Watercolor painting is fun and easy, but first, you must know the basic watercolor painting techniques for you to fully expand your full potential in watercolor painting. I have listed below the basic skills you will need to master the art of watercolor painting. And I also provided some pictures.
Washes
There are two different kinds of wash: a “Flat Wash” and a “Graded Wash”
As a water-colorist, first you must master the art of laying a flat wash. A flat wash is where the manner of your painting should be properly even and this technique is better when applied to a dry paper. Add and mix the color to a certain amount of water in a plastic cup or to any container, depending on how small or big your desired part that you want to be painted. Just make sure that you should only mix what you consider to be enough. When you are painting, slightly tilt the angle of the paper to ensure that the wash will flow downward and will accumulate along the base of each of your brush stroke.
A graded wash is somewhat similar to a flat wash, but instead of filling your brush with the pre-mixed mixture that you already have, you add clear water to your next stroke so that the color will evenly separate from full color to no color at all. These watercolor techniques are best when making the skies 0f your landscape painting.
Overlaying Effect
In this technique, each wash is different from the previous wash. This can be made by laying a series of flat and graded washes. The light colors and tones should be applied first on the paper before the darker colors. Just make sure that the first wash that you did is thoroughly dry before applying another wash. This technique is best when making mountains or any detailed structure that you want to paint.
Bleeding Effect
This technique is better achieved when the paper is wet or dampened with clear water. Lightly dip the tip of your brush (your brush should be loaded with your desired color) onto the wet paper and you will notice that the color will quickly spread out in a circular motion until the color itself runs out. This technique is best when making clouds or shrubs and bushes in your painting.
Lifting Effect
In this kind of technique you will be needing materials such as a dry tissue paper, a paper towel, a sponge or even a dry brush (anything absorbent) to lift or eliminate excess colors that you do not want on your painting. If the colors are still wet, then you can gently press your material unto the painting, but if the colors on your painting are already dry and you want to eliminate some of the colors that you do not want on your painting, then simply add a small amount of water unto your material before you wipe the excess colors. This technique is also best when making clouds or shrubs and bushes in your painting.
I hope that these basic watercolor techniques that I have listed will help you on how to paint with watercolors, just give it a try.
