Techniques and techniques in watercolor painting. watercolor painting

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.

Watercolor painting has its own history and traditions. It first appeared in China in the 12th century, although even in ancient Egypt they used opaque watercolors with the addition of white.

Interesting, because one of the characteristic features of watercolors is their transparency, and there is never white in sets. In medieval Europe, as in Russia, opaque watercolor was used for coloring church books or manuscripts, in which capital letters or ornaments were highlighted with watercolor.

water paints

Ancient Egyptian, medieval and later paints have in common that the solvent for them is water - aqua. Hence the name aquarelle, or watercolor. This term is applicable both to the actual paints and to the type of painting made by them. The main features of pure watercolor are the transparency and purity of color mentioned above. Watercolor painting is usually delicate, fragile and airy. But until the middle of the XIII century, it had a purely applied character, it was mainly used for coloring drawings, engravings, frescoes. Although such a masterpiece as "The Hare" by Albrecht Durer, which is considered a textbook work, was written as early as 1502.

From single hobbies to universal recognition

Remarkable isolated examples occurred later, but this was an exception to the rule. Such generally recognized masters of the brush as Van Dyck, Giovanni Castiglione and Claude Loren dabbled in watercolor. In England, however, she received a special development thanks to Joseph Turner. Although even before him, watercolor painting was promoted by quite venerable English artists. Under Turner, watercolor became the leading art in this country, and in 1804 the Society of Watercolorists was created in England.

Excellent foreign watercolors

Watercolor came into fashion in France, other countries of Europe and America. It can be added that with the filing of the Argentine artist Rojo, the International Day of Watercolors was declared. It was first celebrated on November 23, 2001.

In the public domain you can see the amazing watercolors of the Japanese artist Abe Toshiyuki, who achieves photographic accuracy in his extraordinary paintings.

Great Russian masters

But how did watercolor painting develop in Russia? The first major master in this art form was P. F. Sokolov (1791-1848), who is considered the founder of the Russian watercolor portrait genre. Academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts, he left to his descendants a slice of the era, as he captured contemporary Russia in his landscapes, portraits, everyday scenes. Karl Bryullov and A. A. Ivanov paid tribute to watercolor. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, she becomes very popular, especially the miniatures she made. But large works created with water colors are also remarkable. Particularly good are the paintings by Ilya Repin, Mikhail Vrubel, Valentin Serov, the artists of the World of Art. The Society of Russian Watercolorists was founded in 1887.

The beauty of watercolor landscapes

Water paints are capable of all pictorial genres, but landscapes are especially good. Watercolor can convey subtle color transitions, the saturation of space with air, the richness of each tone. That is why the flowering gardens in the landscapes made by aquarelle are so uniquely beautiful and multicolored.

Particularly good are the works of the English artist Beatrice E. Parsons (1870-1955). Landscapes in watercolor, in particular winter landscapes, made by Russian masters, are unique and unrepeatable. A selection of Russian winter landscapes created by various watercolorists is widely available.

Characteristic tricks

How are the effects inherent only in watercolor achieved? It is characterized by special techniques, it has its own rules and, of course, its own, prepared paints in a special way. Blurring and streaks are specific techniques of this genre. We must immediately make a reservation that watercolor painting is a rather complicated matter, requiring special skill.

Nowadays, with a huge number of master classes and tips on the Web on how to replace the virtuoso use of a brush with various tricks, one can come across the statement that everyone can draw. Not all. And such a technique as glazing is available only to strong professionals. And there are also such techniques as “washing”, “alla prima”, “dry brush”, “drops” and “wet”. Only virtuosos master them to perfection.

Painting on paper

In the second half of the 19th century, easel watercolor developed, the works of which are not inferior to oil painting. Their significant difference is not only in colors, but also in the material on which the works are created. In watercolor, this is paper, less often silk. And this makes watercolor painting related to graphics.

When creating paintings with water-based paints, the paper is sometimes pre-moistened (“wet” technique), while the stroke acquires a special spreading shape, and the one applied next forms, merging with the previous one, a new shade, which is sometimes even difficult to predict.

