the most popular one was dated in 1826, Divine Comedy, an unfinished watercolor illustration. 

Though considered a mad artist by contemporaries, his idiosyncratic technique has been tagged by critics as creative and highly expressive. Whether by poetry or paintings, his works were characterized as an inclusion to the pre-romantic and romantic movement. 

His famous watercolor paintings include: 

• The Angel of Revelation (1803)
• The Angels Hovering Over The Body Of Christ In the Sepulchre (1805)
• The Ancient of Days (1794)
• Newton (1805)
• The Dance Of Albion (1796)

J.M.W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner (April 23, 1775 – December 19, 1851)

Also known as William Turner, an English watercolorist, printmaker, and Romantic painter. His paintings are famous for their expressiveness in colorization, turbulent, and imaginative landscapes, often harsh marine paintings. 

With over 2000 watercolor paintings, 550 oil paintings, and 30k paper works. Many of his watercolor paintings capture the soul of specific places compared to depicting faithfully. One of the many reasons he became one of the most famous watercolor artists and Britain’s most loved artists. 

Turner exhibited his very first artwork when he was 15 and also served as a skilled architectural draftsman. In 1804, he opened his first gallery and became a prospective professor in his academy. 

His famous watercolor painting includes: 

• Clare Hal & King’s College Chapel (1793)
• The Blue Rigi, Sunrise (1842)
• Study of a Sleeping cat (1796)
• The Convert on the Rock (1796)
• Lacy’s Court, Bath Street, Abingdon (1789) 

Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer (21 May, 1471 – 6 April, 1528)

Durer was a famous German printmaker, painter, and theorist of the Renaissance period. He pioneered watercolor painting and recognized the potential of this painting medium early on. He has tons of concepts, including cavaliers, topography, landscapes, plants, animals, and nudes. 

His watercolor paintings offer impressive details, and stunning color contrasts with a massive number of artworks under his name, including self-portraits, portraits, altarpieces, books, and watercolors. His paintings using watercolors marked him as the very first landscape artists in Europe. 

 Some of his famous watercolor paintings include: 

• Hare (1502)
• Left-Wing of a Blue Roller (1500/1512)
• The Great Place of Turf (1503)
• The Virgin and Child with a Multitude of Animals and Plants (1503)
• Study of Lilies (1526)

Who Was The First And Most Famous Watercolor Artist?

Watercolor painting is one of the oldest painting mediums, perhaps dated even in paleolithic Europe, where cave painting was first discovered. However, according to history, this art medium started in the Renaissance period. The very first artist to work with watercolors is Albrecht Durer (1471-1528). He has painted several fine wildlife, landscape, and botanical watercolors. This has been considered the earliest watercolor advocate. 

In the early days, watercolors were used for sketches, cartoons, or copies by easel painters (Baroque). Some of the early watercolorists are Giovanni Benedetto, Claude Lorrain, Van Dyck, many Flemish and Dutch artists. The most important and oldest watercolor paintings were wildlife illustrations and botanical illustrations if we’ll look carefully. 

Checking on watercolors’ chemical properties, they are made from ground pigment minerals and dyed dormant powder bound together by gum arabic from acacia trees. This painting medium captures transparency and luminosity and provides a similar range or exceeds other painting mediums. 

Is Watercolor Painting Hard

Many believe that watercolor is one of the easy mediums to learn and improve your skills with. Even kids can easily mix watercolors and play at their early age. It’s the first painting medium introduced to everyone at a younger age. 

With the convenience that transparency offers, this medium is still considered one of the hardest to work with. In fact, its delicate luminosity and clarity offer immediacy and freshness that you cannot easily duplicate with acrylics or oil paints—one reason why watercolor is famous and loved painting medium. 

Working with watercolors is not easy. For experienced artists, it’s hard to master, and working with it is quite tricky. Watercolor can sometimes be unpredictable and unforgiving. If you accidentally make mistakes with watercolor, it’s harder to fix than acrylics or oil paints. 

The fact that its fluid nature requires experience to control and manipulate. Regardless of their complexity, watercolors are a charming painting medium, and there are plenty of artists who fall in love with it. Learning to control, explore, and work with its pigment-laden on the water to paper is challenging and rewarding at the same time. 

