10 watercolor paintings from contemporary artists you need to know

- 15/11/2021

water color painting at carré d'artistes

Watercolor, or water-based painting, is one of the painting techniques whose origins can be dated back to prehistoric times.
The technique of watercolor consists of mixing color pigments with water, in varying amounts depending on the desired intensity of the painting. *Most often representing landscapes, whether natural or urban, watercolor can also depict silhouettes, bodies in motion, or imaginary characters inviting to daydream.

Discover 10 watercolor paintings by contemporary artists.

Paris, les toits, Jean-Charles Decoudun

Inspired by post-impressionist artist Pierre Bonnard, Jean-Charles Decoudun carries on the artistic family tradition by representing Paris, its streets and its people. Particularly attracted by places of daily life, such as cafes and parks, he presents urban landscape paintings and is part of the tradition of painters attracted by the liveliness of Montmartre.

After experimenting with techniques for a while, he chose to express the feeling of simple happiness through watercolor painting.
His palette consists of a range of bright and happy natural colours, such as light greens, blues and pinks, applied on a soft neutral base.

Anaïs couchée, Sébastien Brunel

Focusing on the theme of nude paintings, Sébastien Brunel uses a variety of sketching and painting techniques to transcribe the sensation of bodies in motion in his paintings.
The choice of watercolor to complement his pencil strokes brings movement and life to his work and allows him to dilute the pigments as much as needed to evoke the grace and elegance of his subjects.

Fleurs de Boma, Estelle Régent

In an almost Monet-inspired way, Estelle Régent captures a moment a poetry in nature with her painting Fleurs de Boma. In a concern of spontaneity and authenticity, she makes almost no retouching on her first draft.
Then comes to add the color, through watercolor, whose intense pigments allow the appearance of vivid shades.

Bordeaux, Nightfall, Jan Min

In the tradition of watercolor landscape paintings, Jan Min depicts moments of life by emphasizing contrast and focal distances.
The painter mostly focuses on the transmission of the beauty of places and their atmosphere.
A deep sense of poetry emanates from his watercolor abstraction and allows the viewer to share a moment of harmony and peace.

Watercolor painting : 31, Alex Raj

With his urban landscapes under the rain, Alex Raj shares his vision of India and its cities.
The appearance of traditional dresses lends itself perfectly to the use of vibrant colors giving us wanderlust.

NF 34, Michèle Loussouarn

Michèle Loussouarn is an artist from Eastern France, whose artistic work focuses on nude paiting, essentially with female models.
The body, often represented from behind, with modesty and elegance, is adorned with warm colors. Her knowledge of sculpture brings a sense of depth to her paintings.
She plays with depths, curves and layers of paint to express the beauty and vulnerability of naked bodies.

Summer in Seaside, Swarup Dandapat

Swarup Dandapat was born in India and graduated from the Government University of Fine Arts and Crafts in Calcuta.
Although watercolor is his primary medium, he sometimes opts to let his talent express itself through oil painting or charcoal technique.
With mainly lifelike renderings of landscapes, sometimes with silhouettes inserted into the painting, his style is close to realism. However, he likes to bring a touch of magic and mystery, a higher dimension which invites the viewer to an intellectual journey.

Quelque part le long du canal, Violaine Abbatucci

In the tradition of the itinerant artist who shares their travel journal through renderings on canvas, Violaine Abattuci shares seized moments. Inspired by the poetry of the place, she attaches a particular importance to the light. Her refinement makes her an artist in high demand.

Whale City, Masako Masukawa

This is a unique and original watercolor painting by Masako Masukawa.

Although she was brought up in the art world from a very young age (her mother used sumi-e or suiboku-g, a traditional Japanese watercolor), Masako Masukawa was a late-blooming artist. In the United States, she realized that she could express herself through her paintings - with the encouragement of an art teacher - and even obtained a scholarship thanks to her undeniable talent.
With her poetic and dreamlike paintings, she invites the audience to connect with their inner child and to open up to dreams.
With peculiar characters and fantastic universes, the artist offers a glimpse of her oriental background and the folklore associated with it.

Paris S15, Vasily Khodakivskyi

As an artist who likes to express himself through various techniques, Vasily Khodakivskyi proposes a painting of the moment, with angles chosen in his favorite places.
Through watercolor, he expresses the beauty of the details that surround him. His figurative style of urban views captures the bridge between classicism and modernity, blending in the middle of cities.