Special fixtures

Paper dries quickly and warps. Therefore, the sheet must be stretched. This is achieved in several ways. You can put a wet sheet on the glass and then in the process of working tilt it at the right angle in order to save more moisture in the right area. It is clear that this method is not available to a beginner. There are special frames for sheet tension. They are called erasers. Place damp flannel under the paper to retain moisture. It all depends on the ratio of paint and water, and completely different shades are achieved. Various aids have been created for various techniques, such as a tablet and watercolor blocks.

Tools

Each watercolorist has his own technique. It is not so easy to master watercolor, all its virtuoso techniques, you need to lime a lot of paper, which is divided by quality into several types - Bristol cardboard, Whatman paper, torchon and many other types adapted for frequent wetting. Watercolorists use brushes made from delicate squirrel hair. Such brushes are used even in forensics. Suitable hair marten, ferret and badger.

When working with water-based paints, there is a lot that is included in the concept of "technique". You can work with watercolor, as mentioned above, both on dry paper and on wet paper. In the first case, there are methods, in the second - their own. When drawing directly with paints, paper, even initially wet, is still dried. The application of several layers to obtain depth and iridescence of color (glazing) implies only dry cardboard.

The most common approach

Drawing in watercolor “on wet”, or “on wet”, or “wet on wet”, is unique and inherent only in this pictorial genre. True, the frescoes are applied to damp ground, and some experts consider them to be the forerunner of watercolors, made using the “wet” technique. A soft stroke and a one of a kind texture of the paint layer are the specifics of working with watercolors “on wet”. In addition, in these works there is an effect of trembling and mobility of the image. Then you can introduce a drawing with a pen or pencil into the dried watercolor, especially since watercolor pencils appeared not so long ago. The essence of watercolor is that a white or light tone is obtained due to cardboard appearing through a transparent layer of paint.

Actually paints

And what about paints? Their quality is achieved by a special grinding of the pigment and its quantity in the original product. To prevent the pigment from rolling into balls, ox bile, which is a surfactant that reduces tension, is added to the paint. Easily water-soluble adhesives gum arabic and dextrin (processed corn and potato starch) are incorporated into paints as binders.

To give them elasticity and plasticity, plasticizers such as glycerin are added to them, and invert sugar retains moisture well. The most important claim to water-based paint is the uniformity of the coloring pigment. Bad colors remain on paper in the form of grains of sand. This is an indication of bad paint.

Watercolor marinas

It was noted above that water colors are unusually good for depicting landscapes. The sea especially wins. With watercolors, with all the techniques and methods available only to her, you can depict all the exciting beauty of the water space. And then, maybe there is something in painting water with water colors? Maybe that's why there are so many lessons for beginners to paint with watercolors on writing exactly the sea? And how consonant with the expanse of water are such watercolor techniques as "drops" or "blowing". In addition to them, wax crayons can be used in the marina to close the cardboard in order to preserve white areas.

All sorts of different ways

Ways such as whitening, punching, spattering, using masking tape and many others used by watercolorists, especially beginners, will help not only depict the sea in watercolor, but also turn work into a fun activity, especially if you draw with a child. But in serious adult works, different techniques are also used. Sometimes, to achieve the desired effect, you can put the brush aside and try something else. To what the masters do not resort: to cling film, and to foam, and to salt, and to stamping and much more - the fantasy of a person, especially an artistically gifted one, is limitless.

In our time, when the information field is so wide, when in any genre of fine or applied art that you have never heard of before, you can not only try yourself, but also exhibit your work, a great many people have discovered talents in themselves and have decided on the direction development of own skills. Moreover, on any issue there are a lot of available tips, master classes, recommendations and opportunities to purchase the items and tools necessary for this type of creativity. Painting with watercolors for beginners does not stand aside. Dozens of lessons, step-by-step descriptions of absolutely everything related to water-based paints, are widely available.

Purpose of today's lesson: Learn 5 watercolor techniques, learn how not to mess up your work, and create fantasy art on A4.

Watercolor- adhesive water-soluble paint. The binder for watercolors are transparent vegetable adhesives that are readily soluble in water. As a plasticizer, glycerin and invert sugar are introduced into them, which retain moisture. Without this, the paints would easily dry out and become brittle. Another surfactant added to professional watercolors is ox bile. It prevents paint from rolling into drops, making it easier to draw.

WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES

Multilayer watercolor technique (glazing)

This watercolor technique can give the green light to realist paintings. Glaze- a multi-layer technique, applying watercolor with transparent strokes from lighter to darker, one layer on top of the other.

Features of the multilayer watercolor technique:

• realism of the image: a picture in bright, saturated colors;
• the bottom layer of light and transparent strokes should have time to dry before the next application;
• borders of smears are visible;
• paint does not mix in different layers;
• strokes are done carefully, plans are airy, painting in a soft style;
• you can divide the process into several sessions, perform a large canvas.

Glazed watercolor works look like oil or gouache painting. In order for the work not to have such a drawback, one must be able to work with light, apply glazing thinly and accurately.

To draw, you need brushes, paints, knowledge of technique and special effects. You can draw with a dry (wrung out), semi-dry and wet brush (core or squirrel).

Wet watercolor (English watercolor)

The French call this technique "working on water" (travailler dans l'eau, fr.)

A sheet of paper is abundantly wetted with water. In this technique, the main feature is the unpredictability of the result. Even if the artist has correctly calculated the tone and color, the drawing may change more than once before it completely dries before taking on the final form. The contours of objects in this technique are vague, the lines smoothly flow into each other and are airy. A picture made in this technique is thought out and imagined by the viewer.

Wet watercolor artist steps:

1. adding water to paints;
2. mixing paint, no matter where, on the palette or on the sheet;
3. wet the sheet abundantly, then smooth it so that there are no irregularities;
4. remove excess water from the sheet with a piece of cotton wool so that it stops shining;
5. perform the drawing, making extremely precise strokes;
6. drying the picture from 2 hours;
7. elaboration of foreground elements (if required).

Mixed media watercolor

Many artists combine several drawing techniques in one work.

Methods of combined (mixed) technique:

1. put the first coat of paint on a wet sheet;
2. elaboration of plans, creation of the required degree of blurring;
3. drying the drawing;
4. lay out the next layers of paint in stages;
5. elaboration of medium and near plans.

Basic rule of technology: paper is wetted not all, but in the right area (reserve); the pigment is applied to the surface from top to bottom.

The paper may be wetted in fragments. The artist himself decides which plan to work out by creating watercolor stains. With the help of a sponge, excess water must be removed so that water does not seep into those areas that should remain dry according to the artist's intention.

You can also combine coloring materials and create special effects:

• Mixing watercolor with whitewash, gouache, watercolor pencils, ink, pastels. This is no longer a pure technique, but a mixed one. What does it give? - clarity (pencils), hatching (pastel), wash (ink), book illustrations (pen), reserve (white), linear strokes (watercolor pencils).

• Special effect " drawing on crumpled paper» gives an amazing effect of chiaroscuro on the folds of paper.

• Special effect with salt: salt crystals are applied to the drawing, fantastic stains appear as a result of friction with paper. Suitable for drawing a starry sky or water meadow.

Exercise number 1.

Divide the sheet into 4 rectangles (leave gaps between them), three of which will be underpaintings and three performances in watercolor techniques.

Stages of the task:

1. .In the first rectangle fill with one color
2. In the second, we make a tonal stretch with any color
3. In the third transition from color to color
4. In the fourth, we use the technique “In a raw way”
5. We correct everything, finish where we waited to dry.

TECHNIQUE OF PAINTING WITH WATERCOLOR "WITHOUT DIRT"

1. USE QUALITY MATERIALS IN PAINTING WITH WATERCOLOR

The quality of your work will depend on the colors. Avoid sets of paints that are whitish in appearance, with pastel shades. They will give haze in batches.

2. MAINTAIN THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE WATERCOLOR LAYERS

Remember that through a layer of paint in watercolor, the paper should shine through.And this does not mean that the colors should be pale, light!Even the black color in a watercolor painting can be transparent, while remaining rich and deep.

