Watercolor Basics

Watercolor Basics

Watercolors are made fromPowdered pigment and glue.

•The glue is called gum arabic.

•The glue sticks the color to the paper.

Watercolor Basics

• Watercolors begin to dry the minute the color hits the paper.

• You must stop painting on your painting when you no longer see the shine of the paint.

Watercolor Basics

• Watercolors are transparent.• When you paint one color over

another color your eyes will see a different color.

• This is called an optical mix.

Watercolor Basics• The transparency of the paint will

allow all of your pencil lines to show. (UGLY).

• Use a #2 pencil and light pressure. Erase the pencil to the lightest possible stage before you can no longer see the lines.

Watercolor Basics

• There is no white in watercolor painting.

• Keep the paper white by using masking fluid.

• To create a lighter color add water to the original color.

Watercolor Challenges

Two Challenges

1. To plan before you begin to paint.

2. To control your paint while painting.

Watercolor Goals

Two goals when working with watercolor.1. Work from light to dark.2. Use the white paper if needing white color.

Watercolor Paper

• Watercolor paper comes in two varieties.

• Cold Pressed has teeth.

• Hot pressed is smooth with no teeth.

Watercolor Paper

• The paper is thicker than most papers. The higher the poundage the better the paper.

• You get what you pay for!–Cockling can occur on less

expensive paper.

Watercolor Paper

• To determine the right side of the paper, hold it up to the light and locate the water mark.

• Always keep a test paper to check colors before applying the color to your work.

Watercolor Brushes

• Soft bristled brushes are used for watercolor painting.

• Sizes range from 00000 to 14.• The small number is a small

brush, the larger number is a large brush.

Watercolor Techniques

• Graded Wash – Color plus water plus water plus water.

• The painting will begin dark and end light.

• Technique used to incorporate value into a painting.

Watercolor Techniques

• Flat Wash – Color plus color plus color plus color.

• The color is the same at the start of the painting as it is at the end of the painting.

Watercolor Techniques

• Dry Brush – Use a damp brush skim the surface of the color and brush the paper.

• Most controlled method.

• Used for detail work in watercolor paintings. Such as grass and branches.

Watercolor Techniques

• Wet in Wet – Wet the paper and then float color onto the surface.

• Least controlled method.• Used by many artists to create

stormy skies and rough seas.