Essential Watercolor Skills: Paint Your Own Awesome Artwork

Becoming a successful watercolorist means mastering all wash techniques. In this lesson you will discover the common five washes and how to apply them correctly. This is the first step in gaining control over this sometimes unpredictable medium.

Wet In Dry Flat Wash

This is sometimes referred to as glazing since you are applying wet paint to a dry surface. The goal is to apply pigment to the desired area working top to bottom and end and end up with an evenly colored hue.

Here are a few tips;

• Start with a slight angle on your paper so that gravity will help the paint flow downward.

• Do not pre-wet the paper.

• Premix enough color to cover the area.

• Use a large mop brush, or large flat brush.

• Start at the top and work down.

• You will see a bead develop if you are doing it correctly.

Variegated Wash

This is very similar to wet-in-dry but it uses more than one hue. This technique is often necessary when you want to add several hues to the initial wash. 

Here are a few tips;

• Start with a slight angle on your paper so that gravity will help the paint flow downward.

• Do not pre-wet the paper.

• Premix a few colors.

• Clean brush thoroughly before adding second hue.

• Be sure to keep color saturations the same.

• Avoid overworking so the colors are crisp.

• Use a large mop brush, or large flat brush.

• Start at the top and work down.

• You will see a bead develop if you are doing it correctly.

Gradated Wash

Similar to wet-in-wet but the hue is more concentrated in one area. So, the end result is a shift from a saturated color to a diluted hue.

Here are a few tips;

• Start with a slight angle on your paper so that gravity will help the paint flow downward.

• Pre-wet the paper but use less water towards bottom.

• Start at the top and work down.

• Premix a base color.

• Add more color on the side of the base color for the saturated area but avoid working it into the base mixture.

• Use more pigment and less water at the top and dilute as you move down.

Wet In Wet & Dry Wash

This technique is perfect for skies and creating a random mix of hard and soft edges.

Here are a few tips;

• Start with a slight angle on your paper so that gravity will help the paint flow downward.

• Pre-wet paper but be sure to leave some areas dry.

• Apply watercolors in desired areas being sure to leave some untouched.

• This creates hard and soft edges.

View Attached Demo Images

Remove unwanted hard edges from your artwork. This technique can become difficult if you do not apply it correctly. The goal is to soothed a hard edge without creating cauliflowers.

Here are a few pointers;

• Use a clean brush. 

• Works best on damp paint. 

• Once paint dries it’s difficult to soften an edge.

• Avoid too much water which will add cauliflowers to your art.

• Experiment with practice paper before trying on finished paintings.

Lifting is a fantastic technique for removing unwanted paint. It can be done with wet or dry paint. But it works best when the paint is wet.  

Here are a few pointers;

• Wet paint works best.

• Be sure your brush isn't too wet, or saturated with water. This may create cauliflowers.

• Remove dry paint with a brush that has firm bristles.

• Use a clean paper towel to help remove excess paint and water.

The key to leaving white space in watercolor painting is to plan ahead. You can't just wing it here because the paint likes to fill in spaces quickly, especially if it's really wet, and before you know it, you will have filled in all the white space.

A few pointers;

• Take time to plan the design before you start painting.

• Be careful when applying a wash since this is the main reason why many lose the white space.

• Try to leave a few random white spaces during the painting process.

Charging, or blending of colors, is a watercolor technique that allows you to mix directly on the surface of your watercolor paper, as opposed to pre-mixing them in your palette, or mixing tray.

Here are a few pointers;

• Start with a base color.

• Now clean the brush thoroughly and add a second hue.

• Lightly touch the hue into previous color and look the paints to mix without blending.

• Avoid adding a watery mixture as it will cauliflower.

Adding additional water, or color, into a wet area, creating a bleeding of colors and a soft effect.

A few pointers;

• A fuzziness, or spreading at the edges of a painted area.

• Use clean water.  

• Be careful with the amount of water in your brush. It needs to be wet but not too runny.

• Only works with wet paint.

Dry brush is a painting technique in which a paint brush that is relatively dry, but still holds paint, is used. Load is applied to a dry support such as paper or primed canvas. 

The resulting brush strokes have a characteristic scratchy look that lacks the smooth appearance that washes or blended paint commonly have.

