Watercolor Painting
Techniques Section
Watercolors and watercolor painting techniques by far outstrip all other paint media that newcomers use to start painting.
The medium provides the chance for virtually anyone to get into painting, with the minimum of cost and using relatively lightweight equipment.
For example, it's ideal for relaxing, holiday painting sessions. The almost immediate drying properties of watercolor paints mean you can produce a quick sketch of that wonderful landscape that's in front of you and will inspire you and remind you of that time for years to come... recalling the sights, sounds, aromas and emotions like no photograph alone could ever rekindle. Yet for many, watercolor painting techniques aren't always the easiest to master certainly until you get used to them.
It has a mind of its own that can at times seem to fight you all the way. Yet when you learn to accept that it sometimes pulls you in directions you didn't expect, suddenly you start to see happy accidents in your pictures that you learn to exploit, that previously you regarded as disasters.
Because unlike say, oil paints or acrylic paints, where you work from dark to light, finishing with the lightest highlights, watercolor painting techniques require you to work from light to dark.
This means you need a bit more pre-planning your painting, which once mastered, will stand you in good stead, whatever type of paint medium you use.
And don't worry, this 'pre-planning' isn't rocket science. It's just thinking for a second where you want to reserve the lightest parts of your painting before you actually start to paint.
In the watercolor painting techniques tutorials, you'll find lessons on painting skies, water, textures, flowers - any subject you would wish. All of which enhances your confidence in working out your composition before you begin.
There's hints on color mixing to avoid muddy colors, creating mood, painting different types of light, shadows, in fact all you need to know to make that watercolor glow with light...
Watercolor Painting Articles & Videos
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How to Use a Viewfinder
This short video on how to use a viewfinder shows you a really simple method of 'framing' your scene before you commit to painting it.
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How to Paint a Layered Hills & Mountains
Painting mountains, especially when you want to create depth in a picture, is quite straightforward, with a little guidance...
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How To Paint a Variegated Wash
What is a variegated wash? Well, it's a great way to paint an evening sky in watercolor. To find out how, watch this extract from my forthcoming DVD course on Watercolour Painting...
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How To Stretch Watercolor Paper
This short video shows you how to quickly and easily stretch watercolor paper, as well as how to make your own stretcher...
A look at some of the watercolor mediums around to help your painting
There are an increasing number of watercolor mediums and additives which can make life easier for watercolorists and add a new dimension to their painting...
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How to Paint Watercolor Trees (Distant Trees)
Painting believable distant watercolor trees needn't be a problem if you watch this video tutorial...
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How to Paint Watercolor Trees (Winter Trees)
This video shows you how to paint bare watercolor winter trees without having to paint every single twig ...
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How to Paint Watercolor Trees (Summer Trees)
In this 2-part video you'll discover simple watercolor painting techniques to help you paint beautiful summer trees in full bloom...
How to mix a multitude of grays
Follow this article on how to produce a host of vibrant and colorful grays without going near black and white. Works for oils and acrylics as well...!
VIDEO TUTORIAL - How To Paint Watercolor Clouds
Learning to paint watercolor clouds effectively is the key to good watercolor landscapes. Find out how to do it in this short video tutorial...
A four step tutorial on how to paint clouds without panic
Follow this introductory four-step tutorial on how to paint clouds and an authentic sky in less than five minutes...
A review of watercolor paints and how to get the best from your choice
What's so special about watercolor paints and why are watercolors by far the most popular medium...
Find out all you need to know about watercolor brushes
There are a multitude of watercolor brushes to choose from and it's easy to spend a lot of money and not get what you want......
Tips on selecting the right watercolor paper for your watercolor painting techniques
Using the right watercolor paper can really help with your watercolor painting techniques - but only if you know what to look for......
Watercolour Secrets Blog
Here's the original blog we used to launch Watercolour Secrets
What Watercolor Painting Tips Can You Share With The Rest of Us?
If you like to paint with watercolors, you’ve almost certainly discovered some handy little hints without even realising. They may seem insignificant to you but don’t underestimate how much you can help others...
Perhaps you have some great tips for color mixing?
Maybe you're good at capturing realistic water or a beautiful still life? Or it could be something as simple as "how to protect those expensive brushes".
