At first sight watercolor drawings the simplest technique, but it's not. Without experience you won't become a genius here. For a master to captivate the viewer, he must have a ton of technical knowledge.
Taste must be developed, the drawings must be “tasty”, a sense of color, the ability to sculpt a shape from two or three strokes (the thing is that you can’t put more than three strokes on a sheet, it turns out dirty), masterful use of a brush, etc.
I won’t be mistaken if I say that your acquaintance with painting began with water paints. Remember in childhood, when we loved to draw, our parents bought us colored pencils and watercolors. At school we learned drawing lessons with her help.
(gallery is clickable)
The paints are relatively inexpensive, wash well and are therefore considered ideal for children. But in terms of technique, watercolor paintings are not so simple.
The fact is that these paints are not overlapping, they are transparent, so it is impossible to correct the mistake; you need to paint on a clean sheet, right away. If we make a mistake in oil or gouache, we can put the correct layer on the wrong one and it won’t be noticeable; it won’t work in watercolor.
Watercolor drawings have been known for a long time. As soon as paper was invented, watercolor was invented. Paper, as you know, was invented in China, and the first experience in watercolor came from there. Then he moved to Europe.
Aquarelle - water paint(Aqua - water). The pigment solvent is water, and the light tone is paper, which is visible through the smear.
Before watercolor paintings, there was a similar technique, painting on wet plaster - fresco.
Watercolor did not immediately take root in Europe. Back in the eighteenth century, a passion for drawing miniature portraits began, and this is where it came in handy. This feature contributed to the development of the popularity of watercolor paintings.
It was only later that images of landscapes, the sea, girls and portraits appeared.
Popular watercolorists
- Stanislaw Zoladz
- Myoe Win Auna
- Steve Hanks
With Aquarelle you can paint pictures with photographic precision. Look how the sea is conveyed in a drawing by Polish artist Stanislaw Zoladz. Rendered with photographic precision. It’s still like we’re looking at a photo.
There is also a “wet” technique (ala prima). The paper is soaked in water and pigment is applied to the wet surface. It turns out so blurry, as if in a fog, as if the landscape is in a haze.
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An artist, when starting a painting, does not always know what the result will be. He works intuitively, drawing on a wealth of experience and skill.
Masterly watercolor artist from Korea Shin Jong Sik. Landscapes and still lifes are the main theme of his paintings. Uses dry and wet techniques equally confidently (ala prima). Bright, juicy flowers delight the viewer's eye.
You can get acquainted with this technique in the gallery of this article, at the very top. You can also see a note on our website about.
There are never too many ideas for creativity, but if in creative process Children also participate - you must agree that it often becomes not only creative, but also exploratory. WITH simple techniques the use of watercolors, which will show us from a new side the properties of some ordinary objects, introduces us today to Anastasia Borisova , blog author English4.me - English for me and my family. Anastasia's blog is not only about language, but also about creativity, so today we are going on an excursion to creative storerooms and learning simple watercolor techniques and techniques.
There are so many creative and well-rounded mothers here on! And interesting finds await us at every step. Many mothers, seeing the incredible results of their 2-4 year old child’s work after some kind of training - even if not always as intended - exclaim: “How original and simple! Where do they teach this?” Everyone wants to become a little bit of a sorceress for their children.
So, using the simplest techniques, in 15 minutes I painted a winter landscape, which my husband considered worthy of putting up for sale. 🙂
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Unconventional use of materials and variety created effects They give the child the feeling “I can!”, and allow the mother, who has thought all her life that she can’t draw, to overcome “I can’t.”
Watercolor is a fluid and unruly thing. We will use precisely these not always convenient properties, creating “masterpieces” mainly “wet”.
1. Crayon resistance effect - manifestations of wax crayon
This is perhaps the most common technique. Using wax crayon or a candle, a drawing or inscription is applied to a sheet of paper, and the top is painted over with watercolors. Using a white chalk or candle, you can write secret notes or congratulations; yellow chalk creates a glow effect; bright blues, greens and pinks under dark watercolors - a neon effect. You can also combine this technique with rubbing. We put a textured backing under the sheet (whatever you can find at home) and rub it on top with the flat side of the chalk. If you do this carefully and place leaves or some kind of relief object, you get excellent prints.
2. Salt - salt over wet watercolor
By sprinkling salt on a still wet painted sheet, you can achieve interesting effects. Medium-coarse salt leaves “snowflakes” on the blue when dried. On a green background you will get translucent foliage. Fine extra salt dries almost completely. This way you can add texture to a road, a stone, or create a galaxy.
3. Blotting - bleaching paint.
By removing excess water and a layer of paint from the sheet with a dry napkin, you can draw winter spruce trees covered with snow or sea foam. A pale moon or sun will turn out if you wrap it paper napkin toilet paper tube and blot the watercolor sky. Even a drawing that has already dried can be corrected by sprinkling it with water and gently rubbing the desired area.
If you crumple a napkin and apply it to blue sky, you will get very natural clouds.
A crumpled napkin also allows you to get interesting texture. Texture sheets can then be successfully used when creating collages.
4. Pressing - pushing
In the picture above you can see a clear inscription in dark letters (I ...). It was made on wet watercolor with the tip of a brush (the paint seems to flow into the depressed hollows). This way you can sign the drawing or add details. The same principle applies to placing a sheet of wet watercolor with a textured object on it under a press. It is best, of course, to print the leaves this way. But even feathers and a tree branch make a good decorative picture.
