Basic Watercolor Painting Techniques
Are you interested in learning how to paint with beautiful, captivating watercolors? The mesmerizing and flowing style of watercolor painting can be easier to learn than you think. Through practice and focus, anyone can start mastering the basics to create stunning works of art. Here, we cover the fundamentals of watercolor painting techniques, so you can jump into your artistic journey!
1. Introduction to Watercolors
Learning the Basics of Watercolor Painting
Watercolor painting is an exciting and unique way of expressing yourself with color! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced artist, like any other artistic activity, you’ll need to start somewhere - and that’s exactly what this is here for! Here, we’ll go through the basics of what you need to get started.
A great way to begin is by familiarizing yourself with the key supplies:
- Watercolor Paper
- Watercolor Paints
- Paint Brushes
- Watercolor Palette
- Water
- Paper Towels
Once you have the supplies you need, you’ll be ready to begin creating your artwork! Hopefully this guide has set you on the right track and, soon enough, you’ll be creating beautiful pieces of art that you can proudly display or use as gifts and cards. Have fun and enjoy the process of learning something new!
3. Basic Watercolor Painting Techniques
Wet On Wet
One of the most popular and versatile watercolor painting techniques is known as the Wet-on-Wet technique. As the title suggests, this approach involves painting wet colors onto wet paper. The wet-on-wet method allows you to mix colors on your paper and to diffuse and blend colors rapidly. To achieve the most striking effects, let one color flow into another while it’s still wet.
Soaking and Glazing
Another effective technique common to watercolor painting involves soaking dark colors into a dry area of the paper. Before painting, make sure you have a damp brush ready to smooth and blend the colors as they mix onto the paper. Then, apply paint to the area in layers by glazing a transparent color onto a wet glaze. This will allow you to build up vibrancy and luminosity in the colors.
Painting with watercolors offers an endless path of exploration and discovery. As a beginner, it may seem daunting, but the basics of watercolor painting provide a great starting point. With practice, patience, and the proper tools, you too can produce vibrant works of art that will last a lifetime.
