We paint a picture with watercolors. Archive for the 'Watercolor. Painting with watercolors’ Category. Learn to paint watercolor in stages using various techniques for beginners
Watercolor is one of the most difficult mediums for painting, it does not forgive mistakes. The main difficulty lies in the fact that there is no white color in watercolor, so unpainted areas of paper are used instead, and due to the transparency of the paint, the flaws cannot be completely covered with a new layer. But the complexity of working with watercolors is also its main charm - only watercolors can lay on paper with the thinnest veil, and only watercolor painting is characterized by such lightness and lightness.
There are no particular difficulties in the drawing technique itself. Watercolor is a very malleable paint if you find an approach to it. Sometimes, in order to get some kind of pattern, it is enough to drop a little paint on dampened paper. It is thanks to this opportunity that watercolor painting turns into a fascinating process, which sometimes drags on for a long time.
materials
Since the effect of veil and lightness is achieved in watercolor through interaction with water, the paper must be rough and resistant to a lot of moisture. For watercolor, paper with a density of 180-300g / m2 is used - you will find this mark on the package. A lower weight may cause the paper to wrinkle or even tear during drawing.
Traditionally, squirrel and kolinsky brushes are used for watercolor work. Squirrel brushes are a budget option with excellent properties, they retain and release moisture well and have a thin tip. The squirrel is a softer brush that works well for broad or abstract strokes, while the kolinsky is more resilient, holds its shape better and gives sharper lines. In addition, there are now good synthetic brushes, similar in quality to the column. Brushes are divided by numbers - from one to fourteen. For beginners, brushes No. 3, No. 6 and No. 8 will suffice. The largest brush for filling, the medium brush for the main image, and the fine brush for detailing.
The first thing to know when choosing a watercolor is that honey is not suitable for painting, because it uses a low-quality pigment that is difficult to mix, and it is almost impossible to blur such a watercolor - it clings tightly to the paper. The main domestic manufacturer of watercolors is Nevskaya Palitra. Their line includes "Sonnet" paints, suitable for beginners, and more professional paints with better pigment quality. Watercolor can be sold in two formats: in tubes or cuvettes.
Pros and cons of cuvettes:
+ all colors in plain sight;
+ as a rule, when buying, all the necessary colors are already in the set, and some colors do not have to be mixed on their own;
+ cuvettes can be placed in a box that will serve as a palette at the same time;
+ cuvettes can be replaced if a certain paint has run out - they are sold separately;
- since the cuvettes are small in size, when working with a large brush there is a risk of constantly catching neighboring colors;
- the cuvettes often stick to the lid of the box and get mixed up.
Pros and cons of tubes:
+ tubes are more convenient for mixing paints;
- tubes of watercolors are sold very rarely by the piece, so if some paint is over, you will have to buy a new set;
- tubes require the constant presence of a palette.
In addition to watercolors, paper, and brushes for drawing, you will need a tablet to which you will need to attach the paper, and masking tape to secure the paper to the tablet. It will not be superfluous to have a simple thin pencil and an eraser.
First encounter with watercolor
After buying paints, you need to get acquainted with watercolors. Take paper and draw a grid on it according to the number of colors in the set. Sign each field with the name of the paint and make a stretch - that is, draw a lot of paint on the brush and, by adding water, reduce the color from dark to barely noticeable. Such stretches need to be done for each color in order to understand how a particular shade behaves depending on the amount of water, and as a bonus, you will have a “catalog” of possible shades. After that, try mixing paints with each other and remember the resulting colors - this will help you better use the possibilities of the palette.
drawing techniques
Glazing is one of the most important watercolor techniques. This is a gradual overlay of transparent layers of paint on top of each previous one, which allows you to get deeper and more saturated colors without increasing the amount of paint on the brush. The method of overlay also allows you to achieve a special lightness of the image and divert some elements into the background - it is glazing that is used to create an aerial perspective. Four rules will allow you to master this technique:
- Each next layer is applied only when the previous one is completely dry.
- Watercolor should be diluted sufficiently with water, when applied to paper, the color should be transparent.
- Only soft brushes are used for glazing, hard synthetics can scratch the previous layer of paint.
- It is possible to overlay layers only on high-quality thick paper.
