How to Get Your Art Noticed: Lessons from Award-Winning Watercolorist Will Elliston

In a crowded social media landscape and a sea of other artists, it can sometimes feel impossible to get our art noticed by the right people. But with the guidance of professional watercolorist Will Elliston, you can get on the right track to improving your skills and getting recognized as an artist.

From finding your artistic voice and conquering fears of failure to entering competitions and finding the perfect online platform, Will has plenty of expertise to share. We sat down with him to discuss all those things and more, so all you have to do is kick back, relax and take in his expert advice.

Who Is Will Elliston?

Three photos arranged in a column on the left, next to one photo on the right. The three photos on the left depict watercolor supplies lying on a white tabletop. The photo on the right is a portrait of the artist, Will Elliston, standing against a background of blue sky and white clouds while holding a wooden drawing board and a paint palette. — Skillshare Top Teacher Will Elliston.

If you’re not yet familiar with Will Elliston, his impressive watercolor skills and his many engaging Skillshare classes, let us give you a quick introduction.

Born and raised in the British countryside, Will was always interested in art and intended to pursue a career creating digital illustrations and designs for the film and video game industries. But once he began studying digital art, he quickly realized that he “didn’t truly understand the fundamentals of painting” in terms of “things like light, colour and composition.”

To improve his understanding of those concepts, he turned to traditional media. And as soon as he started to experiment with watercolor, he “completely fell in love with it” and its one-of-a-kind unpredictability, texture and flow.

By selling his paintings online, he was able to save enough money to move to Barcelona, a city renowned for its endless sources of artistic inspiration. After starting a YouTube channel to document his progress and share his favorite techniques, he became an active member of the online watercolor community.

Today, he’s a multi-award-winning watercolor artist and one of Skillshare’s top teachers, with dozens of in-depth online watercolor classes that have been enjoyed by thousands of students worldwide.

If you’re just starting on your creative journey, or haven’t yet had your “big break” moment, the kind of success Will has found can seem like a distant dream. That’s why we’ve sat down with him to discover his advice for developing a unique style, getting your art noticed, growing an engaged online audience and focusing on what really matters.

Forming a Unique Artistic Voice

A colorful watercolor painting of a city street, complete with yellow taxis, crowds of people walking down the sidewalk, and tall skyscrapers on either side of the street. — In the Skillshare class “Painting Expressive Cityscapes in Watercolor: Light, Reflections & Atmosphere,” Will shows students how to paint a vibrant urban scene.

No Strict Signature Style? No Problem

If you’re an emerging artist, it may seem like you need to have a one-of-a-kind style to get noticed, gain an audience and start earning income. But while that might work for some artists, it’s not strictly necessary.

Will doesn’t feel like he has a fixed personal style at all, mostly because he’s “always enjoyed exploring different approaches.” As he explained it to us, “I tend to get bored if I stick to the same style or subject for too long. I’m inspired by so many artists who paint in completely different ways, and that curiosity keeps things fresh for me.”

“Over time, by experimenting with a wide range of styles and subjects, I’ve developed a broad set of skills and techniques that allow me to express myself in a more personal and intuitive way,” he continued. “So while I may not have a strict ‘signature style,’ I do feel like my voice comes through in the way I interpret and respond to whatever I’m painting.”

Stay True to Your Inspiration

Struggling to find your own style? Will has some words of advice. “The phrase ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ has stuck with me,” he said, “and I think that really applies to developing your own style. Nothing is completely original, everything is influenced by what’s come before. But painting with authenticity comes from following your own passions and inspirations.”

“By studying a range of artists you admire and experimenting with different styles, you gradually build an intuition that blends all those influences through your own unique lens.” As you keep practicing, learning and growing over the course of weeks, months or years, “that mix naturally becomes something personal and authentic, not because you set out to be original, but because you stayed true to what genuinely inspires you.”

Getting Recognized and Overcoming Self-Doubt

A watercolor portrait of a man looking up toward the sky. The painting is taped to a wooden tabletop using masking tape. The artist’s hand is visible on the right side of the photo, holding a paintbrush above a watercolor paint palette. — In the class “Dynamic Portraits: Master Watercolor Techniques for Expressive Faces,” Will paints a captivating portrait using techniques like layering and blending.

Remember, It’s Just Pigment and Paper

As you strive to develop your skills and become more confident in your art, it’s natural to grapple with some amount of self-doubt.