Calligraphic strokes are used in many scenarios. It's best to practice these strokes on scrap paper before adding them to finished work.
Calligraphic strokes are typically a thin line that is used for subtle details such as telephone lines, outlines for random features and other details.

Here are a few pointers;

• Usually applied with needle, or liner type brush.

• Pigment needs to be diluted but not too runny.

• Experiment with different pressure into surface to create thin and thick lines.

In this tutorial I will cover the transparent characteristics of watercolor and how layering works. The goal here is to completely understand how stacking one transparent layer over another will change the overall value of a hue. 

To illustrate the point I will create a rectangle shape and apply several layers using wet-in-dry technique. In case you don't understand what that is it's when you apply wet paint into, or over, dry paint.

What you will see in the demo image below is the subtle change in value as each layer is added. Keep in mind that each layer is basically the same hue but because they are stacked one on top of the other it creates a change in value.

Because the layer of paint is (generally) so thin you’re scratching the paper as well as the paint. Where you scratch or indent the surface of the paper, the wet, top paint will collect in it, rather than revealing the white of the paper. If the paint's beginning to dry, less will flow in.

A few pointers;

• Dry paint is okay but know the results will be subtle.

• Wet paint is okay but know the paint will backfill the scratches and leave dark lines.

• Damp paint is okay but know the edges will not be as sharp as painting over dry pigment.

Negative space painting refers to using the background to define positive shapes. This is especially important with traditional watercolor where painting things as light-against-dark means the white of the paper must be preserved (rather than using white paint as is done with opaque media).

A few pointers;

• Best used when previous layer is dry.

• Damp paint is okay but know the edges will not be as sharp as painting over dry pigment.

In this lesson you will learn a few tips for taking care of your watercolor brushes.

Buying quality materials is something you will eventually do if you get past the beginner stages. So, it's imperative to get the most out of your brushes.

If you take good care of them they'll last for decades.

Tip #1

Use tape to seal the top of ferrule. This will help keep water from seeping between the ferrule and wood handle. If water settles there it will eventually rot the wood and cause the bristles to fall out.

Tip #2

Lay the brushes down flat when drying. If you store your brushes upright gravity could cause water to seep down into ferrule. As you know now this will ruin your brushes and shorten their lifespan.

In this tutorial you will create four small sketches of a pine tree. Each one will use a different technique. This exercise will reinforce the common application methods and leave you with a good visual reference of how each technique is slightly different.

The methods used will be;

• Wet-in-dry

• Wet-in-wet

• Wet-in-wet&dry

• Dry brush

It's important to simplify the learning by starting with approachable subjects that have little, to no details.

The Goal

• Using only two wash techniques you will create a simple painting of mountain ranges. 

• The first technique used will be wet-in-wet while each of the following layers will be wet-in-dry.

Using only one color you will create a simple landscape with sailboats, water & sky. The key to making this easy demo work is planning the painting. And that means taking a few minutes to create a quick sketch (drawing) that will help in deciding which techniques will be used in certain areas of the design.

Techniques

• Wet-in-wet

• White space

• Dry brush

Using wet-in-wet technique is a fantastic way to create trees in fog. The key is to manage the dampness of the paper and determine how saturated your paint needs to be in order to achieve the look, and value, you are after. It takes time to master this interaction of water and pigment but with practice and experience you will become a master at wet-in-wet technique.

Step By Step

• Apply masking tape around edges

• Use mop brush to pre-wet paper

• Apply a light gray hue to entire area

• Allow time to dry but not all the way

• Add first layer of trees using light mixture of neutral tint & yellow ochre

• Use spray bottle to loosen edges, hold paper so that top is elevated to allow water to flow downward

• Allow paper to dry but not all the way

• Mix a slightly darker hue by adding a little neutral tint and touch of ochre

• Test color on scrap paper

• Paint second layer of trees

• Use clean water to encourage bleeding to help soften edges

• If necessary, Use spray bottle to soften any hard edges

• Allow to dry but not all the way, still slightly damp

• Mix a slightly darker hue by adding more neutral tint & yellow ochre

• Add third layer of trees

• If pigment is too dark try dipping brush in clean water to dilute color

• Allow to dry but not all the way

• Mix a slightly darker hue for final layer

• Use charging to intensify certain areas if necessary

• Use a dry, soft brush to remove any excess paint and water

• Allow to dry and carefully remove tape

In this tutorial you will learn three common mistakes watercolorists make with color. If you want crisp hues eliminate these bad habits and you are well on your way to better art.