- Water puddles should not be allowed to form on paper, they will pull all the paint into themselves. If there are puddles, you need to draw them in with the tip of a brush or paper towel.
- In this technique, overlaying colors should not be used; instead of spectacular transitions and tones, dirty colors will turn out.
The dry brush technique is used to create complex textures, whether wood or water. Pick up paint on the brush, and then blot it with a cloth or napkin, removing excess water, then apply paint to the drawing strictly with the edge of the brush.
A graduated wash is good for creating the sky. Take a large amount of paint with a moderate amount of water on a large brush and draw a line from edge to edge along the top of the sheet. After that, draw some more water on the brush, and draw a second line, hooking the first. So paint over the entire required surface, collecting water before each new line.
In addition, for watercolor painting, you can use the very wet brush on dry paper technique, which gives an effect similar to the wet technique, but more controlled, as well as the spatter technique or the salt technique. As tools, you can use a slightly damp sponge, which allows you to create realistic foliage on trees, and for a “curly” texture in the wet technique, you can use a randomly crumpled paper napkin.
There are no comrades for taste and color. Have you ever heard such a proverb? Undoubtedly. People can argue for hours about which artist is better and which is worse. However, it is difficult to find a lover of beauty who does not like watercolor.
Poetry in colors, flights of fancy, colored music - these are just some of the epithets that watercolor works deserve. Now we will try to plunge into this poetry and music in order to find out more closely what the world of watercolor is like. For beginners, this will be an unforgettable journey into the land of beautiful magic.
A bit of history
The amazing ability of watercolor to convey transparency attracted artists from all over the world. The great variability of writing techniques allows true magicians to create very cool things. Entering the museum on a hot day, you will certainly fight the temptation to throw yourself into the cool water of a lake or river painted in watercolor.
It is almost impossible to determine where and when watercolors were first used. But already in the 15th century, the outstanding German Renaissance master A. Dürer used watercolor with great success, creating amazing works.
It is not for nothing that watercolor is called color music and poetry. Airiness, brightness, mystery and some transcendent lightness, like a magnet attracts to water colors, this is how “watercolor” is translated from Greek.
Not only technical characteristics attract young painters to these paints, but also the laurels of the masters of the past encourage personal achievements and exploits on the pictorial front. Watercolor gained particular popularity in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The mists of London inspired many watercolor masterpieces by 19th-century English artists. One of them, W. Turner, simply sang in his works a love song to the hazy London streets.
Russia is famous for its watercolors of the century before last. K. P. Bryullov could not only create a filigree thing in oil, but the watercolor in his hands was just as flawless. A.A. Ivanov was a great master and lover of watercolor richness. His work was both simple and at the same time brilliant.
- I. E. Repin,
- V. I. Surikov,
- I. N. Kramskoy,
- M. A. Vrubel,
- V. D. Polenov,
- V. A. Serov,
- A. A. Deineka.
This list can be continued indefinitely. All the great artists of the past left their unforgettable watercolor strokes in the history of pictorial art.
In order to want to take up the brush and stir up the first watercolor, run to the museum to watch the classics! If you prefer to be inspired without leaving your home, then admire only some of the works of the masters of the past. Keep in mind that the screen does not convey the liveliness that real watercolor paintings breathe.
Watercolor basics
Where to begin? The question we ask ourselves when we really want something. Mastering watercolor is best with the acquisition of the most necessary. Here is a small list of what your future watercolor masterpiece will not take place without:
- Paints. There is a huge variety of varieties of watercolor paints, with all sorts of shades and additives. But a cool watercolorist should know that 8-10 primary colors are enough to work with. The best watercolor paints are produced in the glorious city of St. Petersburg. Watercolor with the addition of honey is brighter and tastier, but it is advisable not to eat it, but still use it for its intended purpose.
- brushes. Many experienced watercolor painters use just one brush. This is usually a good medium sized squirrel brush. If you like to hold different brushes in your hands, then use 8 to 16 numbers. Smaller brushes are usually used only for writing miniatures and drawing details. However, if you are a lover of impressionism, then forget about them. In addition to squirrels, kolinsky and sable are suitable. The main advantage of such brushes is the ability to absorb a lot of water.
