There are many ways to paint with watercolors. In order to create unusual effects, artists use the unique properties of paint, and sometimes apply additional tricks and techniques. Watercolor techniques are usually easy to perform, even beginners can do them, but the resulting effect will be extremely interesting.

Dry watercolor: watercolor glazing

Glazing is a technique of painting, which consists in the sequential application of transparent layers of paint. Each subsequent layer makes the image brighter, sharper and more saturated. This gradual addition of color allows you to make the tones deeper and more interesting by layering paints. It is very important to ensure that the layers do not mix on a still wet surface.
Since the competent execution of such a technique implies the complete drying of the paint on the previous layer, glazing is perfect for writing small details and working out the contours. Only when painting with watercolor on dry, the strokes will not blur and remain clear.
Glazing is often used to create simple works of a small format that are not overloaded with details and nuances, as well as for drawings with graphic elements.

Often, many book illustrations are made using watercolor glazing. Landscapes made using the layering technique look especially advantageous. That is why glazing is a universal technique in the open air. For a few easy registrations with its help, you can draw a very realistic sky, mountains, forest or earth. Individual objects also look interesting and believable. For their image, layer-by-layer registration is also used, followed by the study of small details and the background. Due to the fact that the first layers are very transparent and are more likely to be considered a tint than a full-fledged paint layer, it is enough to simply hide the errors if they occur.

watercolor on wet

Paintings made in watercolor on wet look unique. With this technique, you can achieve amazing effects. Working with watercolor on wet paper, you can either create an independent picture or prepare a background for further glazing. You can often find a combination of these two techniques.

For example, the technique of working with watercolor on wet paper is often used to depict the sky. The paint, diluted with water, spreads well on damp grainy paper and forms abstract figures, reminiscent of clouds in their outlines. With certain skills, you can also recreate a neat and even gradient to convey a sunset or dawn sky. You can also meet such a technique - a few drops of pure water are added to a still wet layer of paint, which blurs the watercolor, exposing the light surface of the sheet. For a more pronounced effect, you can use a hair dryer. A strong stream of air will disperse the paint more and help create the illusion of cirrus clouds. It is important to ensure that the hair dryer does not dry the paper, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve the desired effect with further drawing.

To keep the paper at the right level of moisture, some artists put a wet, fluffy towel under the sheet or periodically spray the work surface with a fine spray bottle.

A la prima (ala prima)

Technique a la prima (ala prima) involves painting with watercolor on wet. Such works are written quickly, in one go. The paint, which is only partially subordinated to the artist's hand, spreads freely on the wet surface of the sheet, forming bizarre, unpredictable patterns, mixing with other tones, giving birth to new shades.

The work made in the à la prima technique looks very lively, expressive and expressive. And it is under this beauty that all the complexity of execution is hidden. The artist will have to practice well before he understands the line when you need to stop adding new colors and water. With experience comes speed in work, without which it is impossible to paint watercolor paintings on wet.

Watercolor and salt

An interesting result is the combination of watercolor painting on wet paper with the use of coarse salt. This technique came from batik, that is, painting on fabric. To create chaotic patterns and stars, large salt crystals are scattered on silk, cotton or wool or urea is applied. When in contact with a wet sheet and watercolor, salt can also create the illusion of a starry sky, sparks, snow, or abstract inclusions.

Depending on the effect you want to achieve, watercolor and salt are used in slightly different ways. For example, salt is applied to wet watercolor over the entire area of ​​the sheet or in separate areas. You need to carefully monitor how wet the sheet is, since on paper shiny from water the effect will be weakly expressed or not appear at all.

The crystals must be left on the paper until the work is completely dry, as removing them prematurely will damage the drawing and disrupt the resulting patterns. Only after thorough drying of the watercolor can the salt be shaken off. Grains that have dried to the paper are removed with a large soft brush.

A similar effect can be obtained with alcohol. The principle of operation is similar to the “salt” technique - drops of alcohol are applied to wet paper covered with a thick layer of watercolor with a cotton swab or brush, which seems to dissolve the paint, creating unusual patterns and textures.

Wax and watercolor

Wax, like salt, is also used in batik. Due to its dense texture, it protects the surface from dye getting on it. In watercolor painting with wax, you can get unique effects. Interestingly, wax strokes look different on paper with different textures. The higher the graininess, the more interesting the resulting pattern.

