How To Start Watercolor Painting First Steps For Beginners
Have you ever seen a beautiful piece of watercolor art and thought I want to paint like that? Many budding artists hold back because they just dont know how to start painting in watercolors. I think thats too bad. Because I believe the joy of creating with watercolors is within anybodys reach. Some people simply dont know where to begin. Others have fears and frustrations that prevent them from taking the leap.
My first steps in watercolor were far from perfect. I used to be very self conscious about my artwork and I was reticent to show people the results of my paintings. I would spend forever remaking a piece of art. Heck Even today I sometimes have to start over a few times before Im happy with my results. But the joy of painting in watercolor keeps you coming back again and again.
Id like to help you overcome the reasons that are holding you back, and discover the first steps you need to get started with this wonderful art medium.
Watercolor painting is one of the most rewarding and approachable forms of art. Lets examine a few simple ideas and projects to get you going on your creative journey.
Painting Water That Seems Close By
As we learn how to paint water with watercolor we will first begin with learning how to paint water that seems to be in close proximity. Watercolor is a medium that lends itself to more abstract representations of reality. This means that it is a great way to represent something, in this case, water, by painterly effects that can often be considered abstract. What we want to do is grasp the concept of the strokes. The strokes that we apply will govern how the ripples can be defined as far away or close by. With that said let us go through the various steps.
Step 1: Wetting the Page
Let us begin our first painting by wetting one of our segmented sides. What we want to do is evenly distribute a thin layer of water over the surface of the paper. We want there to be an evenly spread layer of water on the surface of the page.
Step 2: Applying the First Strokes
Let us begin to wet our brushes and load our brushes with blue paint. However, we want the first layer to be very light and washed out so try to dip your brush in the water again before you apply the paint. Whilst the page is still wet let us begin to make side-to-side strokes of our blue. As you do this, lift your hand every once in a while to leave white space on the paper, especially in the center of the page.
Step 3: Painting Mid-toned Ripples
Step 4: Painting Darker Ripples
Paint Your Dream Travel Destination
If the monotony of day-to-day life has sucked your ideas well dry, daydream with Skillshare instructor Caitlin Sheffer and paint your dream travel destination with watercolors. Whether youve actually been to the destination doesnt matter, as Caitlin will teach you how to use reference photos, and youll end up with a beautiful painting you can escape to.
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The Most Important Thing You Need: 2 Separate Jars Of Water
Im not sure why it took me 20+ something years to learn this. It wasnt until I was at a creative playdate with some of my art friends that I learned to do this and I noticed one of my friends, who is a professional watercolor artist was using two jars instead of just one!
So, yes, if you want to instantly be more pro in your watercoloring use TWO jars of water!
This way, you have one jar specifically for rinsing your brushes and then a jar specifically for clean water that can be used for painting and mixing up colors.
So genius, and so simple!
This way, youre not constantly changing your water AND your colors will be a lot more crisp and clear a must if youre working with lighter shades of yellow, orange, and green!
Seriously, I never, ever in a million years would have thought to do that, and its so simple! Two separate jars of water!
Cool Watercolor Background Ideas
Because art is about passion and creation, each person will come up with their own ideas for a unique watercolor background. However, many individuals have tried and succeeded with several watercolor background painting techniques and concepts. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of 15 cool watercolor background ideas that you may use as inspiration for your work without spending time on any watercolor background painting tutorials.
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Whats The Best Place For Beginners To Start
Once youve got all your kit together and found a spot with lots of natural light, its time to decide what you want to paint. To begin with, de Winton recommends, start by playing around with your colours and paint brushes and seeing what shapes you can create.
To begin with, the best thing to do is to play: play around with what the water and colour can do when combined in different concentrations. Splosh it across the page and watch it transform before your eyes.
I have a watercolour for beginners series on my de Winton Paper co Youtube channel where we spend plenty of time messing about making abstract shapes and just seeing what the brushes and paint can do. The most successful watercolour paintings come from a relaxed mind and a confident hand.
After youve had a play around and figured out how much water you need/what your paint colours look like on paper, youll want to get started.
Once you have become a bit more confident, my favourite thing to paint is flowers, de Winton says.
My book New Botanical Painting has over 30 flower and foliage projects to paint in a loose watercolour style. I break down every plant into simple steps and brush strokes and before you know it youve painted a beautiful rose!
