Dear Reader,

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If you weren’t able to join me live on Art School Live with Eric Rhoads, I have great news—the recorded episode is now available to watch!

I’ll be honest… I was a little nervous going into this one. But I don’t think I fell flat on my face In fact, it went much smoother than I had hoped. Eric was incredibly gracious and genuinely interested in my poured watercolor process, which made the conversation feel relaxed, natural, and really enjoyable.

During the demo, I share my poured watercolor technique and talk about one of my favorite studio topics: masking fluid, along with the difference between washes and pours.

In the episode, you’ll see:

• How watercolor artists preserve the white of the paper using masking fluid
• Why wet-in-wet washes are about control and intention
• How poured watercolor is all about glow, movement, and luminosity
• How layering pours and masking builds atmosphere over time

I also show two finished zebra paintings side by side—one created with wet-in-wet washes and the other with pours—so you can clearly see how each approach creates a completely different mood and energy.

Painted vs. Poured — A Closer Look

I wanted to share the two zebra paintings, because they were the heart of my Art School Live demo with Eric Rhoads.

Although the subject is the same, the approach could not be more different.

The first zebra was created using wet-in-wet watercolor washes. This method gives me a great deal of control. I’m guiding the pigment on damp paper, shaping form intentionally, deciding where edges soften and where they stay crisp. Washes are wonderful when I want precision, clarity, and a more deliberate hand in the painting.

The second zebra was created using poured watercolor. Here, gravity and timing take the lead. I build the painting in layers—pour, let it dry, apply masking fluid, then pour again. This process creates a natural glow, soft transitions, and that luminous quality that only water moving freely across the paper can give. In this piece, the water truly becomes my collaborator.

During the demo, I talked about how washes are about control and pours are about glow—and seeing these two paintings side by side really makes that distinction clear. Neither approach is better than the other; they simply offer different energy, mood, and possibilities.

I’ve had such a wonderful response to the demo so far, and I truly hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed sharing it.

Watch the episode here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/live/uga7e0LRRzo?si=LbBcyjuYlFJHHa0C​

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Whether you’re painting along with me, watching from afar, or simply cheering me on, I’m so grateful to have you here.

Happy painting,
​Leslie