Often the wax technique is used to depict highlights on the water surface, sea foam and ripples on the surface of the water.
The technology of waxing with watercolor is extremely simple:
You will need to take a small piece of white candle and a sheet of grainy paper.
The desired parts of the picture are rubbed with wax. You can pre-experiment with the force of pressing and the thickness of the lines in order to understand what effect you will end up with.
Waxed paper can be painted with watercolor. For more effective work, you can add different colors and shades.
From the dried painting, excess wax must be removed with a metal ruler or a dull knife. So with the help of wax and watercolor you can achieve interesting effects.

Masking fluid for watercolor and ink

Another curious technique, it is also called "reserve". With it, you can create amazing paintings that will look like stained glass patterns. To create such an effect, you will need additional materials, watercolor alone is not enough.

The progress of the work is uncomplicated. First you need to create an outline of the picture. To draw it, you need to purchase a masking liquid. The bottle that contains the masking compound is usually a special design with a thin tip. Or you can purchase a bottle of watercolor masking liquid with a wide neck, which involves using a thin brush. With the help of masking, you can work out the smallest details. After registering the contour, you need to let the work dry, and only then apply watercolor.
The masking liquid is easily removed from the dried watercolor painting, leaving unpainted white areas that can serve as highlights or outlines. This is the "reserve" technique.

In addition, watercolor can be combined with ink. After the watercolor dries, you can start working with ink, which is also applied only to dry paper, otherwise it will mix with the watercolor and ruin the illustration. It is important to choose the right working tool. It can be a pen or a synthetic brush. The choice will depend on how thin the lines are needed to draw the outline. Using ink, you can create interesting, graphic illustrations.

Drawing on a crumpled sheet

The above techniques require the ability to work with paint and water. To create paintings with the effect of cracks, aging, it will also be necessary to prepare paper. Watercolor brightly colors chaotic creases and folds, which looks very unusual from a decorative point of view.

How to make crumpled drawing paper?

To work in this technique, it is necessary to prepare the work surface in advance. Of course, paper is easy to wrinkle, however, it is necessary to follow the technology and take into account all the details. First of all, you need to choose the right paper. Sheets with a density of about 100 grams / meter are best suited. You will also need PVA glue and a sheet of thick cardboard to work.

First you need to crumple a sheet of paper. It is not necessary to soften it by rubbing, it is enough to squeeze it tightly in the palms once;
The resulting lump must be straightened and tried to smooth out. Do not rub the sheet too hard with your palms, as this breaks the texture of the paper and the paint will not adhere to such a surface. It is enough just to make sure that the folds and cracks appear evenly around the entire perimeter of the sheet. In the event that flat areas remain, it is necessary to crumple the paper again;
The sheet is ready for toning. To give the paper the desired shade, it is enough to paint over the surface with a wide flat brush. For example, you can create the effect of antiquity using brown, yellow and beige tones. Watercolor will highlight all the creases and cracks;
Tinted paper must be dried. The sheet may warp and bend, but you should not pay attention to this;
From thick cardboard you need to cut a sheet that will be less than tinted. The difference in scale should be sufficient so that the edges of the crumpled sheet can be folded over;
Cardboard must be evenly covered with a thin layer of PVA glue;
The crumpled sheet is glued with the clean side to the cardboard. It is necessary to press the paper well to the cardboard base. When the glue is well saturated and moistens the crumpled paper, you can carefully straighten it on the cardboard frame. You need to act carefully, since an already damaged sheet can be easily torn. After the tinted paper is straightened, you need to press it tightly against the improvised stretcher again;
The protruding edges of the paper and the back of the cardboard also need to be greased with PVA and glued together. Particular attention should be paid to the corners, additionally smearing them before gluing. The finished structure must be placed under the press until completely dry, after which you can start working.

scratches

Paper can not only be wrinkled, but also scratched. This technique also allows you to achieve an unusual decorative effect. With the help of thin scratches, you can register grass, hairs or wool as realistically as possible. Even with the thinnest brush it is difficult to work out an illustration so believable and elegant. The watercolor flows into the damaged areas of the paper, highlighting and making them brighter compared to the plain background.