• It offers delicate luminosity and transparency
• Watercolors offer immediacy and freshness that you cannot easily duplicate with acrylics or oil paints
• It’s unpredictable and unforgiving
• It’s hard to correct when you make mistakes
• The fluid nature is hard to manipulate
• It’s exceptionally charming, rewarding, and challenging

As technology advances, there have been simplified ways to work and master watercolors. Nowadays, you can use special paper that works perfectly with watercolors without worrying that the surface will buckle with more water. 

Watercolor is a straightforward painting medium made from gum arabic and rich pigments. It is applied on your painting surface using various brush sizes and different painting techniques, which result in clarity and purity no other painting medium can offer. Despite its simplicity, this painting medium can be glowingly expressive and subtle at the same time. 

Easy Watercolor Techniques For Beginners

One of the critical elements of an effective watercolor painting is working with the right and easy-to-follow techniques. As a beginner, you may get intimidated with tons of things to do, and must-have ideas will smoothly go down the drain before you even start working. 

For most newcomers to the world of watercolors, this painting medium is fundamental to prepare all your materials first before working. Watercolor is a straightforward painting medium and requires immediacy on every application. 

After preparation, these watercolor painting techniques will help you improve your skills like a pro in no time.

Wet-on-wet

The freedom technique allows you to apply paint freely over another color, which results in elegant blended colors from various and complicated shades. The results of wet-on-wet are remarkably stunning.

Wash style

A typical watercolor technique that you can efficiently work on with your next artwork. This technique needs harmonious blending of colors and mixing them. This allows a washed or faded result on colors. 

Alcohol on the painting surface

Not everyone will agree but once done correctly; the results are stunning. It’s like grease and soap, where chemical reaction provides a soothing effect as colors disperse immediately once alcohol is applied.

Glazing

Watercolor glazing is a technique that allows your painting medium to create a vibrant and robust character that naked eyes can quickly identify. It gives a stunning effect from your surface, which results in a dynamic yet translucent form. The process is about layering colors on each other to create a more visible, fuller, and sharper effect of blended colors. 

Scraping effect

The scraping technique requires you to layer colors and use a shard item for efficacy. It is highly recommended to do the method while your colors are young or still wet. The scraped surface will heal hollow parts, which builds a darker, more detailed texture and looks that appear over the artwork.

Wet-on-dry

While watercolor painting is all about illumination and transparency, this technique should be worked out for newcomers and advanced watercolorists. It requires you to add an extra layer of paint on an already dried surface.

Graded wash

The graded wash technique requires you to use translucent pigments by adding water after a dark color. It results in a more overlap layer to help execute lighter colors of values. Try working with intense colors first and less water. The next process requires the opposite approach, and you let colors blend in. Results are remarkably stunning too.

Rough effect

The rough effect can be achieved with minimal water used or applied on watercolors from your paintbrush. This gives an uneven development as you apply your colors over the painting surface. The result is a more textured surface and varies with what texture you prefer. 

Salt as the sand effect

If you want to create a sandy effect on your painting surface, applying salt is the best technique. Apply your salt while the surface is still wet, and this allows the element to indulge with the moisture before it penetrates the feeling. 

Allows the salt to sit on your painting surface overnight to ensure maximum effects. Remove it afterward, and you’ll notice subtle sandy texture effects both to look and touch. 

Raising paint

Raising paint is an excellent technique for beginners. It allows you to experiment, imagine, and practice as you move forward. Lifting your watercolors can be done using various elements like plastic wraps or bubble wraps. 

Results vary with the available items present in your working area. Crumpled plastic can be a great substitute. This technique requires added water and pigments to your painting surface and let the plastic indulge with colors before the body gets dry. 

Protecting every barrier

Watercolor painting is all about endurance and perseverance to all moisture and colors surrounding the painter’s tape. The best way to protect your edges or create barriers is to apply your masking tape on areas you want to protect from watercolors. Work as you want and let the paint completely dry before removing your masking tape. The result will show a nude shade of your watercolor paper. 

Sprinkle effect

The sprinkle technique is a fun way to work with your watercolors using some force. The process uses your thumb, pointy finger, and your middle finger. The process allows you to shoot your colors on your painting surface by snapping it straight to your paper from the paintbrush. 

Foam paint

Using foam is a simple and easy watercolor technique ideal for beginners. This is great for creating clouds. Use a foam or sponge to work on your colors by dabbing it on your watercolor paper. This technique provides a rich and vibrant result when you splat it on your support. 

Bleeding colors

This freestyle painting technique requires less detail on your painting surface. You allow every color to bleed with each other to create an elegant result. Others refer to it as a mistake will several artists intentionally use it on their painting surface. 

