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I’m Jenna Rainey.

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Art Tips

Oil Painting vs Watercolor: The Real Differences

If you’ve ever wondered about oil painting vs watercolor, you’re not alone. I break down the real differences between these two mediums, from supplies to style, and explain why watercolor is often the easier, more joyful place for beginners to start.

Two small glass jars with cork lids sit on a worn tabletop, filled with earthy-toned pigment powders. Blurred jars of brushes and pens in the background create a moody studio feel, highlighting raw materials used in painting and color mixing.

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Close-up of a watercolor color study chart with neatly arranged gradient swatches in pinks, greens, and blues. Small paint samples rest on jars below, alongside a wide brush, showcasing experimentation and precision in mixing tones.

How to Make Watercolor Mother’s Day Cards (Step-by-Step for Beginners)

Close-up of bold red and pink floral watercolor with flat brush, demonstrating wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry methods from a watercolor techniques cheat sheet.

Watercolor Techniques Cheat Sheet: Wet-on-Wet, Wet-on-Dry, and More

Close-up of hand painting a detailed color chart with watercolor squares, demonstrating step-by-step color mixing for beginners and how different pigments shift in value and tone.

Color Mixing for Beginners: Understanding Consistency, Value, and Tone

A hand holds a sheet of watercolor paper featuring a single loose flower painted in warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Surrounding Brushes, palettes, and a cup of tinted water reveal the process and color transitions used when painting watercolor light to dark.

Painting Watercolor Light to Dark: The Golden Rule of Watercolor

A close-up of a hand mixing warm orange and red pigments on a well-used ceramic watercolor palette. Tubes of paint, brushes, and a blank sheet of watercolor paper sit nearby on the studio table, showing the setup and tools behind the painting process.

Build Your Own Watercolor Palette (Warm & Cool Primaries + Mixing Colors)

A rustic studio shelf displays an organized collection of watercolor inks, swatch charts, and jars filled with brushes and pens. Below, small labeled containers of pigment sit beside color tests, capturing the behind-the-scenes setup of watercolor supplies and artistic experimentation.

Watercolor Supplies 101: Must-Have Paints, Paper and Brushes

A woman in a white suit walks barefoot across rocky terrain near the ocean at dusk. The gentle pastel sky and reflective water create a quiet, contemplative mood as she moves through the landscape.

I Let Creative Burnout Push My Music Aside… Here’s What Brought Me Back

Woman smiling in front of a large, colorful floral watercolor mural, wearing layered denim and a light jacket in a bright, creative studio space.

Things to Paint in Winter (And What They Teach Me About Slowing Down)

Woman seated in front of a large floral watercolor backdrop, wearing denim and holding a paintbrush, smiling gently in a bright studio setting.

What Are Muscle Memory Drawing Exercises (And Why Every Artist Needs Them)

Woman smiling outdoors in soft sunlight, wearing a light-colored jumpsuit, holding a small object in her hand with greenery and bamboo plants behind her. | watercolor projects for valentine's day

Heartwarming Watercolor Projects for Valentine’s Day

Person smiling while leaning against a wall indoors, wearing a cream vest and jeans, with shelves and books in the background. - creative confidence

The Cost of Playing Small: How Silence Steals Your Creative Confidence

A vibrant watercolor seascape in progress shows crashing waves and coastal cliffs, surrounded by paint tools and a palette—perfect for illustrating how to paint water with dynamic texture and movement.

How to Paint Water in Watercolor

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Two small glass jars with cork lids sit on a worn tabletop, filled with earthy-toned pigment powders. Blurred jars of brushes and pens in the background create a moody studio feel, highlighting raw materials used in painting and color mixing.

Oil Painting vs Watercolor: The Real Differences

Close-up of a watercolor color study chart with neatly arranged gradient swatches in pinks, greens, and blues. Small paint samples rest on jars below, alongside a wide brush, showcasing experimentation and precision in mixing tones.

How to Make Watercolor Mother’s Day Cards (Step-by-Step for Beginners)

Close-up of bold red and pink floral watercolor with flat brush, demonstrating wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry methods from a watercolor techniques cheat sheet.

Watercolor for Beginners

Watercolor Techniques Cheat Sheet: Wet-on-Wet, Wet-on-Dry, and More

Overhead view of watercolor supplies and finished floral illustrations arranged for creating a DIY calendar with monthly artwork and vibrant blooms.

Watercolor for Beginners

Seasonal Watercolor Projects: Creating a DIY Calendar with Monthly Themes

Close-up of hand painting a detailed color chart with watercolor squares, demonstrating step-by-step color mixing for beginners and how different pigments shift in value and tone.

Color Mixing for Beginners: Understanding Consistency, Value, and Tone

Woman standing on rocky shoreline at sunset, embracing coastal light and inspiration before a day of plein air painting.

Watercolor Retreats That Combine Art, Travel and Creative Community

A hand holds a sheet of watercolor paper featuring a single loose flower painted in warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Surrounding Brushes, palettes, and a cup of tinted water reveal the process and color transitions used when painting watercolor light to dark.

Watercolor for Beginners

Painting Watercolor Light to Dark: The Golden Rule of Watercolor

A close-up of a hand mixing warm orange and red pigments on a well-used ceramic watercolor palette. Tubes of paint, brushes, and a blank sheet of watercolor paper sit nearby on the studio table, showing the setup and tools behind the painting process.

Build Your Own Watercolor Palette (Warm & Cool Primaries + Mixing Colors)

A rustic studio shelf displays an organized collection of watercolor inks, swatch charts, and jars filled with brushes and pens. Below, small labeled containers of pigment sit beside color tests, capturing the behind-the-scenes setup of watercolor supplies and artistic experimentation.

Watercolor Supplies

Watercolor Supplies 101: Must-Have Paints, Paper and Brushes

A woman in a white suit walks barefoot across rocky terrain near the ocean at dusk. The gentle pastel sky and reflective water create a quiet, contemplative mood as she moves through the landscape.

I Let Creative Burnout Push My Music Aside… Here’s What Brought Me Back

Woman smiling in front of a large, colorful floral watercolor mural, wearing layered denim and a light jacket in a bright, creative studio space.

Watercolor Tutorials

Things to Paint in Winter (And What They Teach Me About Slowing Down)

Woman seated in front of a large floral watercolor backdrop, wearing denim and holding a paintbrush, smiling gently in a bright studio setting.

What Are Muscle Memory Drawing Exercises (And Why Every Artist Needs Them)

My favorite posts

01

Which Watercolor Paper Should I Practice On?

02

The Ultimate Guide to Watercolor Brushes

03

3 Reasons You Haven't Found Your Artistic Style

04

5 Health Products That Changed My Life

My 40-page watercolor companion to help you find my best tips, resources and tutorials on the topic of watercolor!

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Watercolor

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Don't leave without these!

A free class on how to scan, digitize and edit your artwork. I'll walk you through the equipment you need and the tools for cleaning up your artwork!

How to Digitize Your Artwork

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(on YouTube!)

It's like binge watching Bob Ross videos on Netflix only with a slice of dry humor and an extra helping of the greatest art tips you ever did see!

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The Complete Beginner's Guide to Watercolor

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