Fancy painting something else? The worlds your oyster! Have a go at googling easy watercolour ideas and see what comes up.
Learn The Basics Of Watercolor Painting
To move further with watercolor painting techniques, youll need to get comfortable with using water color paints.
The problem is most online resources are way too detailed this information overload can be overwhelming.
Thats why Ive distilled this huge topic into a few easy-to-implement concepts. Youll find they make a difference in your painting:
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What Kind Of Paper Do You Need For Watercolor
If youve been disappointed with your watercolor paintings, no matter how hard you try to make them lovely, the odds are youre not using the right paper.
Heres the thing. Watercolor just looks bad on printer paper or any other plain thin paper. But when you use watercolor paper, everything changes. And I mean, everything!
It took me quite some time until I realized that the only reason my paintings were awful was because of the paper. Since then, Ive rarely painted with watercolor on thin paper. The joy of seeing how watercolor behaves on watercolor paper is just worth it.
So, before you venture further with watercolor, get some watercolor paper and youll see how things will change for you.
Basic Tips For Painting With Watercolor
1. Use the proper surface. Watercolor paintings should be created on watercolor paper which is designed to absorb water.
2. Use the proper brushes. While any brush can be used to apply to watercolor paint, those designed especially for watercolor painting will perform the best. Natural hair bristles and nylon brushes will fall into this category.
3. Preserve white areas. Painters that work with an opaque painting medium have the luxury of adding whites and light values at the conclusion of the painting. Watercolorists must consider and preserve white areas within the painting right from the start. These areas can be avoided during the painting process or protected using liquid masking fluid.
4. Allow the water to do the work . Watercolor is capable of producing marks unlike any other medium. This is a result of how the water can be manipulated and behaves on the painting surface. Allow the paint to work its magic. Sometimes this means relinquishing some control.
5. Practice patience. Watercolor painting should be approached in stages, which will require a bit of patience. Developing layers of color may require allowing the layer underneath to dry completely before proceeding. Working too quickly without allowing ample time for paint to dry could result in “muddied” or bleeding colors.
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Use Tape To Add Clean Edges
You can use tape to mask off areas you’d like to keep clean and white. This watercolour technique is useful for hard edges involving machinery or architecture. Just lay down the tape where you’d like the paper to stay white. Use a tape that won’t rip your paper, such as drafting tape or painters’ tape. Paint over and around the tape. Once your paint is dry, remove the tape slowly and you should have a straight, clean line.
How To Paint A Watercolor Background 15 Cool Watercolor Background Ideas
Whether you are a beginner searching for some watercolor background ideas or a watercolorist looking for a fresh background for a painting concept, this article is right for you. You will find out how to paint a watercolor background and some cool watercolor background ideas to follow and make your unique artwork.
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How Do You Mix Faux Glaze With Paint
One is to mix the glaze with the paint in a small bucket according to the instructions on the glaze container. Another method is to pour some glaze onto a plate or other surface, then dip your brush into the glaze and then into the paint. The ratio of glaze to paint will depend on the desired effect.
How To Start Watercolor Painting
It doesnt require much in terms of supplies: watercolors, paper/canvas/board surface, brushes for mixing colors with water, palette knife , palette cups , eraser stick or kneaded rubber eraser for removing mistakes from wet surfaces
The most important thing about starting any type of art project is buying quality materials that will last long enough to be worth the investment cost? Investing in good paints like Winsor and Newton, good watercolor paper and some high-quality brushes will help you create a finished project that looks great.
If youre new to watercolor painting, its important to know how to mix colors and prepare your palette. Watercolors are made by combining pigments with binders such as gum arabic or egg yolk which then dries into an opaque film of color. The paint is applied in thin layers on top of each other using either brushstrokes, sponging or stippling techniques for texture.
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Work From Light To Dark
Another one of the key watercolour techniques to remember is working from light to dark. This means that anything you’re keeping white or light in your watercolour painting needs to stay that way for the whole duration of the work. Build your values up layer by layer to arrive at the effect you want. This does take a lot of planning but the results will be worth it.
How To Use Water When Painting With Watercolor
Besides using the right paper, you also need to learn how to control the water if you want to paint with watercolor. However, dont feel discouraged because this comes with practice, and the more you paint, the more youll learn about this wonderful medium.