- Paper. If you decide to practice with watercolor on notebook sheets or wrapping paper, then immediately throw this nonsense out of your head! For watercolor, you need a special thick, pimply paper of good quality. Having bought it, do not rush to immediately paint ninja turtles or a charming princess! First, let the paper rest for a few days, then check it for water absorption and how paints lie on a snow-white surface. If everything suits you, and the turtles are green and the princess is pink, run to the store and buy more good paper. It doesn't always work that way.
- Easel. The workplace also needs to be prepared in advance. Of course, you can create on the table, but you hardly need scoliosis, poor eyesight and other related products. Therefore, immediately purchase a good sketchbook with legs, then it will be equally convenient at home and in the field. If there is not enough cabbage for the easel, then a simple plywood board can be an excellent easel. The main thing is that you can attach a sheet of pimply paper to it, which you just stocked up.
Well, you are ready to paint the first picture. Just remember that when you become a great watercolorist, there will be no price for this work. At an auction at Sotheby's, even buttons from the first creation will go under the hammer. What do you need to do to learn how to paint with watercolors?
Watercolor for beginners
First, let's get acquainted with the basic techniques of watercolor painting. What and how can it be done? Of course, you remember that watercolor is a transparent paint. No matter how hard you try, the bottom layer will always be visible. Therefore, the following methods are used in working with water-based paints:
- Wet. This method is a watercolor business card. No other paint can achieve such fantastic overflows that occur when mixing paints on wet paper. Try! Wet a large area of paper with a brush, and then brush one color and next to another so that the strokes touch each other. Make a rainbow like this and let it dry. Hasn't it been a miracle?
Now a little about the technique of writing. What should you remember? Watercolor is beautiful until it's turned into dirt. This results in mixing more than three colors. Don't get carried away with this! Don't forget that three layers is already at least three colors! The best option for writing in watercolor is shooting at the bull's-eye, that is, immediately getting into color and tone, preferably. Therefore, they begin to prescribe a drawing from bright places, and finish with the darkest ones. Always apply a new layer after the bottom one has dried. Do not rush!
However, after trying it for the first time, many people ask themselves: “When will fame come?” The answer is simple: study, study and study again! To do this, constantly paint with watercolors, the more often you do this, the faster you will master the skill. It's like riding a skateboard. No matter how much you look at him, you won't learn how to ride. Only by standing on a skateboard and stuffing more than one bump, you can become a cool skateboarder. So it is in painting. Drop the skate, grab the brush! You will succeed!
Watercolor paints are one of the most beloved by artists. Firstly, watercolor has a lot of different techniques, and secondly, it can be used to create a beautiful drawing, even if you don’t know how to draw at all.
These techniques will help beginners learn how to draw, and professionals can refresh their memory and find inspiration and ideas.
1. Painting with a flat brush
Step 1
Draw a square or rectangle to mark the beginning and end of the layer.
Choose a darker shade (it's easier to see) and starting from the top left corner, brush down on the paper and gently draw a straight line all the way to the top right corner.
But: left-handers should draw from the right corner to the left.
Step 2
Fill the brush again with paint.
Start the next stroke from the bottom edge of the first one, try to cover the buildup of paint that formed from the bottom of the first stroke.
Hint 1: If the buildup of paint in the first stroke has not flowed completely into the second, then increase the angle of your easel to help the paint flow freely.
Hint 2: By increasing the angle of inclination, you also increase the chances of getting uncontrolled flows of paint. Therefore, try to work faster or have something like a rag or sponge handy to quickly remove drops.
Step 3
Repeat the previous step, also trying to cover the accumulation of paint in the top stroke.
Hint 3: You can use the flat edge of the brush to "cut off" the beginning of the layer and make it even.
Hint 4: If you want to flatten the end edge of the layer, then at the end of the stroke, pause and brush up and then down as you would with the start edge.
Hint 5: If the stroke is broken, then immediately fill the brush with paint and re-swipe it.
Step 4
Repeat the previous steps until the very end. Try to stick to the same tone of paint.
Hint 6: You won't believe how different the behavior of brushes, paints and paper from different brands can be. Usually, the more expensive and popular brands make your job easier by providing high quality products.
Hint 7: If your strokes break even if the brush is full of paint, then you are using too thick paper, or the paper is too rough. If you come across such paper, then sprinkle water on it, blot it with a clean sponge and let it dry. This will make the surface more receptive to your paint.