How to make a drawing with scratches?
To create an illustration with scratches, you need to prepare a sheet of thick paper and a mock-up or clerical knife. You can also use a sharp awl;
You can sketch on paper with a pencil, but in some cases it is better to work with a sharp tool right away, creating scratches;
After processing with a knife, it is necessary to fill the surface of the paper with diluted watercolor. The paint will instantly flow into the scratches and highlight them. After drying, scratches can become even brighter;
After tinting, you must wait for the work to dry, after which you can begin to work out the details with a brush.

So we discussed the basic techniques of watercolor. We hope that the material was useful to you. We remind you that if you want to learn how to draw, then. We will be glad to see you and see you soon 😉

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 is a very popular and relevant painting technique today. Sometimes it seems that absolutely everyone works with watercolor and, it is worth noting that everyone works differently! There are many well-known techniques for working with watercolor, and new effects and techniques are constantly emerging. Often, novice authors try to work with all possible techniques at once, apply various effects, experiment in the vastness of watercolor painting and, as a rule, sooner or later find their own combination, which later often develops into their unique author's style. I think the main advantage of watercolor is its diversity... I like to work in new genres and hone my skills in old ones. I always want to be able to choose a painting technique for a specific task, as I find it boring and wrong to approach a portrait or landscape in the same way and paint them in the same watercolor technique. Today I'm going to talk about five different ways to work with watercolor using the example of a botanical illustration of a fly agaric mushroom. I will try to draw five identical motifs, in five different ways of watercolor painting: 1. Watercolor technique "glaze" 2. Watercolor technique "A la prima" 3. Watercolor technique - use of masking liquid 4. Combination of several watercolor techniques 5. Wet watercolor technique or "Watercolor in a raw"

Watercolor technique "glaze"

The first fly agaric I painted was made in the watercolor technique "Glaze" (from German Lasierung - glaze). This technique is very suitable for beginners. She often works in art schools. It consists in layer-by-layer application of paint on the drawing. From the lightest shades to the darkest. Each layer must have time to dry. Working in this watercolor technique, we gain the tonality of the subject gradually, and we always have the opportunity to correct the color at each stage.

Watercolor technique "A la prima"

The second mushroom is drawn using the "A la prima" technique (or "Alla prima", from Italian a la prima - "in one sitting"). This is a more expressive technique, and is very suitable for those who know how to knead beautiful colors the first time. Drawing in this technique is done quickly in one layer, in one session, without further additions and alterations. We immediately receive the finished drawing. Here you need to be careful that when mixing a large number of watercolor colors, you do not get dirt, and the colors are bright and clean. Watercolors made in this technique, as a rule, are very colorful, colorful! This watercolor technique is fast enough to perform and is loved by those who don't like to work for a long time.

Watercolor technique - use of masking fluid

I drew the third mushroom with the help of a reserve (mask) liquid. In order not to bypass the white spots on the mushroom cap, I “hid them in reserve”, that is, I applied a reserve liquid to the spot spots (on a dry sheet, before starting to work with paints). Of course, this cannot be called a watercolor technique, it is rather an effect. Today, all kinds of reserves (masking fluids) are very widespread. If you do not want to paint over every speck or are afraid that in an emotional outburst you will paint over some highlights, then you can apply a reserve.

The work with the reserve goes much faster. But it is worth noting that this approach has its drawbacks. The main disadvantage is a very sharp edge. Your work will always have a sharp border where the white sheet, which had the reserve liquid, goes into the area painted over with paint. This will give you away. Many artists are not embarrassed by this, and sometimes even help to make additional effects! Also, the reserve is sometimes problematic removed from the paper, and sometimes not removed at all. Therefore, before using the reserve in your work, try it out on a small sheet of similar paper.

A combination of several watercolor techniques

The fourth mushroom is drawn with a combination of effects (watercolor technique). Before starting to work in color, I "hid" the entire mushroom with a reserve liquid. This allowed me to create a dense layered background with paint. I applied the paint in 4 layers. Only by layer-by-layer glazing is it possible to achieve a sufficiently dense, deaf, but at the same time not a black background. After waiting for the background to dry, I removed the reserve and painted a mushroom using the same Glaze watercolor technique.