Will was no exception, either: “When I first started painting,” he told us, “my work was honestly terrible, but little by little I could see small improvements, so I knew it was possible to get better, and that gave me hope. I realised [early] on that it was all about mileage,” so “the more I painted, the better I got.”

He also benefited from realizing that even his favorite artists weren’t perfect. “They created their fair share of ‘ugly’ paintings too, and that really encouraged me during moments of self-doubt.”

As he continued to learn, he made an effort to shift his focus away from the outcome of any single painting and instead think about the whole process as an ongoing journey. “Sometimes I’d even paint something messy on purpose, just to remind myself that it doesn’t matter. It’s about expression, exploration and enjoyment,” not constant perfection.

“At the end of the day, it’s just pigment and paper. Taking the pressure off is what helped me get on with painting” when self-doubt inevitably reared its ugly head.

Compete With Expression Instead of Perfection

Gaining the confidence to create art for yourself is a feat in and of itself, but what about if you enter an art competition? Then, you’ll be pitting your work against that of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of other artists in the hopes of getting recognized. It can be difficult to avoid being overly critical of yourself in such a situation, even if you have years of experience under your belt.

Contrary to what you might think, though, the most technically advanced work isn’t always the most eye-catching. As Will puts it, “In a competition setting, I think what makes a piece stand out is authenticity, when an artwork feels honest and unique rather than created in an ‘established’ style just to impress.

After all, “judges often see hundreds of technically well-executed pieces, but it’s the ones that evoke a feeling, tell a story, or show a personal point of view that tend to stand out. I believe it’s less about perfection or refinement and more about expression and bringing out the qualities of the medium.”

Don’t be afraid to enter competitions as you’re starting out, either. For Will, the awards that meant the most to him were the ones he received early on in his career. “At that stage,” he explained, “you’re still figuring things out, trying to understand whether your work resonates with others and if you’re heading in the right direction.”

“That kind of recognition gave me both confidence and momentum. It helped open up new opportunities and gave me the belief that I could take my art seriously.” Even so, “at the end of the day, I only paint what inspires me and for my own enjoyment of it, rather than [because] it would suit any award or competition.”

But while Will is an award-winning watercolorist, it’s not the awards that motivate him. “These days, I only enter competitions if they’re part of an exhibition I genuinely want to be part of,” he said. “In some cases, there isn’t even an award, just the opportunity to exhibit alongside other artists, which I find far more meaningful. It’s a great way to connect with the watercolour community and meet fellow artists.”

And if you’re feeling like the competitions you enter seem to be more focused on prizes than talent, you’re not alone. “To be honest, a lot of competitions feel more like a way to make money than a celebration of art, and even winning doesn’t always lead to much,” Will acknowledged. “So my advice would be, only submit your work if it truly feels worthwhile to you. Whether that’s because it’s free to enter, part of an exhibition you admire, or because it offers a real opportunity to grow or connect with others.”

Growing an Audience Online

A watercolor painting of a dolphin lying on a blue tabletop. Paintbrushes and seashells are scattered around the painting, which features a blue and green color palette and a splattered background. — In the class “Dive into Watercolor: Painting Colorful Dolphins with Expressive Techniques,” Will guides students through the process of painting a beautiful and realistic dolphin from start to finish.

The prospect of sharing your work online can be truly daunting, and at one point, it was for Will too.

“I was definitely hesitant to share my work online at first,” he told us. “In fact, I purposely held back from posting anything until I felt my paintings were at a professional level, and I still think there’s some logic in that. You don’t want to promote yourself too early if you genuinely feel your work isn’t there yet.”

But he also reminds us that “at the same time, it’s important to remember that we’re often our own harshest critics, and taste is incredibly subjective.” So, “just because you don’t connect with a painting doesn’t mean others won’t. Some of my proudest paintings never got a good response when posting them online, while others I nearly didn’t even post, because I thought they were weak, ended up being some of the most liked.”

“Whatever approach you take, try to separate your emotions from the process. Don’t let algorithms or online reactions shape the way you paint or how you feel about your work.” And perhaps most importantly, “share when it feels right for you.”

Experiment With Different Platforms

Once Will decided to start sharing his work online, he did so “simply as a way to document my progress and stay consistent with painting.”

“In the beginning,” he explained, “I posted time-lapses and unedited tutorials on YouTube without much thought put into it.” He “wasn’t necessarily trying to build a brand or follow trends,” just wanted to “share what I was learning and test the waters.”

However, it wasn’t until Will discovered Skillshare that his audience began to grow significantly. “Unlike YouTube, [Skillshare] offered a more personal and interactive space, and I found real joy in connecting with students and sharing the process in a more in-depth way.”

