Bringing Nature to Life: The Magic of Free-Flow Watercolor with Jane Davies

In a sunlit corner of her studio in the British countryside, watercolor teacher Jane Davies lets pigment and water dance freely across the page, guided by instinct rather than precision. Her teaching philosophy centers on releasing control—allowing the paint to bloom, blend and wander over wet paper with a life of its own. Instead of chasing perfection, she encourages her students to relax, let go and find beauty in the results. Her classes are less about mastering rules and more about rediscovering the joy of the natural world.

As a lifelong animal lover, Jane is especially well-known for her skill at capturing their essence with paint and paper. Through her unique approach, she not only paints animals, but evokes their spirit, all while inviting others to slow down and trust the process. We spoke with Jane to discover how she started painting, uncover the secrets of her signature free-flow technique and glean some of her best tips for staying inspired and finding your artistic voice.

A Portrait of Jane

The watercolor artist Jane Davies standing in her painting studio. She’s wearing a yellow sundress and painting at a standing desk. Some of her watercolor paintings are hanging on the wall. Her pet Spaniel is sleeping on a fluffy bed on the floor. — Jane Davies paints in her sunny studio in the English countryside.

Jane Davies is one of Skillshare’s most popular watercolor teachers, and it’s easy to see why. With her relaxed teaching style, beautiful subject choices and easy-to-follow lessons, she’s a top choice for beginners and advanced painters alike.

Her own watercolor journey began at a very young age. “My dad was a beautiful watercolor artist,” she said, “and we used to paint together when I was a child, so watercolour has always been part of my life and has given me much pleasure over the years.”

Today, she lives and paints in the picturesque South Downs National Park in England, and through her Skillshare classes she’s able to share her love of watercolor with students from all corners of the globe.

She also teaches students in-person, and this year she’s hosting two summer workshops in the UK, plus a September art retreat in Southern Italy.

Jane specializes in painting animals of all kinds, from wild predators like tigers and wolves to domestic pets like cats and dogs. “I've always been slightly obsessed with animals,” she told us, “especially dogs.” So, “being able to capture that essence of them in watercolour is a phenomenal feeling!”

Secrets of Jane’s Unique Free-Flow Technique

A woman’s hands using a paintbrush and a tube of watercolor paint to put the finishing touches on a watercolor painting. The painting depicts two green, red and yellow lovebirds nuzzling each other while perched on a branch. — Jane’s free-flow technique in action in the Skillshare class “Lovebirds: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies.”

Other than her ability to capture an animal’s essence with ink and paper, Jane is perhaps best known for her unique free-flow technique. Instead of using traditional brush strokes, she dips her brush into undiluted watercolor paint tubes and applies the pigment directly to wet paper.

That watercolor technique allows the paint to flow freely, and makes it a breeze to create seamless gradients that mimic those found in nature.

So how did Jane develop her signature free-flow technique? “I guess I never realised I was doing something particularly different, if I’m honest. It’s just a lovely [and] freeing way to use this beautiful medium!”

As Skillshare student Brianne Boyd described it, Jane’s “painting approach is to let the paint do what it wants and mess with it very little. This leads to . . . fun outcomes and removes pressure to have things turn out perfect.”

And according to Jane, the secrets of the free-flow technique are surprisingly straightforward. The key, she says, is “mastering how much water to add to your paper and when in that drying process to pop the paint on to get the desired effect.”

“It really is that simple,” she added. “Once you’ve got that knowledge, [the technique is] quite easy.”

In terms of supplies, Jane has a characteristically relaxed perspective:

Paint: “I love Daniel Smith paints. I think they’re quite magical.”
Brushes: Since “I don’t really use brushstrokes,” even “the cheapest brush will do!”
Paper: “I’m still experimenting with different paper brands; each offers a unique character, and [my choice] often depends on the subject and the effects the paper will give me.”

So if you’re just dipping your toes in the world of watercolor and want to take one of Jane’s classes, don’t worry too much about the supplies you have—as long as you’ve got a paint color or two, some paper and a basic brush, you’re ready to dive in and start learning how to use the free-flow technique.

Jane’s Teaching Philosophy

A woman’s hands using a paintbrush and tubes of watercolor paint to create a watercolor painting. The painting depicts abstract trees in shades of brown, purple and blue against a white background. — “Simple Trees: A Beginner's Watercolour Class with Jane Davies” is the first class Jane ever uploaded on Skillshare.