By sharing your tips and advice, it will help us all to enjoy this wonderful medium even more! Here’s how you do it...
See W/C Painting Tips From Other Visitors
Click below to see watercolor painting tips from other visitors...
Testing a color seemingly ON the painting before adding it.
You can place a piece of clear acrylic over your dry but unfinished painting to test a colour or value before actually applying it to the painting. The ...
Easy Light Direction Reminder
Get a pack of sticky notes. Draw an arrow on one with a Sharpie or other big marker. Stick it to the corner of the paper just outside your painting, or ...
A Hot Watercolour Painting !
Use boiling water to mix your watercolours-this breaks down the paint's molecules and will give some stunning effects!
Miles - I've not come across ...
Applying Masking Fluid
I think I learned this from "Leisure Painter" magazine. I have always found using a brush to apply masking fluid frustrating if not disasterous to the ...
A (Definite) Handy Alternative
From quite a few Web-sites, i have come across artists recommending paper-towels (even towels themselves)....for removing Paint from your Drawing, Brushes,...
Test Your Colours!
Chart all the watercolours you buy, even if you get the same colour from a new brand. It may not be exactly the same hue as the same name from the first ...
Saving Tube Paints
Having trouble getting the top off a tube of paint because paint has dried on the thread? Try holding the top under running hot water for a few minutes ...
Watercolor & Ink Resist Technique
It was suggested to me from artists on iDrawandPaint.com to add this painting technique. Ink Resist or Tempera (Gouache) & Ink Resist / Watercolor Painting....
Blades of grass
To paint individual blades of grass - first paint a line of green. Before the paint dries, use the other end of the brush to dip into the green and make ...
Stretching Anita's tip on portable w/c paint containers...
For smaller quantities of paints, McDonald's transparent catsup cups are fantastic, and they can be sealed airtight with the lids that come with them. Even ...
How to paint tropical skies
Having grown up in Texas, USA, I used to lie on my back in the shade and watch clouds move by, in the perfect blue sky. I love Texas skies, and craved ...
Aspen Tree Tutorial
I have done several aspen trees over the past couple of years. People always say: That must be HARD.... But if YOU follow these steps, you can do one too!...
Easy way to decide about adding elements to your painting
If you have a painting that's nearly completed, but you aren't sure about adding another element, such as leaves behind a flower or a tree somewhere in ...
Deviled Egg Plate Palette
For a beautiful palette and one that does not stain I use a Deviled Egg Plate I bought off e-bay..actually I bought 2 of them...the indentations for the ...
Portable water color containers
Instead of using a large painting palette to put the paints on, you can put paints into medicine containers that are available in drug stores. (see photo)...
Magic eraser
If you want to erase something in your watercolour painting then I would recommend the magic eraser......I have a demo done by a well known artist on my ...
Make your own masking fluid
Copydex mixed with with water = masking fluid
Rag Alternative
Ever wish you had an extra hand while painting en plein air? Sometimes it feels like we're trying to balance too many items.
One less thing to worry ...
placing figures in a landscape
Size and position can be a problem in watercolour when you are wanting to place a figure(s) in a painting. I use a piece of acetate sheet and draw several ...
TRAVEL WATERCOLOR JOURNAL - CHEAP
Purchase a hard cover photo-album where photo pockets are bound with screws, not sewn in or with metal rings. (I purchased mine for $2 for size 5 1/2 x ...
Bleeding (or fading) your watercolor wash
When you want to soften (bleed or fade) an edge, plan ahead.
1) Have one brush for your paint and another soft brush for plain water. This will save ...
Blending lines
As a self-teaching beginner, I am always interested in techniques. This one seems to be the "scientific method" (fast and with reproducible results) for ...
Another cloud method
As a beginner, I am still fiddling around with clouds. Another potentially successful method seems to be the following:
Make the whole sky area quite ...
Slapping wet paper to a board
Instead of tacking watercolor paper to a painting board or similar, a lazy method may be useful, esp. for wet in wet: Just slap the wet paper onto a smooth ...
Use a sponge painting clouds!
When reading about William Turner, I read that he used a lot of sponging for blending and textures. As a beginner, I had some trouble creating believable ...