3. DO NOT MIX WATERCOLOR WITH WHITE

Even if there is white in your paint set, this does not mean that they need to be mixed with other colors or applied in a large layer in order to get a light shade.Paper plays the role of white in watercolor. To get a light shade, we simply dilute the paint with water.​

4. USE COATING PAINTS CAREFULLY

Covering colors include yellow, orange, iron oxide red, cerruleum and other shades.Remember that in watercolor you can not achieve resonant brightness due to the density of the layer.To make yellow glow, be bright, it must be put in a transparent layer!In most cases, layer density = opacity = dirt.

5. DO NOT WRITE WITH LIGHT SHADES ON DARK

If you paint with watercolor in layers, apply one shade to another, then go from light to dark.First paint all the light and distant areas, and then gradually go to the foreground and darker shades.

6. DO NOT MIX A LARGE NUMBER OF COLORS IN ONE BATCH

We have already found out that gray can be sonorous and beautiful.It becomes ugly and dirty when it loses its transparency.Remember, the more colors you mix, the more different pigments that make up them are involved in the batch. And the less likely you are to get a more sonorous and transparent color.

Quality accessories, if chosen correctly, will last you a very long time and increase your chances of success.

Here is a list of the basic equipment that you should buy to get started with watercolor painting:

1. You need the right set of watercolors

Watercolor pigments are available in a wide range of shades and prices, from the basic ones you probably used in your kindergarten art class to expensive professional paints that provide incredible effects and textures. However, the price is not the main factor at the initial stage. Expensive pigments can be of different quality, and you don't have to invest a hefty amount of money in supplies, especially if you are a beginner. The first step towards creating a masterpiece is to purchase a watercolor set based on its quality.

Speaking about the forms of sale of paints, they can be in tubes, which are often sold in sets, or in separate cuvettes. Both types of pigments must be diluted with water to produce mixtures of colors that are then applied to paper. In any case, for starters, it is recommended to limit yourself to basic shades, namely red, yellow, black and blue. If desired, you can also buy white, although in watercolor this achromatic (colorless) tone is obtained by diluting paints with water, or simply leaving unpainted areas of white paper. Start your journey into the land of watercolor painting with an affordable starter kit that's easy to store and take with you on your travels. These kits usually come with a pair of brushes and a palette for mixing paints, with which you can get additional shades and diversify your base range.

2. Try different types of brushes for different techniques

A beginner artist will need no more than a couple of brushes. The most necessary and versatile is the round brush, which comes in all possible sizes. Add to it a flat brush for painting large areas and creating texture and a mop brush for washes. For drawing small details, do not forget a thin brush with a sharp tip. Getting acquainted with watercolor, you should not spend too much money on brushes made of exotic pile. In the first couple, a few synthetic brushes will be enough for you. If you decide to go deeper into watercolor painting, you can always purchase more professional options.

3. Choose the right watercolor paper

Some people think that any paper will do for watercolor. But in fact, it will not be possible to get a good result in this technique without an appropriate foundation. Proper watercolor paper is designed to absorb water from the wash, which will prevent the paper from wrinkling and ruining the drawing. The main selection criteria are the smoothness of the surface and the density along with the texture and tone of the paper, which is usually white or ivory. Review the infographic below before purchasing paper.

4. Use a palette to mix paints and dilute them with water

The basic principle of watercolor painting is based on the dilution of pigments with water to obtain different shades and effects. Therefore, the watercolor palette is one of the invariable attributes of the watercolorist. You can purchase a palette with separate trays for mixing paints, preventing them from mixing. You can also induce washes in ordinary ceramic saucers.

Considering the four points above, you can start working with watercolor

Below you will find some tips and tricks for creating your paintings:

1. Always have clean water and sheets of paper handy

It is impossible to do watercolor painting without a container of clean water. It will help to mix colors, rinse brushes and remove unwanted paint streaks. Remember that you need to change the water constantly so that the watercolor mixtures do not become cloudy. Also, always check the resulting tone on a piece of waste paper before applying it to the drawing. It is advised to use the same type of paper for this, because on copier paper the result will be different. However, regardless of the type of paper, you should have a blank sheet of paper next to you when you paint with watercolors.

2. Optimize your workplace

For greater practicality and efficiency, it is necessary to keep the workplace clean and organized. Prepare your watercolor paper, brushes, paints, a jar of clean water, paper towel, and a scrap sheet, and place them nearby for easy reach. Only the essentials should remain around you. A cluttered workplace is more likely to spill something.

