Art Talk · Free live session

with Pablo Rubén

The Layered Secret: How Pablo Rubén Builds Water That Looks Real

Watch Pablo break down his layered approach to painting water — and mix the colors most students struggle with.

May 21 · Thursday 12:00 CEST · Berlin 11:00 BST · London 06:00 EDT · New York
Save my spot  → Free registration · recording available 48 h
Live · 21 May Ferrol harbor at sunset, watercolor by Pablo Rubén — warships moored, pink and ochre clouds reflected in still water

What you'll see and learn

A working demonstration — not a lecture about watercolor

Pablo will walk through his approach to water painting and demonstrate one of its most requested elements: color mixing for water scenes.

Albuixech — a wide canal reflecting the sky, watercolor by Pablo Rubén, layered greens and warm earth tones

A 90-minute live demo, in English

You will learn

The session is part think-aloud, part palette work. Pablo paints, narrates the decision behind every wash, and stops to mix the exact greens and greys he relies on. You leave with a method, not a finished copy.

01

How Pablo thinks about water before he picks up a brush

Why the sequence of washes decides the depth of the painting — and what most students get backwards in their first layer.

02

How he mixes greens and greys with confidence

The two color groups most watercolor students find difficult to control. Live on the palette, with the exact pigments and the exact ratios.

03

How he builds a layered wash, layer by layer

What each layer does to the final result — and why the magic of his water is not in any one of them, but in the order.

04

How he reads a water scene

What to paint first, what to save for later, what to leave out. The same logic Pablo uses on every river, harbor, canal and coastline.

Stilt houses at dusk reflected in still water, watercolor by Pablo Rubén — ochres and slate-greys in layered transparency
Stilt houses at dusk — a study in layered transparency. The reflections were laid in three passes, wet-on-wet, before any line work touched the paper.

Does this sound like you?

Four signs this Art Talk is for you

If you have painted water and felt that something — you cannot quite name — was missing, you are in the right place.

Your water looks flat

You paint the shapes, match the colors, follow the reference. The result sits on the paper. You can see something is wrong, but you cannot name it.

Your greens and greys turn muddy

The color on your palette looks fine. On the paper, it goes dead. You want to see how a master handles these two color families with confidence.

You can copy a demo but can't repeat it

When the video plays, your painting works. When you try the same subject alone, the water falls apart.

You love Pablo's work — and want to understand it

The results look effortless. You want to hear him explain the decisions behind the technique, in his own words.

Register for the Art Talk  →
Silos — quiet river with willow reflections, watercolor by Pablo Rubén, layered greens and earth
Alcalá de Henares — wet street reflecting an old Spanish town, watercolor by Pablo Rubén
Mountain pool — translucent blue water against summer mountains, watercolor by Pablo Rubén

Your Art Talk with Pablo Rubén

Understand the method behind the brilliance

Pablo will show how to mix greens and greys, explaining how to lay the first washes, build reflections, and create depth through layered transparency and light.

The same logic underpins every painting on this page — a quiet river, a wet street, a Mediterranean pool. Different subjects, same method. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it.

Save my spot  →
Pablo Rubén Sanz, holding a diploma next to one of his award-winning watercolors

Your instructor

Pablo Rubén

Water became Pablo's subject early — and stayed. For 18 years, he has painted rivers, harbors, canals and coastlines, developing a layered method that makes his water look three-dimensional on flat paper.

  • 500+national and international awards across watercolor competitions in Europe and the Americas
  • 18years with water as his signature subject — rivers, harbors, canals, coastlines
  • ★works held in museum collections across Spain, France, and beyond
  • ◐teaches across Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil

Watercolor embodies all the spontaneity of water itself. Water is the source of everything. When I paint it, I am not capturing reflections or waves — I am expressing rhythm, silence, and movement.

— Pablo Rubén
Learn from Pablo  →
Crashing waves against dark rocks under a misty cliff, watercolor by Pablo Rubén — restless sea in cobalt and prussian blue
From a still canal to a heavy sea — the same five-step logic. What changes is the rhythm of the washes, not the method.

What our students say

Painting with Pablo Rubén

A few words from the watercolorists who have already taken his workshops.

★★★★★

As I began the watercolor course, I realized my depiction of water in paintings was far from accurate. Initially, my understanding of capturing water's essence on paper was basic, and my paintings lacked the depth and movement I admired in others' work. However, through the series of graded painting exercises, my approach to depicting water underwent a significant transformation. With each exercise, I honed my skills, learning to observe and render the subtleties of water's textures and behaviors. Today, I'm pleased to say that my approach to depicting water in paintings has changed dramatically. I'm more confident and skilled at capturing the fluidity, depth, and nuances of water, bringing my paintings to life in ways I never thought possible.

Mohanbir Singh
Mohanbir Singh
Artefacto student
★★★★★

As a beginner watercolorist who has admired Pablo Rubén's artistry with painting water, this course is priceless. So much learning from this one recording. Struggled a lot with wetness since I was also trying out rough grain paper for the first time. Lots of mistakes, but very happy with the outcome and learning. Need to work on my trees to make them look less ghostly. Will try this again with Arches cold press paper. Thank you so much for this tutorial! Hope to join a live session with the master in the future.

Prosenjit Aikat
Prosenjit Aikat
Artefacto student
★★★★★

Before participating in this program my approach to painting water was very basic. Now it's been completely transformed by Pablo's mentorship. I live on a riverfront, so I'm surrounded by inspiration. I plan to draw on it as I continue on my journey to master the painting of water.

Maureen Shafer
Maureen Shafer
Artefacto student

Registration

One spot per email. Free to attend.

Register once, get the access link in your inbox. The recording stays live for 48 hours after the session.

Available for enrollment
Free

Live Art Talk · May 21 · 12 :00 CEST

  • ✓90 minutes live with Pablo Rubén, in English
  • ✓Live color-mixing demo of greens & greys on the palette
  • ✓Full layered-wash demonstration of a water scene
  • ✓Q&A — bring your questions
  • ✓Recording available for 48 hours after the talk
  • ✓Optional permanent access to the recording after the event

We email the join link the day before. No spam, ever.

Frequently asked

Answers, before you ask

Do I need to be experienced?

Some watercolor experience is helpful. If you have painted a few landscapes and feel comfortable with basic washes, you will follow along well. Complete beginners are welcome to watch — you will still leave with a clear idea of how a master plans a painting.

What materials do I need?

No materials required. This is a watch-and-learn session with a color-mixing demonstration by Pablo. Bring your notebook if you like to take notes.

Will there be a recording?

Yes. The recording will be available for 48 hours after the session. You can also purchase permanent access to the recording after the event.

How does it work?

Register for free below. You will receive an access link by email the day before the session. On May 21, join Pablo live. If you have any questions, write to [email protected].

What language is the workshop in?

English.

One last thought

You looked at Pablo's water and asked: how does he make it seem so real?

Then you noticed the layers — the reflections sitting on top of each other, the light coming through — and thought, I would not be able to paint like this myself.

This Art Talk proves it wrong — and shows you how to start painting like Pablo, one step at a time.

Save my spot  →