Id like you to remember a few things:
- The most important thing you must know now is that the paint goes where theres water. Your watercolor will never run on a dry area unless you intentionally put it there with your brush.
- Another valuable lesson is that the more water you put on the paper, the harder it is to control it. So, start with little water and build from there. But if you end up with a lot of water, you can use a dry brush and pick up some water with it. Or, you can use a paper towel and gently press it on the water so it picks up the extra water.
- Also, adding too much water can destroy the paper, even if its thick watercolor paper. If you go over one place too many times with water and your brush, youll tear the paper, no matter its thickness. And you dont want tiny bits of paper coming off while you paint.
- Finally, the more water you use to mix watercolor paint, the lighter the paint will be. So, if you want a really transparent, soft effect, use more water than the paint. On the other hand, if you use more paint and less water, youll create bolder paint but youll also have more defined edges. Thats something to keep in mind.
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Save Your Darkest Darks For Fine Detail
Resist the temptation to use your darkest darks until you reach the end of your painting. Because watercolour painting is a transparent medium, you’ll need to make sure you keep your lights light, and save the darks and details until the end.
This article originally appeared in ImagineFX bookazine How to Paint & Draw. .
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Apply Paint Using A Sponge
Another useful household item you can use in a watercolour technique is a sponge. Simply mix your pigment in a small dish or tray, dip the sponge into the paint and blot onto your paper. You can alter the wetness of your paint and achieve different effects a drier look would be suited for plant life or scaly skin, while a wet application might be more suited for waterscapes or clouds.
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Learn To Watercolor Paint With These Brush Tips
Good brushes are indispensable watercolor supplies. For the neophyte, high-quality brushes are a great investment and will last a long time with proper care. Working with inadequate brushes is frustrating, while using good brushes makes learning new watercolor painting techniques much easier.
Good watercolor brushes are made with natural hair or synthetic fiber. The very best natural-hair brushes are made with kolinsky sable. Red sable brushes arent as expensive as kolinsky but are of excellent quality. Sable brushes have a spring that makes them very responsive to the artists hand. Synthetic brushes today rival the quality of sable and are more durable, so they are a good value for the artist.
What Youll Need To Start Watercoloring
One of the best things about learning how to use watercolor paint is that you dont need many materials. In addition to plain water, youll need the following:
- Watercolor Paints
There are enumerable styles and brands of watercolor paints, and you can purchase them both in sets and as individual paint pots. To keep things simple for beginners, choose a comprehensive set. You can move on to building your own palette as your skills improve.
- Watercolor Brushes
Watercolor brushes are unique in that each brush creates a different effect. If youre a beginner and still learning how to paint with watercolor, you wont need an extensive setthe basics will dobut you may choose to expand your collection as you continue your creative work in watercolor.
- Watercolor Paper
Watercolor paint is, well, wet, so you need a specific type of paper to protect your work. When youre just starting out, opt for basic watercolor painting paper. As you develop your watercolor technique, you may consider paper stretching to help your paint more cohesively adapt to the painting surface.
Many artists like taping their watercolor paper to a board or other hard surfaces to keep it in place as they work. Your board doesnt need to be anything special, just a flat surface, and you can use professional painters tape or masking tape to affix the edges of your watercolor paper to the board.
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What Should I Do If The Watercolor Paint Bleeds
Watercolors are made up of pigments and a vehicle that can be either liquid or solid. The pigment is what gives it its color, while the solvent in which its mixed with affects how easy it will mix with other colors on your palette. There are two types of watercolor paints, traditional and modern. Traditional watercolors have more binder than pigment so they dont bleed as much when wetted by brush strokes you make before them dry but this also means that once painted over theyre difficult to modify because most washes wont show things through transparently anymore .
Is It Time To Get A New Best Water Color Paints
Youre looking for a new best water color paints. Think about it. It’s impossible to foresee pricing fluctuations in the future. The sooner you buy, the better off you’ll be if manufacturing doesn’t slow down. If, on the other hand, production is falling and prices are expected to climb, you might want to hold off on making a decision until the hype has calmed down.
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Simple Winter Watercolor Art Tutorial
Create your own beautiful winter scenes, and dont worry this super simple watercolor tutorial is great for beginner and aspiring artists. This DIY art project is perfect for both people who love going out in the snow and those whod prefer to view it from afar. Its even perfect to do this with your kids.