3. Start with a basic sketch

Not everyone has a perfect eye when it comes to watercolor painting. It is difficult to navigate along invisible mentally drawn boundaries. Make a sketch with a sharp pencil, and paint on top of it. Washing will hide these lines. On top of the dried watercolor, you can add more details with a pencil, complicating the composition. Get inspired by natural things. Take a live flower, and try to accurately notice every little thing in order to better depict the shape, tones and shades.

4. Prepare washes ahead of time

It is very difficult to get a specific shade. That is why it is recommended to induce abundant mixtures of colors before starting work. If in the process you end up blurring a certain tone, it will be difficult to get exactly the same shade again, which will affect the result.

5. Don't Skimp on Masking Fluid

A masking solution is a beginner watercolorist's best friend. You can cover with it those parts of the picture that should remain unpainted. Let it dry, and paint in watercolor in the usual way, and then wipe off the film of the solution. So you can easily keep the whiteness of the paper where it is required.

Basic watercolor techniques you should know:

1. Use watercolor like any other paint

When you are just starting to try your hand at watercolor, you should first learn not to go beyond the intended contours. Gradually, you will be able to control your technique, mix the right colors, your hand will become harder, and you will know when to add water to smooth out the tones. Start with watercolors, like the one from Designaissance Studio. Try not to let the wash flow out of the lines before moving on to more advanced techniques. Fill in areas of the drawings with bright, saturated colors, and gradually try to add water to them, lightening the shades.

2. Watercolor washes

Watercolor washes are applied in two ways: wet and dry.

A. Wet technique

This method involves wetting the desired area of ​​the sheet with clean water using a round brush until a wet sheen appears on the paper. Next, apply the paint in stripes to the dampened surface, and watch how the tones themselves will connect. Use the brush to set the watercolor in the desired direction.

B. Dry technique

This time you will paint on a dry sheet with a wet brush soaked in a watercolor mixture. Unlike the previous wet method, here you have more control over the distribution of ink and the blending of tones on the paper. Both methods are very easy to learn. They give different effects that all watercolorists should know and practice.

3. Applying a Gradient Wash

Water is the key to creating the perfect gradient transition between tones of the same color, as well as between different shades, as when depicting a rainbow.

A. Wet Gradient Wash

After applying the first layer of watercolor, immediately apply the second, preventing the previous one from drying out. So the two colors will merge, smoothing the border between them.

B. Gradient wash over dry paint

Start painting with the second layer when the first one dries out a little to better control the tone and get a smaller area of ​​\u200b\u200bmixing colors. If the border between the shades is too pronounced, blur it with water, providing the desired effect of a smooth transition.

B. Mixing one color with water

Paint a section of the painting in one tone, and cover it with a generous layer of water, getting the perfect gradient. This method takes more time and is considered one of the more difficult ones.

4. Glazing and adding details

You can apply more and more layers of watercolor to the drawing, provided that the previous wash is completely dry. Make each subsequent paint mixture less watery so that the layers do not mix. It is better to work more carefully and smooth out the contours of the washes with a clean, damp brush afterwards than to spoil the whole picture with overly diluted watercolor.

5. Transferring texture with watercolors

You can show texture by using a hard-bristled brush and applying strokes of paint to paper. Let the first layer dry, and add more layers to get texture. This is the best way to depict grass, foliage, fur, and more.

Abstract painting is the next step in learning how to work with watercolor.

Following are some abstract painting techniques and tricks:

1. Create an abstract background

Once you've finished filling the elements of the picture inside the sketch paths with a wash, you can dream up and experiment a lot when transferring the background. The easiest way is to apply the technique of splashing paint or water on the background layer of watercolor. You can fill the background with a solid wash, and then cover it with splashes of white and black tones and let them blend into the first layer. You can also just apply a few strokes of color to create an artistic design. In this case, the main subject of the picture can be covered to protect it, or allow it to connect with the background.

2. Create unique textures with everyday items

Instead of brushes, you can use all kinds of angular objects and common everyday trappings to get depth and different interesting textures. A fork, a knife, the end of a credit card, fabric - with a little imagination and creativity, anything can come in handy. Do not drive yourself and the creative process itself into frames.

