Discover the untamed beauty of watercolour painting with artist Elena Markelova, known for her vibrant wildlife and nature-inspired works. In this video, Elena shares how embracing the unpredictable nature of watercolour allows her to capture the wild essence of the world around her—from majestic bears to misty forests.

Whether you're an aspiring artist or a seasoned painter looking for inspiration, Elena’s intuitive approach to watercolour invites you to let go of control and lean into spontaneity.

Watch the video, and read on to find our Q&A with Elena Markelova.

I’ve always felt a deep connection to nature, but it wasn’t until I moved to Canada 12 years ago that I truly learned how to express it in my art. 

I was born and raised in Siberia, where people often have a romanticized image of endless forests and bears roaming freely. In reality, most people live in industrial areas with metallurgical and cement factories, coal mines, and busy cities. Despite this, my family was drawn to nature, and we spent nearly every weekend at our village house by the lake or exploring the mountains. 

However, it wasn’t until I moved to Canada that I saw my first wild bear. That same weekend, I encountered a mother deer and her fawn while hiking. It was a pivotal moment that inspired me to combine animal portraits with their natural habitats in my art. 

This approach allows me to connect deeply with wildlife and tell their stories through symbols, colours, and compositions.

Watercolour is an incredible medium for capturing different emotions and atmospheres. 

Its unique ability to blend and mix colors in exciting, often unexpected ways allows me to convey a mood organically. The luminosity and transparency of watercolour help me create not only various effects but also a deep emotional connection with the viewer. 

For each painting, I use a limited palette to maintain freshness and luminosity. Some paintings require just one color, while others may use six or seven. However, three coloros appear in almost all of my work:

• Blues – for sky and water, ranging from Phthalo Blue to Cobalt Blue depending on the weather conditions.
• Greens – for forests and reflections, with my favorite being PG8 (a beautiful single-pigment green).
• Payne’s Gray – for rocks, mountains, and shadows.

This consistent coloor palette is especially important for my double-exposure animal series, ensuring that collectors can mix and match different artworks into a cohesive gallery wall.

For those who are just starting and don’t know what theme of the artwork they are most drawn to, the three main colours are Red, Yellow and Blue. 

But if one is specifically interested to explore deep, sometimes foggy and misty forests of beautiful British Columbia, I’d recommend Phthalo Blue, Hooker’s Green and Payne’s Gray.

Using high-quality materials makes a huge difference—not just in the final artwork but also in the process itself. When I studied art in school and university, we painted on cellulose-based paper, which made certain techniques difficult to achieve.

ELENA MARKELOVA'S PAPERS

The first time I tried 100% cotton paper, I was shocked by how effortless it felt to work with! 

Now, I primarily use Cold Pressed and Rough textures from Arches or Magnani as they showcase pigments beautifully, especially granulating colours.

ELENA MARKELOVA'S PAINTS

For watercolour paints, I rely on professional-grade paints from Opus Art Supplies and Daniel Smith, both of which offer exceptional quality. 

Van Gogh watercolours are a more budget-friendly option.

ELENA MARKELOVA'S BRUSHES

Brushes are another essential tool, but price doesn’t always equal performance.

I love calligraphy brushes, which are often budget-friendly yet incredibly versatile. With a few simple techniques, they can be the perfect brush for painting fur, pine trees, and delicate details.

I also use Opus Galiano watercolour brushes, rounds and flats, which are ethically made.

For the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with painting on watercolour canvases. Fredrix Watercolour Canvas comes in various sizes, and are a great alternative for artists who want to create works that don’t require glass framing.

I also use Daniel Smith Watercolour Ground on stretched canvases for large-scale pieces. Both options behave very differently from paper and require some adjustment, but they open up exciting new possibilities.

Unless I’m working on a very specific and unconventional concept, I follow the general principles of building a three-dimensional composition: distant objects are softer and less defined, while elements in the foreground have stronger contrasts and details. I use tonal balance to guide the viewer’s eye through the painting, placing light and dark areas strategically.

To keep my paintings fresh, I aim for minimal layering—usually two to three layers at most —which allows light to reflect off the paper and keeps the colors vibrant. One of my greatest achievements is when a painting feels as though it’s breathing—a perfect balance of harmony, movement, and lively imperfection.

I love color mixing! Teaching has made me even more aware of how everyone perceives color differently, influenced by their emotions and experiences. One of the most important lessons I teach is to avoid putting objects into rigid color “boxes” (e.g., “trees are green,” “snow is white”). Nature is full of unexpected hues!

One of my favorite and most surprising pigment combinations, discovered during summer plein air sessions, is Phthalo Blue + Raw Sienna + touches of Lavender . It creates a stunning mix for distant mountains and hills, often producing a natural granulated texture.

Sometimes I like to challenge myself and play a game with the dot card I got from Opus a couple of years ago. It has a variety of reds, Salmon Pink, yellow, a couple of greens and blues and a gorgeous Ethereal, majority of which are not anywhere close to my regular palette. So, I would choose the most regular forest/mountain scene to paint with these, which is so fun and let you explore and mix colours that you would never touch otherwise. 

In 13 years of art school and art university I’ve tried and experimented with everything that was on a market at the time. 

By learning to paint with different mediums and their specific techniques, I started appreciating watercolour so much more. I was never a fan of oils because it would give me horrible headaches, acrylics are plastic without a soul, but watercolour is nature, alive and breathing, full of magic and its own ways to create beauty by itself!

As I get older, I can definitely notice how my approach is evolving, it’s getting simpler yet more subtle in many ways. I’m also more open to play with my paints and try new things, go outside the box of more traditional orthodox painting into exploring new techniques and experimenting with colours. 

The most common mistakes I see when teaching are:

1. Rushing the process – Skipping planning steps, not testing values, and applying layers too soon can lead to muddy results. I always recommend taking a deep breath, analyzing the composition, making a small tonal sketch, and planning the painting before starting.

2. Overworking the painting – Constantly trying to "fix" things often leads to a loss of freshness. Watercolour teaches patience and the ability to let go. Sometimes it’s better to leave a painting as it is rather than adding more layers.

3. Using too many colors – Beginners often paint directly from the pans without mixing colors. A limited palette (e.g., 12 colors or fewer) encourages thoughtful mixing and better color harmony.

4. Relying too much on reference photos – Photos flatten depth and colors, so I encourage artists to paint outdoors to truly understand light, aerial perspective, and atmosphere. No camera can capture nature the way the human eye can!

Meet other artists and go paint together! It could be a workshop run by some reputable artist in your area or a group plein air, where you can see and practice on the spot. 

We are lucky to have OPUS Art Supplies here that allows you to try a variety of materials at the store and also organizes events and demos with artists in different fields. 

Don’t be shy and don’t be afraid to make mistakes, it’s all part of a learning process.