Step 5
Rinse the brush and squeeze out any remaining water from it. Carefully pick up the blobs of paint left underneath the last stroke with the brush, but don't take too much paint or you will discolor your drawing.
To create more texture in your drawing, leave it to dry at an angle. So the paint will take on a more interesting look.
Gradient
Step 1
Draw a square or rectangle. Then dip your brush into the darker shade of paint (it's on the palette to mix) and gently stroke the brush.
Step 2
Dry the brush with a sponge or paper towel and dip it again in a lighter shade.
Then draw a new stroke, overlapping the bottom of the previous one. Notice that the left side of the layer has already merged with the previous stroke. Let gravity do its thing.
Step 3
Rinse the brush again and dry it. And then refill the brush with paint and make another stroke. Repeat this process until the very end.
Hint 1: If the stroke breaks or does not go as smoothly as you would like, quickly refill the brush with paint and repeat the layer.
Step 4
Rinse the brush with clean water, dry it and pick up any remaining paint.
Hint 2: Try this technique by working with different colors and creating interesting transitions.
watercolor glaze
Step 1
This technique requires improvisation and imagination. For example, we will draw an impromptu landscape.
First, paint the sky and the river with blue paint. We will separate the paint with a small amount of water, this will be a waterfall.
Step 2
We draw clouds of dark pink color and we start to draw a mountain in yellow color. We will also mark the lower part of the figure in yellow.
The example uses light and transparent tones so you can see how the layers interact.
Step 3
By mixing cobalt blue and ultramarine blue, we will paint the horizon of the mountain and shade the small yellow slope.
Hint 1: let each layer dry. You can use a hair dryer to speed up this process. Keep it at least 25-30 cm away, turn on the cool setting and set the hair dryer to the lightest air flow. No steam or hot air!
Step 4
To shade and add interesting colors, use orange. With it, we will create the coast in the foreground and shade the sky.
Hint 2: if you have drops of excess paint, rinse and dry the brush as you did in the previous techniques, and pick up drops with it.
Step 5
Please note that the images show different brushes for painting. You can use the ones you have available.
Take a dark blue color and shade the top of the mountain with it, changing the pressure on the brush and turning it around to create an interesting texture.
Step 6
Using the same blue color, let's play with the waterfall by drawing some circles. Sometimes visual clichés become your friends.
We will wash the brush and pick up the yellow color, with which we will add visual details to our shores.
Step 7
Once the paint is dry, shade the bubbles in the waterfall with a hint of purple. So we will make them more interesting.
Step 8
We need to link some elements and add trees. In the example, we used round templates for crowns, but you can draw as you like.
Step 9
In brown we will depict tree trunks. Also with the help of blue we will shade the water and the sky a little more. Then, using pink, blue and green, paint the grass in the foreground.
Step 10
Use a mixture of pink and red to add the final details. Our trees are bearing fruit now, and there are several fruits under them.
If you look closely, you can see how each layer interacts with each other. A darker shade has more power, but when the colors overlap, they create an interesting and beautiful combination.
“Wet” technique
Step 1
Wet the paper with water
Step 2
Blot the paper with a clean sponge, removing excess water. Try to achieve an even distribution of moisture on the paper, you should get a satin effect.
If the paper is shiny, it means that it is too wet, blot it again.
Step 3
We will paint the landscape again. Let's start, of course, with the sky. Using this technique, it is easier to draw the background first, then moving on to the objects of the foreground.
Step 4
We continue to draw the sky until we start to like it. The strokes will blur, creating an interesting effect.
Step 5
Now let's move on to the grass in the foreground. Using green, make a few wide strokes, leaving room for the stones.
As the paper dries, the strokes become less and less blurry.
Step 6
Let's add forms. To do this, use different shades of green and draw trees on the horizon.
Step 7
After adding the trees, let's try to add texture to them. To do this, use a darker shade of green to set the accents.
Step 8
Add stones using gray color. We filled in the gaps in the foreground with this color, leaving some gaps.
Try to use either dark or cold shades. Using both dark and cold shades will create visual dissonance.
Step 9
We will place accents to diversify the drawing. Using a crimson hue, we depict several floral elements in the foreground. Let the crimson flow as it wants. Then, using a dry brush, remove the color from the middle of the spots.
Step 10
Then, drip clean water into the center of these spots to allow them to blend into the grass.