Common Problems

1. Over mixing on the palette

2. Over mixing on the paper, or licking the paint

3. Puddle painting

Over mixing on the palette is easy to do and often it's just a habit. To avoid this just dip your brush in a desired color a make an 's' or two on the palette. This will break up any chunks that may be there and load the brush.

Over mixing on the paper is another bad habit that will dull your colors. Often times it's done because you may not be satisfied with the color, or you have a habit of pushing paint. To avoid this mistake you can always test the color before you apply it, or you can charge the color by dropping another hue into it. But don't lick it too much or the results will be flat colors.

Puddle mixing is when you have several hues going on at once and you continue to work into the mix. To prevent this problem try to plan your washes, and stages better. Think in terms of what you want to paint next, do it, and clean your palette for the next hue.

Materials Used In Demo

Holbein Hues

Burnt sienna

Cobalt blue

Viridian green

Gamboge nova

Brushes

Da Vinci Squirrel Mop #5

Escoda Pointed Round Set

Other

Mijello leak-proof palette

Blick Spiral-bound Pad 9x12

Demo Image Attached

It's important to know your colors and how they change as they become more saturated. This knowledge will help you gain control of your colors and their transparent qualities. A side bonus of this chart is understanding the changes in value that occur when creating thicker textures.

What you will learn

1. How creating a chart will improve your color knowledge

2. At what point does a particular hue lose transparency

3. What values are created with each color

How creating a chart will improve your color knowledge; watching someone create a chart will only help you to learn how to do it yourself. So, break out your palette and paper and do a chart so you have more knowledge of creating transparent swatches.

At what point does a particular hue lose transparency; Each color is unique and will have a slightly different point at which it becomes opaque. But it's really all the swatches in between that matter. By doing a swatch test you gain valuable knowledge about each color and it's transparent qualities.

What values are created with each color; Value is king and will ultimately make you a master watercolorist if you can harness it. So, take a close look at the swatches and make some decisions on how values shift from light to dark as the mixture becomes more saturated. You will probably notice that some colors shift more than others and that's valuable  information.

Materials Used In Demo

Holbein Hues

Cerulean blue

Ultramarine blue

Cobalt blue

Cadmium red deep

Alizarin crimson

Burnt sienna

Viridian green

Gamboge nova

Yellow ochre

Brushes

Da Vinci Squirrel Mop #5

Escoda Pointed Round Set

Other

Mijello leak-proof palette

Blick Spiral-bound Pad 9x12

Demo Image Attached

In this tutorial you will learn to create a simple color wheel starting with three primary hues. There are many color wheel theories out there but this is one area I prefer to keep simple. Because color can be a huge problem I recommend focusing on warm & cool tones and value.

To create the color wheel like this one follow these steps;

• Start with an 11"x15" paper

• Draw a 5" circle

• Divide the circle into thirds starting with the very top

• Place the lightest yellow value at the top (I used New Gamboge)

• Place the blue on the right mark (I used Cobalt)

• Place red on the left hand mark (I used Alizarin crimson)

• Now add three marks between the original three

• Now add your secondary hues using equal amounts of the primary colors

• To complete color wheel add a mark between all colors on the wheel

• Now add tertiary hues by mixing colors that represent each of the two that the mark is in-between

• Note: I do not use a split primary system. If you prefer to use it you can google split primary color wheel for watercolor and find what you need. In this class I'm sharing techniques, methods and philosophy that I use every day in my art.

Materials Used In Demo

Holbein Hues

Cobalt blue
Alizarin crimson hue
Gamboge nova

Brush

Escoda Pointed Round Set

Other Materials

Mijello leak-proof palette
Blick Spiral-bound Pad 9x12

Demo Image Attached.