“I’ve always aimed to teach in a relaxed way,” he said, “making things approachable even if the painting might seem ambitious. As I improved and found my rhythm, more people started following along, and I’m truly grateful for the community that’s grown from that.”

Despite how much Will loves “engaging with fellow artists and students on Skillshare,” though, he’s found that “the most valuable connections with other artists and even collectors happen in person rather than” on any online platform. “I find that attending international exhibitions, urban sketching meetups, and life drawing sessions offers great opportunities to connect and share experiences directly with others in the art community because it's face to face.”

If you’re struggling to connect with other artists in the online sphere or make meaningful connections via social media or other online avenues, consider researching in-person exhibits and meetups happening in your area. You never know who you might meet.

Painting Should Come Before Posting

For artists trying to get noticed online, social media can seem like an all-consuming force. But to stay true to yourself and your art, it’s important to strike a healthy balance between pleasing the algorithms and doing what you love.

For Will, “teaching and painting are what I truly enjoy, and everything else fits around that. I’m really grateful that my students respond so well to the kind of subjects I naturally enjoy painting,” so that “makes the balance a lot easier.”

“Creating the work itself is the priority for me,” he explained, “not keeping up to date with all the social media accounts. In fact, I probably don’t post as often as I ‘should’ for a professional artist, but I’ve always believed that painting should come before posting. When it comes to social media, I also don’t let it influence what I paint.”

Teaching and Inspiring Others

A watercolor painting taped to a wooden tabletop with masking tape. The painting depicts a scene of a man and a woman sitting at a small cafe table together, with other cafe patrons visible in the background. To the right of the painting is a watercolor palette and a paint-stained sponge. — In the class “Watercolor Impressions: Painting a Café Scene with Color and Light,” Will brings a cozy cafe setting to life with vibrant watercolor paints.

Teaching Is a Shared Journey

“There are so many things I love about teaching art,” Will told us. After all, “painting can be quite a solitary activity, so knowing that there are people all around the world painting alongside me, even if we’re not in the same room, creates a real sense of connection. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

For him, “one of the most inspiring parts [of teaching] is seeing how each student interprets a class project in their own unique way. That diversity of expression not only encourages others, but also builds my own inspiration. It feels like a shared creative journey, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”

Focus on Flourishing, Not Followers

As an experienced teacher and professional artist, Will offers solid advice for fellow artists seeking to showcase their work to the right audience.

We’ll start with what not to do. In Will’s eyes, “one of the biggest mistakes” an artist can make is “focusing too much on gaining followers, or promoting their work on social media or through competitions, before their work has reached a professional standard. It’s far more valuable to put your energy into improving your craft first.”

“Of course,” he added, “if you're not trying to make a career out of it, it's nice to share your work and receive feedback.” But for creatives who are looking to become a professional artist, “it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a large following equals success, but just because some posts go viral doesn’t mean it leads to a sustainable career.”

Remember, “there are incredibly successful artists with very little social media presence, and others with huge followings who struggle to make a living from their work. At the end of the day, people connect with sincerity, not strategy. When your work is strong, personal and honest, it tends to speak for itself.”

So what should you do instead of chasing viral trends? For Will personally, “one of the most profound and useful challenges I ever set myself, and the one that helped me the most in learning to paint and developing my own voice, was choosing my top 100 favourite paintings from a variety of artists and trying to repaint them as closely as possible.”

“I didn’t just copy them,” he clarified, but instead “emphasised the parts I loved and toned down the elements I didn’t like.” As he progressed through the challenge, “the huge range of styles, techniques and subjects took me on a real journey of discovery and growth. It helped me understand what I was naturally drawn to, and gave me the tools to express myself more confidently.”

So “for any artist wanting to push themselves and evolve their work,” Will “highly recommends a challenge like this. It [can be] incredibly insightful.”

Build Your Skills, Find Your Voice and Trust Yourself

Questioning your own abilities is a natural part of growing as an artist, but with discipline, inspiration and drive, you can get your art noticed, whether it happens in-person, on social media or in a competition.

Just remember that while making it as an artist can certainly be gratifying, professional success isn’t everything. As long as you continue to create what you love and nurture meaningful connections with others, the rest will fall into place.

And if you’re looking to develop your own watercolor skills, Will’s extensive library of engaging Skillshare classes is the perfect place to start. Or if you want to take a page out of his book, try a 100-painting challenge to get your creative juices flowing.

Written By

Carrie Buchholz

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