The hardest part about this technique is knowing when to stop. If you overdo it with blurs and colors, you will end up with a messy drawing.
This technique gives a slightly strange, but interesting result. A drawing made in this technique has a hypnotizing effect.
Dry brush drawing
Step 1
We think the name of the technique speaks for itself. We will need to pick up paint on a brush, blot it from excess liquid with a paper towel or sponge, and only then paint.
Let's start with a pencil sketch. After that, roughly mark the sky, moving the brush over the surface of the paper.
Step 2
Let's draw green trees on the horizon line, outlining what will later become our lake.
Then, by mixing mauve with blue, draw the first layer of the tree trunk.
Step 3
Let the drawing dry and add some elements: the reflection of a tree in the lake and the flow of water.
Mixing green and blue, shade the coast on the background part of the image and let the painting dry again.
Step 4
Mix an intense blue with ultramarine and paint a layer on the trunk of the tree to create the shadows and texture of the bark.
Step 5
Then, using shades of orange, we will depict the autumn landscape by painting the background trees.
Step 6
Having finished with the previous step, with a light orange tint, we will depict the reflection of the trees in the water.
Also, by mixing gray with blue, we will place dark accents on the trees.
We will also add trees on the other side of the horizon. Let's mark the shapes of the trees in orange.
Step 7
Let's take water. Use dark green and brown to achieve the desired color. And with wave-like movements we will draw water in the lake.
Step 8
When painting a lake, change the pressure on the brush to add texture.
Prompt: if the brush is too wet, the paint will look flat. Dry the brush to intensify the colors.
Step 9
Let's add some grass under the tree, using the same color as the grass in the background.
Step 10
Let's add some details to the foreground.
We will also darken the lake a bit by adding a blue tint. And also shade the sky with the same color.
We remove moisture
This technique will require several sponges. It is suitable for the image of clouds, soft light. And it can also control the behavior of colors.
Sponges
Makeup sponges are the best. They absorb well and give an interesting effect.
Avoid rubbing the paper with the sponge, and if you do, be very careful not to damage the paper.
Paper towels
With their help, you can create clearer highlights. But paper towels absorb a huge amount of paint very quickly. Therefore, they can absorb fresh paint completely.
Paper towels can come in handy if you make a mistake. Then you can quickly remove the paint.
Dry brush
You can use a dry brush to create a pattern using this technique. To do this, rinse thoroughly and wring out the brush. With it, you can create clear lines.
Other methods:
- You can spray water where you want to remove the paint and then soak it up with a sponge.
- Use different fabrics to add texture
- You can use fingers or other parts of the body. The skin can also absorb moisture.
Discoloration of dried paint
Brushes for watercolor paint
Use clean water and a cloth, wet the desired areas, gently rub the pattern and remove moisture with a dry brush. This method allows you to control the areas you lighten.
Brushes for oil or acrylic paint
Stiff bristles allow you to quickly scrape paint from the desired area. But it is worth noting that this method can damage the paper, so control yourself.
Here, just as in the first method, you must first moisten the area, and then process it with a brush.
Spray and towel
Take a spray bottle and spray on the desired area, and then apply a paper towel to it. This method leaves large light spots and gives an interesting effect.
Sandpaper
Very rarely used, as it can damage the paper. It is best used at the end to add texture. You don't need water for this method, just rub the drawing in the right place.
Blades and knives
Can be used to highlight small areas and create crisp lines. This method is also very risky as it can damage the paper.
Sponges
You can also use sponges. Wet the desired area and dry it with a sponge.
Without a doubt, watercolor is one of the most unique means of painting. The graceful work created by the dance of flowing paint with water is impossible to confuse with anything else. Colors can either overlap each other, if the artist wishes to create something concentrated and complex, or go in sweeping strokes, only hinting at the shape of the object.
Nevertheless, working with watercolor carries certain difficulties. Not everyone manages to cope with it; If you started your artistic journey with tempera, oils or acrylics, working with watercolor can be an unexpected challenge.
It is for these reasons that we want to help you with the successful use of watercolor. This article provides some useful tips for working with it.
1. Use quality watercolor
The quality of the paints you use has a lot to do with the final work. Some artists, before forking out for a more serious product, buy cheaper to see if it suits them. This trick works with certain paints, but not with watercolors - the quality standards are clear here.