Color is always a struggle for artists whether painting with watercolor or any other medium. To eliminate half the issues it's imperative to know what common mistakes to avoid. In this lesson you will understand;

1. Don't get color from a rock.

2. Why it's important to fill your trays.

3. Use a mister if you will be away for a few days.

4. Three common color mixtures which include tea, milk and honey.

Don't get paint from a rock - Often times you take an extended break from painting only to return to semi-dry paints. And sometimes they're even hard as a rock. In an attempt to save money, or be resourceful and not waste, they use the dried up color. And this is essentially trying to get paint from a rock. Not good!

Why is it important to fill your trays? Because the paint will last longer and dry more slowly. So, if you do skip several days or longer the paints will have more of a chance to stay wet. Many beginners are too stingy and only squeeze out a little paint and this will only cause problems. Fill your trays and the paint will last longer.

Use a mister if you will be away for a few days - This is common sense but mist your paints if you are not sure when you will return to painting. And if the break extends longer than a few days spray them again!

Three common color mixtures which include tea, milk and honey - Each mixture has it's own unique advantages and disadvantages. One can be used for specific type of wash while another may be more suited to add pops of color. But if you simplify your mixtures into three types it will help you better understand what type of mixture you need to create a desired look. We will have a closer look at this later on but just know the three types and how to achieve them.

In this tutorial you will learn more tips on working with transparent layers. It's imperative that you understand the strength and weaknesses when using this type of paint especially with wet-in-dry techniques.

What you will learn

1. Why dark over lighter values work better

2. Can you stack three transparent layers?

3. Avoid stacking the primaries

Why dark over lighter values work better; In short you want to avoid, if possible, stacking lighter values over darker hues. It can be done but in an ideal watercolor world you would want to place darker hues over lighter values. This is will give you the best results.

Can you stack three transparent layers? Why yes you can. But you have to understand it isn't ideal and the transparent qualities will soon become murky.

Avoid stacking the primaries; You may know this already but avoid stacking three tea like mixtures using the primaries. When three primaries are mixed you end up with gray, or what many beginners consider mud.

Materials Used In Demo

Holbein Hues

Gamboge nova

Cobalt blue

Alizarin crimson

Brushes

Da Vinci Squirrel Mop #5

Escoda Pointed Round Set

Other

Mijello leak-proof palette

Blick Spiral-bound Pad 9x12

See Attached Demo Images

Try this easy project if you want to learn more about color combinations.

In this beginner watercolor tutorial you will discover tips on how to improve your colors. To do this we will explore traditional color combinations learned from the color wheel. In the lesson watercolor is used but feel free to use the medium of your choice.

It's recommended that you use a watercolor sketchbook for this exercise. That way you can refer to it often as a subtle reminder of what you learned in the experiment. If you don't have a watercolor sketchbook try the back of reject paintings, or some student grade paper. Basically avoid using high quality paper since this isn't finished art.

What you need to know

Let's define a few terms for the color wheel so you know what's happening in the lesson. Some of you may know this information so feel free to skip to the next section.

For those that are getting started with color it will help you understand some of the terms used in the tutorial. You can refer to the color wheel image below to follow along.

Complementary colors - colors directly opposite each other in the color spectrum, such as red and green or blue and orange.

Triad colors - consists of three colors that are spaced evenly around the color wheel; when the colors are linked by a straight line, they form a triangle. The three colors used in this scheme tend to sit well together and can be quite lively and harmonious.

Analogous colors - consist of three colors that are side by side on the color wheel.

Step-by-step guide

1. Divide the paper into as many spaces as you wish. In the demo there were six but it's recommended you work smaller to explore as many possibilities as you can fit on the paper.

2. Now take some time and organize your thoughts on what color combinations you wish to explore. You can use traditional color wheel combos like mixing complimentary hires, triads, analogous and so on.

3. Be sure to label each section with colors used and any notes that may remind you of what you did. Over time you will forget some of these details. You will be thankful to have these notes later on.

4. Use abbreviations if you don't have space for the entire hue name. That should do for reminding you what you did.

5. Now add a basic shape using a pencil to each of the sections.

6. You may want a color wheel nearby so you can refer to it as you go.

7. Now go for it! Paint away and have fun exploring color combinations.

8. What you learn will help you understand how certain hues mingle with others. By physically going through the motions you will develop a keen awareness of color which will help you immensely in your finished artwork.