Little Tricks in Watercolour
Painting Petals
If you are painting watercolour petals, draw the petal shapes first then wet the shape, then choose the colour you want the petal to ...
fire
Thanks Joy and David for your feedback . This painting uses the same idea. This fire was a real one . I was living up North in Prince Albert Saskatchewan ...
How to put a perfect setting sun into a sunset .
I use a small sized velcro sticker on my watercolour paper to blot out the position of the sun when painting a sunset. You can get these stickers in different ...
Painting Fire In Watercolor
I wet the fire area...put bright yellow in the central hot spot... then a light yellow in the other fire areas. Add red to this and let it flow.
Note ...
making the glint in an eye or lace.
When I paint an eye I like to put a small dot of white to make it sparkle but brushes even the small ones are so large so I use a long hat pin dip ...
How to paint fir trees
First of all, I followed Bob Davies' tutorial on the fir tree in the "Winter Trees" lesson video.
Additionally, I discovered that I like using a dry ...
Saving on paint
Have you ever been painting and you have had to go out leaving your paints in your mixing pans. You come back and they have gone dry, waste of paint. Go ...
Toothpicks
When I use masking fluid, I put it on with toothpicks. You never have to worry about ruining them because they are so inexpensive. They also make very ...
PAINTING WITH REEDS
Painting with grass reeds. I have always had trouble getting my tree limbs slim enough. One day I broke off the sticks from my pompas grass plant and ...
The Best Watercolour Tip I Know
When you think your picture is finished :-
STOP ! DON'T FIDDLE !
Keeping brushes clean when using masking fluid
Here's a tip I learned from my watercolor teacher at university. When you're using a brush to put masking fluid on the paper, dip it into a little dish ...
How to save on framing
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Before you sketch, lay a pre-cut mat on prepared paper and run a pencil along the inside lines so you can see the rectangular area of the painting in front ...
When using Masking Fluid
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Work a drop of dishwashing liquid deterent into the bristles of your brush, shaping it as required, BEFORE dipping into the Masking Fluid. After placing ...
Drying Time Saves Money!!!!
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Drying time of washes and glazes is very frustrating.....So, start your picture, or the area that needs a good amount of drying time just before you go ...
How to Keep Watercolour in Control
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IN WATERCOLOUR EVERY TIME YOU PAINT YOU END UP WITH A MESS BECAUSE WATERCOLOUR ARE THE THE MOST DIFFICULT MEDIUM.
SO JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN PAINTING ...
How to Remove Dried Masque from Brushes
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I used Goo Gone household cleaner to remove stubborn dried masque (masking fluid) from my brush which still had accumulated the gunk despite being dipped ...
Removing Masking Fluid From A Brush
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I found that dishwasher powder removes masking fluid from bristles.
Brush Care
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If you have lost the fine tip on one of your favourite brushes, (something which happens to me a lot) then simply wet the brush and twist a paper towel ...
Test your colour first
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Simply keep another piece of white scrap paper by the side of your art work, to test colours first.
With ...
HOW TO MADE REALISTIC TREE
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Whenever you make a tree, remember this technique. First draw a simple tree only with trunk or simple branches on your paper. Then take a piece of slightly ...
"Plastic paper" for watercolour mixing palettes
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That modern "plastic paper" used for inkjet photo printers is ideal for use as watercolour mixing palette(s)!
See here: http://community.how-to-draw-and-...
Masking
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If you want to just temporarily mask a small area try the sticky end of a post-it note.
Easy no mess way to apply liquid mask
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Use the eye end of a large darning needle to apply liquid masking fluid.
Darning needles are 3 to 3 1/2" long and have close to a 1/2" eye.
The ...
A technique to enhance miskit (masking fluid)
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Put some masking fluid on the paper, then spray it with an atomizer (fine spray). Let it dry, then paint over it. when you remove it, you will have a unique ...
Deviled Egg Plate Palette
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For a beautiful palette and one that does not stain I use a Deviled Egg Plate I bought off e-bay..actually I bought 2 of them...the indentations for the ...
To Give a Slight Sheen
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Use Gum Arabic to carefully paint over a bird or butterfly to give a slight sheen (Tip originally from artist Jose Berrows)
Blending/grading #2
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This is probably re-inventing the wheel, but nevertheless... Here is another blending/grading method, good for 3D-effects. It needs some experience to ...