The use of poor quality material can always spoil the final result, sometimes causing irritation and disappointment. It is a wise decision for any artist to invest a little to ensure that the first experience with watercolor is as clean and honest as possible.
2. Use the right paper
Of great importance is what kind of surface you choose to paint with watercolors. Proper paper must be able to absorb large volumes of water and withstand many layers of ink, which means it typically weighs more than regular paper.
The thicker the paper, the more suitable for watercolor. We recommend using paper with a weight of at least 300 g/m2 - clear information about this is usually printed on the front of the pack.
Sheets of paper, which can be purchased separately, are usually labeled as well. By the way, despite numerous disputes about which side of the sheet to draw on, we came to the conclusion that it depends only on the personal preferences of the artist - with sufficient skill, you can achieve a good result from either side.
Watercolor paper is produced in three ways: cold pressing, hot pressing, and rough pressing. As can be understood from the names, the first is made under a cold press, the second under a hot press, and the last is made without using a press at all.
The manufacturing process leaves its mark on the texture of the paper. Sheets from a hot press are quite smooth, while paper from a cold press has a noticeable roughness. Rough paper, which is logical, has the toughest texture.
If you're using the wrong paper, it will definitely let you know by swelling and creasing. Many manufacturers call their paper watercolor, but this does not guarantee the absence of swelling when drawing. Always judge paper quality by its weight. The paper in the picture below pretends to be watercolor, but as soon as watercolor is applied to it, it will immediately swell and become unusable for work. Which is not at all surprising, because its density is only 160 g / m2.
3. Straighten the paper
In order for watercolor paper to absorb water better, it should be straightened out. This will ensure sufficient surface tension. Larger sheets can be soaked in bath water and attached to a dense wooden surface. You can also use a stapler or wide tape to fix the paper. The paper will shrink as it dries, just giving you the tension you need.
Small sheets can simply be attached to the surface with masking tape, and then slightly moistened.
4. Draw easy
Most artists make a pencil sketch on a sheet and only then start working with paint. However, not all of them like to see traces of graphite on the completed work, so they try to completely paint over the strokes of the pencil.
Keep the sketch light so that you don't have problems with it later. No need to draw shadows with a pencil, just outline the outlines of objects. HB pencils work best for this - soft pencils (like 2B, 4B) can be too dark, while hard pencils (2H, 4H) sometimes leave nasty scratches on the paper.
Pencil marks can be carefully removed with a nag eraser before applying paint. Remember - once you start painting with watercolors, you will not be able to remove the graphite from the sheet.
5. Use the right brush
There is a huge variety of brushes for every taste and color. As a rule, softer brushes are used for watercolor. We can recommend you soft, but rather elastic synthetic brushes, in particular Grumbacher Golden Edge.
Although you will only find a brush that really suits you with experience, synthetic brushes are good for beginners. In addition, they are quite cheap compared to natural counterparts.
Hard brushes (such as bristles) are mainly used for texture work. Do not perform basic forms with them.
6. Don't hold back the paint
The water will carry the watercolor across the paper, creating whimsical silhouettes. Do not prevent it, but make it work for you - blurry shapes can also be used to indicate objects.
Let the paint loose in certain places. This will give your picture its "zest".
7. Limit your palette
As in any other case, when working with watercolors, color theory must be taken into account. Draw so that you can use matching colors, or narrow down the range you need.
When your palette is simple, the picture is harmonious and aesthetically pleasing.
8. Work with layers
Darker or more intense watercolor colors can be achieved by applying the paint multiple times. Let the layer dry before adding a new one on top of it. The underlying layers will still be visible, creating a very complex effect.
Add dark colors towards the end of the work. Light ones should not be applied a lot - the white color of the paper will still affect them in the end.
You can not only mix colors on the palette, but also use optical blending. For example, apply a translucent layer of blue to a layer of red - you get purple.
9. Use masking fluid
Camouflage fluid is a liquid material (usually latex-based) applied with a brush to places where paint should never get. This helps protect the whiteness of the paper in certain critical areas.
When dried, the masking fluid can be easily erased with an eraser or a finger. Remember, this substance can easily ruin your brush, so use the one you don't mind.