Wet Watercolor or Wet Watercolor Technique

With the fifth mushroom, I worked with the most "watercolor" technique of all. Looking at it, it is immediately clear that we are looking at watercolor. This is the Wet Watercolor technique (often referred to as Wet Watercolor, Wet Watercolor) and it is certainly impressive. In my opinion, this is the most difficult side of watercolor painting. The skills of the artist, exclusively personal experience, are very important here. The “Wet Watercolor” technique consists in the fact that before you start painting, a sheet of paper is completely moistened with water, and then you quickly write on a still wet surface. Spreading, watercolor paint can convey soft transitions from one color to another. If you want to draw small details, then you need to wait until it dries completely, and only then make additions.

Wet watercolor is particularly sensitive to the quality of the materials used. Paper, paints, brushes - everything is important here. In this watercolor technique, you have to work quickly and confidently. The artist must be as concentrated as possible, and ready for anything. We have to give watercolor some freedom, but at the same time create conditions in which it will spread exactly as we need. And the watercolor should dry when we need it. In this watercolor technique, the most common mistakes are a poorly wetted sheet and a misunderstanding of the depicted form. And most importantly, wet watercolor is beautiful for its lightness and ease. But we are often afraid to “let go” of paint, we try too hard to control it, we try too hard, thereby losing that very lightness and ease. This technique requires constant practice, and if you want to work in the wet watercolor technique, then I advise you to practice it more often.

Conclusion

In this article, I have described the main watercolor effects and techniques that I work with. Of course, this list can be continued for a long time, and I am sure that there will always be something that I have not tried yet that will inspire me to new works and experiments. I wish you creative success and inspiration!

A couple of hundred years ago, not everyone could subdue such a capricious and insidious watercolor. But now there are a huge number of methods to help comprehend this art, which is definitely worth such work. When creating a watercolor painting, the light reflects off the white paper and passes through the paint, giving it a truly magical glow.

The watercolor painting techniques described below will help you master the necessary skills.

1. Buy a set of brushes

It is necessary to have several different brushes.

Having a large selection of brushes is an important condition for working with watercolor. The size and shape of the brush used will depend on the size and nature of the area to be covered. I often work with small elements, so my brush sizes range from 000 to 6. Experiment with brushes of different sizes to find the most comfortable. However, it does not hurt to get smaller sizes. They are useful for working on minor details that may appear in the process.

2. Use quality paints

Good watercolor pigments are a worthwhile investment.

Invest in high quality watercolors. It will last for a long time, it will not turn yellow and will not deteriorate over time. In art and online stores you will find paints of various brands. I prefer Holbien and Winsor & Newton products. Buy several pigments from different manufacturers and choose the ones you like. Do not type too much at once: from several primary colors, you can mix all the necessary shades.

3. Try to write with both clean and diluted paints.

Experiment with pigments by adding different amounts of water to them.

You can work with watery mixtures, and with "dry" watercolors. The very name of the paints implies the use of water. You can get colors of different depths and saturations depending on the ratio of water and pigment in the wash.

There are many ways to apply watercolor. After trying them, you will determine the most suitable for you. Personally, I like writing dry-on-wet. This technique gives you more control over the washes on the paper.

4. Start by applying light tones, gradually moving to darker ones

This technique requires a work plan, but the result is worth it.

The next important point to keep in mind is that first of all the pattern is covered with light shades. This means that any white or light areas of the painting remain intact throughout the process. We will get the desired depth of tone by layering washes. You will have to work according to a certain system, but the effect you get will surprise you.

5. Stock up on paper towels

A paper towel is a kind of nag for watercolor.

Another important tool that should always be on hand when working with watercolors is a paper towel. Its effect is comparable to a nag eraser. If you apply a layer of paint and remove part of it with a paper towel, you get a smooth tone gradation. This simple attribute will also help correct mistakes and redirect the watercolor flow.

6. Splatter watercolor

With your index finger, comb the bristle of the brush towards you.

As a tricky way to give the picture dynamics, you can use watercolor splashing. The method is ideal for depicting water splashes or clouds of dust.

Pinch the brush between your thumb and middle fingers. Forefinger run through the hairs of the brush towards you. The result is often unpredictable, but always looks very fresh. I strongly recommend trying it.

7. Connect colors on paper

A sure way to blend two shades on a sheet is the gradient wash method.