As one of Skillshare’s Top Teachers, as well as an experienced in-person instructor, Jane has guided countless beginners through the earliest stages of their watercolor journeys.

In her eyes, the biggest challenge beginners face is “overcoming the fear that they won’t be able to control where the paint goes.” After all, watercolor “does have a bad reputation for being unpredictable.”

To help them overcome that obstacle, Jane teaches watercolor painting “in a wonderfully easy, manageable way, with no complicated paint mixing, brush strokes, or over-fussy sketching.” She strives to keep her lessons “light and easy” by “breaking the painting down into smaller, manageable chunks.” Then, “it becomes easy peasy!”

If you’re a complete beginner looking for a class to jump into, Jane recommends starting with Simple Trees: A Beginner's Watercolour Class. “It’s the very first class of the beginner’s series,” she told us, and “it’s a fabulously liberating class.” And even though it’s “obviously not an animal, it has many of the key elements of my style in one very small, short, easy class and has a lot of different possibilities if you let your imagination be free.”

After exploring her beginner’s series, she also encourages students to challenge themselves with Mr Fox: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass. “I love Mr. Fox,” she said. It’s “a great one to hone your skills on!”

So after so many years of painting, what does Jane love the most about teaching? “That’s easy, the sheer joy on people's faces when they get that [aha] moment,” she explained, “or the fabulous reviews from Skillshare students saying how my teaching has helped them unlock that love for watercolour and the realization it doesn't have to be difficult!”

Tips for Getting Inspired and Letting the Paint Flow

A watercolor painting of two adorable penguins walking alongside each other. They have orange feet and beaks, and their flippers overlap each other in the center of the painting. — Jane’s love of birds is part of what drives her to keep painting, and that love is evident in Skillshare classes like “Winter Penguins: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies.”

Jane’s been painting since childhood, so we had to ask how she stays inspired and continues to challenge herself as an artist.

“I think my inspiration comes from my love of animals, and of course birds, so it’s easy to be inspired to capture them in watercolour,” she said. “As for challenging myself, that's a little harder, but I have recently done a larger A1 piece of work that was quite scary, but a brilliant experience and one I’d love to push myself to do again.”

Animals’ unique shapes are often what drives Jane to paint them to begin with. When choosing a subject, she loves “to look for lines and expressions.” For instance, “a horse may have a beautiful arched neck, or a dog [may have] that beautiful curved back. It’s something that almost makes me tingle when I look at it . . . Sometimes I won’t necessarily be able to put my finger on why it just gives me a feeling of excitement!”

But at the end of the day, it’s Jane’s father, who first taught her how to paint, who inspires her the most. “I have several pieces of his work on the walls,” she told us. “He is still my biggest inspiration. It’s that contrast between really loose and really tight that I adore, so I’m always striving to get that balance.”

If you’re struggling to get inspired, find your artistic voice and start painting, Jane recommends taking “one or two elements that you admire from other artists and just keep that in the back of your mind, but don’t be a slave to it.”

“Remember, we all have our unique style, and that comes from within. If we want our own artistic voice, as it were, then you really have to put brush to paper. It’s really time spent painting that will develop it.”

As a teacher, Jane’s noticed that the students who come to her for one-on-one instruction are typically “so confused with different people’s advice and opinions” as well as “the latest brushes, paints, and paper” that they’ve become completely overwhelmed. But her style of painting doesn’t require fancy materials or elite techniques, just “a willingness to experiment and let go.”

Explore the Wondrous World of Watercolor with Jane Davies

If there’s anything aspiring watercolor artists can learn from Jane, it’s that watercolor is something anyone can do. Even if you only have the most basic of supplies, Jane can teach you the techniques you need to know to get stunning results. Her students’ many inspiring projects serve as proof of that.

When you’re ready to dive in and see just how magical watercolors can be, check out Jane’s Skillshare classes. Whether you want to keep it simple with some beautiful butterflies or level up your skills by tackling realistic dog portraits, Jane’s sure to have a class that’s perfect for you and your abilities.

You can also learn more about her work on her website, or follow her on Instagram to see her latest paintings.

Written By

Carrie Buchholz

Carrie Buchholz is a freelance writer who lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and dog.