10. Try to create a full spectrum of brightness
Luminance refers to the dark or light shade of a color. It gives the observer information about the lighting, shape and texture of the objects depicted in the picture.
To fully convey the brightness in a watercolor painting, you need to use all shades of color. Make sure you use both light and dark ones.
A common mistake beginner watercolorists make is that they paint too lightly and lightly. Do not be afraid of dark shades, because they are necessary for accurate reproduction of brightness and contrast.
11. Know when to stop
It can be very difficult for an artist to determine the very moment when it is time to finish. Sometimes inspiration draws him in so much that he cannot and does not want to stop. But if you overdo it, you can spoil the result.
When working with watercolor, you need to be extremely careful in this regard. Of course, it is difficult to answer the question of when to finish the work, but thoughts from the category of "what else can I add?" often serve as a signal of its readiness. When you paint with watercolors, don't try to mark everything down to the smallest detail in the painting.
12. Practice, practice and practice again
A skill cannot be developed without practice. Anyone can learn how to draw with enough passion and time. Speaking not only about watercolor, but also any other artistic creation, only practice will help you gain self-confidence, without which no artist will ever succeed.
Learning how to paint with watercolor can seem strange and difficult at first glance, especially if you're used to opaque paints like oils or acrylics. These watercolor tips for beginners cover all the basic watercolor techniques to get you going in the right direction.
The first and most obvious feature of watercolor is that it is transparent. It is applied to clean white paper. This means that you need to decide from the beginning where the white areas in your painting will be, and plan ahead to keep those areas intact.
The secret to successful watercolor painting is to avoid areas that should remain white and apply lighter layers of paint first, gradually adding darker layers. Try to cover large areas fairly lightly in the early stages of painting, adding heavier detail towards the end. There are a few things to remember here...
Small sketches allow you to distribute your objects and adjust the composition before you start painting. If you have a work plan, it will be much easier for you to avoid problems that primarily relate to tone (light and dark) and contrast. Break your sketch into about 4 tonal areas and shade them. This will allow you to control the shadow and light so that the maximum contrast is in the place where the main object in the composition is located.
Of all the watercolor tips, maintaining color harmony is one of the most important. There are a few simple tricks to maintain color harmony throughout your painting.
Limit your palette
Working with twenty different colors mixed in your palette sounds tempting, but it usually results in an inconsistent, messy result. Limit your colors to just two or three, especially in the early stages of work. Your site will determine which ones to choose. Buildings, landscapes, I start painting with solutions of Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna, with the addition of a small amount of Ultramarine (Ultramarine) and Indigo (Indigo), depending on what atmosphere I want to convey, this gives a harmonious atmosphere for further work. Brighter colors can be added later if needed.
The River Landscape project uses only 5 colors (four of which are blue) to create a simple, understated color harmony.
The picture below shows that a limited palette has a much stronger effect than a full color spectrum. Unlike gray, white and black charcoal (Grey, White, Black Charcoal), Intense and Ultramarine Blue (Phthalo and Ultramarine Blue) make up the majority of this picture. Small splashes of Pink (Permanent Rose) add warmth to the main areas of the picture.
How often do you look at a painting and see that the color doesn't match in one of the areas? A few trees in an unusual green, a discordant blue river, or a purple flower that seems to burst out of the bouquet. Solving this problem is simple by adding more conflicting colors to the rest of the picture.
Allowing the Pink (Permanent Rose), in the painting above, to spill over the surface connects this color with the painting. If this color was only on the main objects, it would look redundant.
A few thin calligraphic lines in a harmonizing color will help to connect the different colors together in the composition.
Use a #1 or #2 fine brush, or an ink pen. It is important to use only one color for these lines, otherwise you may end up with a mess. If you're using ink, spraying water on your drawing right after applying it will help soften the lines and create an interesting feathering effect.
This painting shows the effect of spraying, the lines drawn in Burnt Sienna ink unite the work into a single whole.
Avoid neutral dark tones - the picture will have more life and character if it has warm and cold dark tones. To create a rich dark color, do not add matte yellow. Windsor & Newton's Quinacridone Gold or Rowney's Indian Yellow are ideal. Most other yellows make dirty dark tones. As with the transparent yellow, you will need a large amount of pigment and very little water. It will be useful to dip the brush in one color immediately after another, without rinsing. Rinsing the brush dilutes the solution, and de-saturates the dark color.