Factors To Consider When Buying Watercolors

Before buying all your watercolor essentials, there are some vital factors always to consider. This includes permanence, color, transparency, quality, types, staining or non-staining, and brands.

Watercolor Brands

Characteristics and quality vary with every watercolor manufacturer and brand. However, this should not hinder you from mixing colors to achieve your desired results. You will also notice that some brands or manufacturers stand out in specific colors. 

Quality

Like most painting mediums, you can purchase watercolors between student grade and artists grade. Artists or professional grade watercolors come with higher concentrated finely ground colors with higher permanence ratings. At the same time, student grade pigments are more affordable and have more extenders and fillers. 

The thing is, you can buy a student or artist’s grade based on your current budget or how much you are willing to spend. Although artists grade watercolors are more pricey, they provide superior transparency, color intensity, and high-rating permanence. 

For beginners, you can opt to use student grade watercolors first and move forward to artists grade as you advance your painting skills. One thing worth noting is that artist-grade watercolor lasts longer and won’t fade compared to cheaper ones. 

Permanence

Permanence is the watercolors capability to withstand direct light exposure or humidity without worrying the colors will fade, turn yellowish, shifting colors, or darkening. It also refers to the colors lightfastness. 

It’s a vital factor, especially when you are not working with your painting surface. This assures you that your artwork’s quality won’t degrade and can be passed to the next generations. 

Check the watercolor packaging and ensure it’s “very good’ or “excellent” lightfastness. 

Color

Watercolors come in tons of color selections and vary per manufacturer. Technically, producing more colors happens when you mix the primary and secondary colors. This gives you an abundance of color selections to choose from. The only downside is that colors can be dull or lifeless. 

Single colors are more intense and vibrant. If you cannot buy all the colors you need, try to build your limited yet versatile palette. You don’t need to rush or find the best one, as everything is perfect from an artist’s point of view. 

Several factors that you may want to consider are transparency and permanence. What’s important is that you have the primary colors, to begin with, your painting journey. As you gather more experience, you can quickly identify what you need and what works best for you. 

If it’s your first time buying watercolors, purchase from a reliable brand with excellent reviews to ensure you’re investing in the right materials to help enhance your skills.

Types

 While there are plenty of watercolor types out there, the most popular types are tubes and pans. Choose the type of watercolor you are most comfortable using and the one that enables you to achieve the results you are earnest to achieve

Staining or non-staining

Some watercolors dry on top of the surface, where you can easily remove or scrape off using a sponge. Others penetrate and stain the paper fiber. The critical aspect is that all colors fall between staining and non-staining. 

This factor may seem unimportant for beginners until you’ll be working with lifting colors or layering techniques.

Transparency

Watercolors principal value is its transparency or its ability to let light pass through the painting and reflect into the surface (white) of your paper. This creates a stunning luminescent effect on your artwork. 

Color transparency is vital, especially if you’ll be working with the layering technique. Plan your artwork and layer your transparent colors for complete harmony.

Verdict:

Our Top Pick:

Daniel Smith-Jane Haines 10-Piece Master Artist Watercolor Tubes

This personally selected watercolor set by Master Artists Jean Haines can help transform your artwork into a stunning one. Every pigment selection of this 10-piece set is guaranteed to provide vibrant and long-lasting colors that every watercolorist must try. It’s a great buy to improve your painting skills. A great deal considering the high-end quality and made with organic materials.

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Runner Up:

ShinHan 24-Color Set Professional Korean Colors

ShinHan watercolors are made from premium-quality materials and pigments. This 24-color set of artist-grade watercolors are affordable, multifunctional, and offer precise formulation that lasts for years and won’t fade. This watercolor set is made from authentic Korean high-quality pigments design to help improve your skills and techniques in no time. Rich, vibrant, and easy to use artist-grade set.

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Good Deal:

Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Professional-Grade 36 Premium Color Pan Set Non-toxic Blendable

This 36-color set of professional-grade opaque and vivid pigments is sure to create stunning artworks from traditional Japanese watercolors. This paint is carefully manufactured to provide a smooth texture during applications. It’s non-toxic and ideal for both beginners and experienced watercolorists. With ACMI certification to ensure all pan colors are safe for your artwork sessions.

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Final Word

What do you think about watercolors? Who do you draw inspiration with? Do you have any questions or want to share something with us? Please leave us a message, and we will get back to you soon!