3. Vagueness

You can draw shapes with clear outlines, and then cover some of them with layers or drops of water, allowing the watercolor to spread and blur the borders, if desired, achieving a gradient effect.

4. Spreading effect

Similar to the Wet Gradient Blur technique, dampen the drawing with water and add multi-colored drops, allowing them to spread and blend in a picturesque way. Choose matching colors and do not overdo it so as not to breed "dirt".

5. Drips

On an abstract painting, the effect of paint streaks looks perfect. In this technique, the pattern is positioned vertically so that the layers of washes flow down, providing a painterly effect. The result depends on the running time of the watercolor and its color.

6. Processed paper

Instead of the recommended classic absorbent watercolor paper, you can use a slightly glossy treated paper for slightly different results. In this case, the paint will dry longer, which will require more patience on your part.

7. Watercolor and water-soluble ink pen

Draw a beautiful background with watercolors, and draw details on top with a water-soluble ink pen, which will gradually blend into the background, providing an original result. For softer transitions, use matching colors.

Now that you've learned the basic watercolor techniques, it's time to enjoy and be inspired by the watercolor paintings shown below.

watercolor painting- This is a technology for creating artworks using water-based paints. familiar to most of us since childhood, when we used dry paints in cuvettes. However, such paints do not give the rich effect that the work of experienced watercolorists demonstrates.

Watercolor paint consists of a binder, a filler and the pigment itself. Glue of vegetable origin is most often used as a binder: gum arabic, dextrin, tragacanth, fruit glue, molasses or glycerin. When applied to paper, the water evaporates and the binder fixes the pigment and carrier. Watercolor paint is produced in semi-dry cuvettes and in tubes. To work with watercolors, artists use round brushes for basic work and flat brushes for other manipulations, such as touch-ups or washes. The watercolorist needs a palette - plastic, white. Palettes that have recesses can be used as cuvettes: the paint from the tubes is squeezed into the recesses and allowed to dry. Some artists use the paint in a "raw" form, in their opinion the colors in the picture will be more fresh. The choice of paper is important. The watercolor sheet should have a well-defined texture and not spread (swell) after wetting with water.

Watercolorists use a variety of techniques for applying paint to paper. The most common is the method, which is called "raw". Initially, the paper is moistened with water and then a paint layer is applied. Thus, the applied paint begins to spread over the sheet, blooming in unexpected patterns, merging with other paints and forming new shades. The "raw" method is quite complicated and requires skill, but it gives an amazing result. In watercolor painting, the glazing method is also used, when the artist applies layers of paint one after another onto a dry sheet. Glazing allows you to achieve a special accuracy of details. If there is a desire to add some accents to his wet-on-wet watercolor work, the artist can apply further layers of paint after the sheet has dried.

If you want to learn the technique of watercolor painting, let's say "for yourself", you should choose high quality paints for classes. Most often, cheap watercolor paints do not provide sufficient color saturation and the desired texture, which can be disappointing for a novice artist. Don't buy a large number of watercolor colors, it's better to have a set of primary colors, as almost any shade can be created by mixing two or more other colors. For example, a black tint is obtained by mixing red and green, and watercolorists do not use white at all (after all, white paper shines through the paint layer, and the artist simply bypasses the color of those areas on the sheet that should remain white - this technique is called “reservation”).

Speaking of watercolor painting, we most often remember the most delicate flower still lifes, permeated with light and glare. But look how versatile the use of watercolor painting in various genres! Beautiful miniatures and sketches, portraits, landscapes, unexpected avant-garde images.

Valeria Ann Chua

Valeria Ann Chua

Valeria Ann Chua

Malgorzata Szczecinska

Malgorzata Szczecinska

Malgorzata Szczecinska

Elena Shved

Elena Shved

Elena Shved

Roland Palmaerts

Roland Palmaerts

Roland Palmaerts

Roland Palmaerts

Are you interested in high quality creative stickers and stickers? In this case, you should know that a sticker for a smartphone, skateboard, car, refrigerator and any other purpose, in the largest assortment, is waiting for you on the Parazita Kusok website. Check out the store's website for an incredible selection.