Practicing Imperfection: Paint a Fast, Joyful Watercolor with Dylan Sara

In this lesson (73 mins), artist Dylan Sara guides us through a liberating, process-driven approach to painting portraits in watercolor. 

Instead of spending weeks overworking a single piece until it feels stagnant, Dylan shows us how a fast, fluid, and beautifully imperfect practice frees your hand and sharpens your eye. You don’t need a perfectly carved-out ninety-minute block to create art – you just need the willingness to dive in and learn by doing.

What You’ll Explore in This Lesson

• The Liberation of Low-Cost Practice: You'll start with a fast, five-minute warm-up sketch on low-cost paper. Working on a surface that isn't your "best" paper removes expectations and lets you play without fear.
• Squinting to Simplify: Learn how to squint your eyes to filter out overwhelming details, distilling a complex face down into bold, fundamental shapes of light and shadow.
• Building Complexity on a Loose Foundation: Once you move to heavier paper, you’ll flood the page with a warm yellow ochre undertone, establish an organic silhouette using a broad flat brush, and layer rich, inky contrasts on top.
• Embracing the Unpredictable: Watercolor thrives when it is allowed to be wet. You’ll practice letting the pigment bleed, pool, and move across the page, celebrating the gorgeous, unplannable elements that give a painting its life.

A Note on Likeness: As you paint along, you might notice your proportions shifting or a feature landing slightly out of place. Dylan’s advice? Let it go. Spotting where a drawing is "off" is simply a tool for your next piece, not a reason to halt the joy of the current one.

Grab your flat brush, accept the beautiful messiness of the medium, and let’s dive into painting!