Materials used in this demo

#2 Da Vinci squirrel mop brush

Blick/fabriano 140 lb. cold press paper

Majello leak-proof palette

Gator board - firm backing

Collapsable reservoirs

Holbein hues

Gamboge nova

Cadmium red deep

Alizarin crimson

Ultramarine blue

Cobalt blue

Viridian green

Demo Image, Color wheel & Color Combination Chart To Learn More

In this demonstration you will discover why value and tone are more important than color. The common mistake for many artists is to only focus on matching the exact colors they see in their subjects. This is a recipe for disaster and you will lose every single time.

See attached demo and inspiration images.

Neutrals can be defined as grays, tans, and earthy style hues. They're necessary for quality watercolor painting but many amateurs fail to use them because they can appear muddy. So, they opt for the bright blues, reds, pinks, etc. and typically end up with garish art.

To avoid 'rainbow' looking work intense colors need to be balanced with neutrals. You will soon discover that gray, or mud as beginners call it, is useful so long as you understand how to push them towards a warm or cool tone.

What You Will Learn

In this tutorial you will learn the basics of creating a base neutral, or gray, using two methods.

You can create a base neutral using:

1. An equal amount of the three primaries

2. Or you can purchase ready-to-go neutrals like neutral tint

Try This Exercise

To complete this exercise use a small piece of watercolor paper. If you have reject works around you can use the back of them for this quick as well. Or, a watercolor sketchbook. Basically don't break out the premium watercolor paper since we are only doing swatches.

• Create a base neutral on your palette using three equal parts of primary hues (red, yellow & blue) as demonstrated in the video.

• Add a square swatch of the base neutral you just mixed to your paper and leave it alone. It's good to label it with a pencil, or pen, so that you know what you did.

• Using the same premixed neutral add a second swatch below it, or beside it depending how you like to work. While it's still wet charge a warm hue into it (yellow ochre, burnt Sienna, cadmium red deep, etc.) Be sure not to overwork the mixture as this will only flatten the color. Just put it in the wet gray and leave it alone!

• Now create a third swatch and charge a cool hue into it, (cerulean blue, alizarin crimson etc.)

• Now let them dry. This will give you some idea of creating warm and cool neutrals using a base gray.

Note: If you have neutral tint add a second column and create the same series of swatches. It's useful to see how each base neutral reacts and gives you a good visual in terms of how they're different.

Materials Used In Demo

Holbein Hues

Yellow ochre

Ultramarine blue

Cobalt blue

Cadmium red deep

Neutral tint

Brushes

Escoda Pointed Round Set

Other

Mijello leak-proofpalette

Blick Spiral-bound Pad 9x12

Making neutral swatches is the second step in learning more about your palette. When you are finished with this exercise you will have visual knowledge of the range of neutrals you can create using wet-in-wet technique.

What you need to do;

1. Use an 8W"x11H" sheet of 140lb. Cold press paper, sketchbook quality will do. Doesn't have to be that exact size but that's what was used in demo.

2. Count the colors you typically use in your palette and create enough rows to accommodate swatches.

3. If you have neutral tint use two columns as demonstrated in video. One column for your three primary mixture and the second for neutral tint hues for those of you that have it.

4. Add a column of base neutral mix to each space.

5. Now using a clean brush add a splash of each color in your palette.

6. Be sure to clean brush between colors.

7. Avoid over mixing on paper as this will only dull the color.

8. Repeat process in the second column if you have neutral tint.

Materials Used In Demo

Holbein Hues

Ultramarine blue

Cobalt blue

Cerulean blue

Cadmium red deep

Alizarin crimson

Viridian green

Gamboge nova

Yellow ochre

Burnt Sienna

Lavender

Brushes

Escoda Pointed Round Set

Other

Mijello leak-proofpalette

Blick Spiral-bound Pad 9x12

Demo Image Attached

Here is a quick sketch demo where you can see neutrals in action. This is only one idea for using them and the sky's the limit once you become comfortable with this technique.

Materials

11" x 15" 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper

#12 Kolinsky pointed round brush

#10 pointed round

Palette

neutral tint, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, burnt Sienna, cadmium red medium, viridian green, white gouache (feel free to use your own palette so long as you apply the neutral wet-in-wet technique)

Demo Images Attached

Here's another neutral demonstration.

See attached images. I've also included a line sketch if you want to use the same image.