To do this, dilute the pigment liberally with water, pick it up with a brush and apply it to paper. Before the layer is dry, add another similar watery paint to it. In this case, you can direct the drips to the desired area. Let the drawing dry and you will see a smooth color transition along the entire length of the stroke.

8. Draw texture

Try to be sure to draw objects and materials along with the features of their surfaces.

You will find that working on rougher, grainier paper has its advantages. The most obvious of these is due to the fact that there is no need to work too hard on rendering the texture. It is very important to learn how to convey surface roughness. This will require the use of light and dark tones, wet and dry brush work.

9. Color stretch

With this method, you can show the shape and edge of the subject, as well as indicate the direction of light incidence.

By applying a smear of rich color with a semi-dry brush, you can make a stretch out of it with clean water. So you will give the drawing volume and picturesqueness. The wash should contain more pigment than water. While the paint is still wet, use a relatively damp brush to smear it onto the paper. This way you can cover a significant area of ​​the drawing, depending on how dry the initial stroke was.

10. Layer colors

Since the watercolor is translucent, you will have to apply it in several layers, gradually achieving the desired tone. Here lies another advantage of watercolor paint, because layering allows you to mix colors directly on paper.

Apply blur to the drawing and let it dry. Now cover it with a mixture of a different shade. When applying one color to another, you get a completely new tone. This is a great way to convey skin color.

11. Try glazing

Glazing is a watercolor painting technique that provides softness to the shades of layered pigments.

This technique is also used in working with oil paints to obtain gradual tonal and color gradations. Essentially, you simply apply the wash in several layers with light, arbitrary strokes, modeling the desired shape and shade. In other words, layer some watery colors on the paper. Since my washes contain more pigment, I try to smooth out the transitions with water. Try not to overdo it, otherwise you will get a cloudy stain.

12. Remove paint

By wetting part of the watercolor, you can correct the mistake or make a highlight.

At times you will need to "erase" the color. Of course, it will not be possible to return the paper to its original whiteness. However, you will be able to remove the blur and correct misunderstandings, or show the illuminated area of ​​the subject. If the paint is already dry, dampen the desired area with clean water. Let her dissolve the watercolor for no more than a minute. Then, just pat it dry with a paper towel. The clarified area will have the outlines of the wetted surface.

13. Use salt for texture

Salt will help to easily get an interesting texture.

In watercolor painting, the main thing is to layer paint and convey the properties of surfaces. You can fulfill the last condition with the help of ordinary salt. Absorbing water, its crystals form specific patterns on the washout. Cover the sheet with watercolor, and, without letting it dry, sprinkle it with salt. Dry the drawing and brush off the salt. This technique faithfully displays the texture of natural objects, such as rock surfaces or tree trunks.

14. Apply paint with a sponge

Another household device used in watercolor painting is a sponge. It is enough to put the paint mixture in a flat saucer or tray, dip a sponge into it, and press it to the paper. Blurring with different saturation creates different effects. A less watery mixture is suitable for depicting plants or scaly skin. While well diluted pigment helps to depict clouds or a waterscape.

15. Master negative drawing

Working with watercolor involves careful planning of your actions. Before you start coloring, determine the lightest and whitest areas of the composition. The success of the painting will depend on your ability to control the brush when prescribing the contours of negative space. Load your brush with a mixture of watercolor that is not too runny and apply a stroke along the border of the area that you want to leave unpainted. Now color stretch this stroke.

For more useful tricks, check out our guide to negative painting in watercolor by following the link.

16. Use Scotch Tape for Sharp Edges

With adhesive tape, you can keep the individual pieces white. This technique is useful when creating hard outlines in subjects related to mechanical engineering and architecture. Just tape over the areas that should remain white.

Use tape that will not damage the paper, such as construction tape or art tape. You can write both around the adhesive tape and on it. After the paint has dried, peel it off and you will get distinct lines.

17. Sketch with a 2H pencil

A hard pencil will not smudge with water.

I drew this sketch with a 2H pencil so that its lines would not be distorted by wet watercolor. Now I'll layer on a light wash with a medium size brush. I use paints heavily diluted with water, so they will not immediately give the desired tone.

18. Save the darkest tones for drawing fine details.

Apply deep shades of pigments at the final stage of work.