The main focus or main subject is the area where your painting grabs and holds the viewer's attention before they turn it to the rest of the painting. As well as interesting parts of the subject, the main focus should contain the maximum contrast of tones and the most saturated colors.
To make the picture interesting, the main focus must be clear and correctly located. Don't place the main objects in the center of the picture (both horizontally and vertically) unless you want your composition to be static and symmetrical.
Set the main focus at a different distance from each edge so you place your subject correctly. Separating the horizontal and vertical axes at a ratio of 1:2 will also help establish the main focus.
A painting filled with meticulous detail from one end to the other can be tricky to comprehend. If you enjoy working with fine details, try including raised areas in your painting.
In this painting, the viewer can see the details and textures in the area of focus and the flat areas of the terrain caused by the river in the foreground.
In order for the pictures to turn out interesting, it is important to use pencil sketches.
No matter what you draw, you first need to determine the place on the page where the object will be placed. Small pencil sketches before you start drawing will help you make a good composition.
Start drawing by mentally dividing the object into several small shapes. Draw them lightly and neatly, and then continue to break them down into even smaller shapes. No need to start from one corner of the object, moving towards the opposite.
Your outline will look better if the most interesting parts (the main objects or the main focus) are not located on the center lines of the page. The strongest tonal (light/dark) contrast should be located in the main focus area.
Let some areas of the sketch be less detailed than others. Try to put more details in the main focus area.
For more confidence, practice sketching on large sheets of inexpensive paper with a soft (5B or 6B) pencil, charcoal, or pastel pencil. Work on a vertical surface while standing (or on a surface at the correct angle for your field of vision) and move your arm from your shoulder. Work, moving from large and embossed to small details. Only the final touches should be made with precise, short hand movements.
Practice - no matter what you draw - you need to practice so that you can determine the proportions at a glance and transfer it to paper. There are no easy ways here, a lot of pencils will be sharpened.
A list of tips for beginners to paint in watercolor would be incomplete without a description of the necessary tools and materials.
One of the nice things about watercolor painting is that if you're just starting out, you only need very few materials. A few paints, four or five brushes, some drawing paper, and that's it! An old white plate will serve as your palette, or you can buy an inexpensive plastic palette. The best advice I can give here is to buy professional quality inks and good paper. Here is my beginner shopping list.
Paints
- Ultramarine Blue (French is better, but also more expensive)
- Persistent Alizarin Red (Alizarin Crimson)
- Indian Yellow (Indian Yellow) or Golden Quinacridone (Quinacridone Gold)
brushes
- Long flat brush
- Liner #1 or #2
- Bristle brush (Long bristles)
Paper
Some medium quality paper to experiment with and a 300g (140 lb) piece of Arches or Saunders paper of medium texture. Cut the sheet into 4 pieces.
Folding plastic palette
This is enough to get started. You can add tools to this later, but take your time buying 20 different colors and a dozen brushes - it won't make you a good artist, just more confused.
Once you've painted some pictures with these tools, you might want to add some more colors and brushes to them. I use very few tools.
This color wheel only shows the colors listed above. It has a rather rich range of colors that can be mixed, but no more than two primary ones.
By mixing the primary colors, you can get composite shades (Brown, Khaki, Grey), which we often use in paintings.
Quinacridone Gold Clear Gold keeps colors from getting dirty. Read more about materials in Painting On Location.
Last but not least
Enjoy what you are doing!
Get a matte finish on your work, sit down with a glass of wine or a mug of coffee and look at all the good things you've accomplished. It's important to enjoy your work. Memories of mistakes and problems are frustrating and make it difficult to move on. I still see the picture without any positives. Focusing on the positive aspects of your work will give you confidence and enthusiasm, and bring you success.
- From the very beginning, leave white paper.
- Work out your composition with a sketch before you start.
- Limit your palette to create color harmony.
- Don't let the alien colors create a mess - tie them in with the rest of the painting.
- Try using a tie color to bring the painting together.
- Make your dark tones warm or cool to avoid neutral areas.
- Make your subject or main focus the main one.
- Don't overwork - leave areas for simple relief.
- Practice sketching - this is the main skill on which all your paintings will be built.
- Be conservative when choosing your drawing tools - you really don't need a lot.
- Enjoy success!