Hello out there my aspiring artists and paint enthusiasts! This weekend I've taken another try at painting with watercolor...if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I think I am FINALLY getting the hang of it and I want to share with you a few lessons, tips, and discoveries I have made concerning using watercolor!
#1 The hardest thing for me is balancing the amount of water vs. paint on my brush and on my paper. So #1 is: The more pure paint you have on your brush, the more vivid your color will be.
#2 Adding water to the paint on your brush will lessen the strength of the color.
#3 Unlike using acrylic paint where when you want to lighten up the shade of a color you just add white, with watercolor you can just add water!
#4 The colors always dry darker than I think they will.
#5 If you have mixed the perfect color on your palette by using a combination of multiple different colors of paint and water, but then find the color to be going onto your paper in too watery of a manner, try picking the color up from the palette with your brush, but then scraping/squeezing out any excess moisture from your brush (by pressing it to the edge of either your cup of water, or edge of your palette without getting it wet) before applying it to your paper.
#6 Take your wet brush covered in paint to an already wet area of your paper to blend colors (wet on wet).
#7 I used to think it was impossible NOT to blend when working with multiple colors because my colors would bleed all over the place and into each other. That was problematic, but then I discovered you have to let your work COMPLETELY DRY, before going in to add more details if you want to create strong lines that don't bleed into the other colors. Just make sure that your brush isn't too watery.
#8 Perhaps the idea that all detailing and outlines has to be done in black, comes from my sketching/drawing mentality. What I've learned is that with watercoloring, that is not necessarily so. It can look very nice once your painting is dry, to then go back and paint your details in using colors that are only a couple shades darker than the area you are detailing.
#9 The best thing about watercolor is that if you make a mistake and the paint/mistake on your paper is still wet, you can just dab it away with a dry paper towel! You can also use dabbing to create texture and for highlighting purposes as well.
#10 There is an important note to be taken about your brush strokes. No matter what you do, with every stroke you make there will always usually formulate a little pool of watery paint. Usually, it gathers at the end of each stroke. Fear Not! I can be used to your advantage for a number of different things. Guide the pool of water to where you want it within the stroke or shape you have made and then let dry for an added effect of depth and/or texture, or drag the pool of water out to extend your stroke further. You can also use the pool of watery paint for blending techniques as well!
*BONUS Lastly, be sure to change your cups of water when necessary! Your water can become tainted, and become a water color of it's own! Dirty water can alter the colors of paint put on your brush or pollute your brush when you mean to clean!
To exersize your newfound knowledge and skills, why don't you try out my DIY floral wreath making tutorial HERE! ^_^
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