Fight the temptation to bring in the darkest colors until you get closer to completing the painting. Due to the transparency of watercolors, care must be taken not to darken the highlights too much, and not to take on dark tones and display details ahead of time.

Anything can be painted with watercolors - from a realistic portrait to invented alien worlds. To many, watercolor seems to be a complex artistic tool. But all you really need to learn how to paint with watercolor is just to start. We have selected 11 tips for you, thanks to which you will become 11 steps closer to comprehending the art of watercolor painting.

1. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!

If you've never painted before, it's time to get down to business. Open the album, create interesting textures and watercolor stains so as not to freeze in front of a white sheet. Start from them in search of a plot. Colored pages can be bright and exciting or create a calm, melancholy mood. Color or texture may suggest the next step - or maybe you can't wait to draw without them.

Illustration from the book The World of Watercolor.

2. Find your watercolor paper

The result of the work largely depends on the quality of the watercolor paper. Go to a bookstore and pick out 5-10 different sheets of watercolor paper to try out. Be sure to make notes on each sheet (type, weight of paper and the results of working with it). A suitable paper weight for beginners is 300 g/m2, some professionals prefer 600 g/m2. There are other types of watercolor paper, such as NOT paper and paper with a rough texture, or cold pressed paper.

@miftvorchestvo

3. Use professional paint

Even novice artists should purchase professional watercolor paints. Unlike cheap analogues, art paints lay down and spread beautifully on paper.

“I prefer tubes over cuvettes: firstly, you don’t have to wait until the paint softens and becomes usable, and secondly, it is easier to create rich dark mixtures with paint from tubes.”Billy Showell

It is true that artistic paints are more expensive, but they will also last longer. They are better bred and therefore not consumed so quickly.

Advice. Try out new paints and other art materials as often as possible. Experiment. Don't become a hostage to one habit

4. Observe and consider before taking up the brush

Before drawing, study the structure of the object. Take a look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time, carefully consider, take notes, sketch, get comfortable with textures and details that you never paid attention to. For example, watch the spiral arrangement of the leaves or the whorls along the veins of the stem.

You get a double benefit from drawing plants - first you meditate, looking at it, and then you get real pleasure from drawing. Isn't it wonderful? @miftvorchestvo

Try to mentally break down what you see. Select the main shapes. See how they overlap. Imagine the landscape as a stage setting. Pay attention to what is closest, what is farthest.

5. Learn to mix colors

Try mixing colors to see what shades you can achieve with your paint set. Mix two colors first, then add a third to them. Experiment!

You will love to create such beautiful colors and variations of shades and tones, the number of them is almost inexhaustible.

Focus on yourself. You can make either very realistic drawings or very non-trivial ones. Your task is to collect paints whose properties you will know, which will allow you to create the desired shades with a guaranteed good result.

By mixing pure pigments, you can create cool, warm, or greyish versions of a single color. Illustration from the book "Song of Color"

6. Start with economical expression

If you are making pencil sketches or sketches, you can diversify your watercolor drawings by making accents. It is not necessary to color the entire page; sometimes a few successful brush strokes create the most powerful effect.

Careless dotted strokes in watercolor in sketches are the signature style of Felix Scheinberger. Illustration from the book "Watercolor Sketching"

7. Use liquid watercolor primer

A liquid watercolor primer is applied to the paper before work begins and makes it easy to remove dried paint if necessary. This is especially important when working with intense or persistent pigments: you can not be afraid to “smudge” the paper in the highlight area. Before using it, practice in a sketchbook, as the surface for drawing will be quite slippery.

To remove paint from those areas where it was not needed (inadvertently went beyond the edges or you need to make highlights) - just wash off the paint with a clean, dampened brush or sponge.

8. Learn the art of glazing

Glaze artists call the technique of obtaining deep iridescent colors by applying translucent paints on top of the main one. The glazing technique is a great way to convey the finest color range. Paints are superimposed very delicately, layer by layer, and after drying, the details of the last layer are worked out.

Illustration from the book "Song of Color"

9. Dry brush technique

This technique can be used to paint animal fur or small hairs on fruits like kiwis.

Pick up the paint on the brush, remove the excess with a napkin. Straighten the brush hairs. Apply the paint to a dry surface previously painted in the background color. Work in small strokes in one direction, simulating the hairs on the surface.

Kiwi in the technique of dry brush. Illustration from the book