5. Splatter and spray
A toothbrush plus watercolors will help you make rain, snow, falling leaves, and depict the wind. It's fun to just splash different colors onto a dry sheet of paper. A moistened leaf will give a completely different effect. You will be able to watch how the droplets blur, merging with each other into a bizarre pattern.
You can spray around the stencil, or vice versa inside it. A consistently original result is guaranteed. Just don't forget to cover your workspace with newspapers; paint will fly everywhere.
6. Masking tape - painting with masking tape
I was surprised to discover that the above-mentioned adhesive tape peels off from the paper several times, which means we use it as a basis for the stencil. You can tear it into uneven strips with your hands and draw a forest.
Any geometric compositions turn out great. You can even cut out something more detailed into the thickness of the tape, like the houses in the first photo. The main thing is that this stencil does not need to be additionally secured and held, and the likelihood of paint getting under it is not high if the edges are smoothed well.
7. Foam painting - drawing with foam
Fun and beautiful texture all rolled into one. In a container you need to mix water, a little liquid soap and lots and lots of paint. We hand the child a straw and allow him to blow bubbles. As soon as the tall hat grows, we apply paper to it. In this case, it is better to undress the child completely, so that it will be easier to wash later.
8. Alcohol and citric acid - alcohol and citric acid
Both liquids seem to “move apart” and “eat away” the paint. A drop of alcohol gives a fish eye effect, and its volatility can create additional areolas around the eye, similar to a halo around the sun. Very unusual.
Lemon juice spreads well over fresh watercolors, but has no effect on dried ones. It spreads quite a lot on its own, so it’s important not to overdo it. Ideally, you get these “shaggy” blots. After drying, they can be turned into monsters or something else by adding arms, legs, eyes.
9. Stamping - stamping
In my opinion, it is better to work with stamps with thicker paints - gouache, acrylic. You can use whatever is at hand, and also cut out stamps from potatoes, imprint cut vegetables, etc. Watercolor is good for creating textures. We take a napkin, dip it in paint and leave marks that are quite similar to stones, for example.
10. Plastic cling wrap - cling film
Did you know that film can also draw? It is enough to lay it on wet watercolor and move it. The result is ice crystals or other kinds of abstractions.
If you make one large, even “window” framed by wrinkles, then after the paint dries you will see, say, a lake or wormwood. In the photo it even looks like it turned out to be a rose.
11. Blowing
Another technique for drawing with a tube. And again you need to blow, but now as hard as possible, driving a drop of paint along the sheet. As a result, you will get intricate trees or just funny weirdos, or perhaps hair for a pre-drawn character.
If you want, you can let the paint flow on its own wherever it wants. Just turn the sheet over vertically and then play around with your child, this is what it looks like.
12. Light table - light table
Or a window, in other words. 🙂 This technique is not for kids, but mom can create a gallery of children’s portraits if she wants. All relatives will be provided with gifts for the year ahead. In childhood, I think everyone “combined” pictures by placing the original with a white sheet of paper against the window. What if you take a photo? In photo editors, you need to ensure that there are 2 colors left - black and white (posterize function).
Then there are several options for action. You can paint over all the white areas with wax crayon or a candle, and then go over with watercolors. It turns out interesting, but not very clean, because it’s quite difficult to track where the chalk went.
You can simply outline all the white spots with a pencil, and then carefully fill in the rest with paint. It's not as long or as difficult as it seems. Just a little patience and accuracy, and you will have 3-4 portraits during your children's nap.
If you decide to put things on stream, then it is better to purchase reserve liquid for watercolor paper in hobby markets. We apply it with a brush on white, go over it with watercolors on top, and then remove the reserve, like a film from a sheet. Fast, clean, original.
If you apply a stroke of one color to the paper and, without allowing it to dry, put a second stroke of a different color on top, they will begin to leak and mix, creating a colored spot.
Not every paper is suitable for such an experiment. On paper with greater absorbency, the paint will simply be absorbed before mixing, and on paper with minimal ability to absorb moisture, the paint will spread as much as possible. With practice, you will find it easier to use this technique and control the flow of paint.
If you fail, you can always wash off the paint and start over. This technique is used not only by novice artists, but is also widespread in the professional environment for drawing large objects such as water and sky, as well as for local areas on the canvas.
The effects of paint smudges are almost impossible to replicate with a brush. This is what makes them unique. They can create the effect of a water surface by applying highly diluted paint onto already dried paint; the fresh paint will spread, forming a semblance of ripples on the water. True, the ability to determine whether the paint on the first layer has dried enough comes with experience.
Drawing materials
Brushes
Tools for painting with watercolors must meet the following requirements:
- Be able to absorb water well
- Be flexible
- Resume the same form
- When drawing, hairs should not bristle
It should be remembered that watercolor brushes, unlike other brushes, have short handles.
Wide flat brush serves to remove excess paint or wipe it off due to its rigidity.
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Blur brush quite soft, large, used for background processing. The best others change shape and hold water with paint without drying out.
Working brushes can be of any size, varying depending on the technology.
Paper
1. The drawing paper must be thick and not delaminate, otherwise, when removing excess water and paint, it may warp.
2. The paper must be white. The colors of the paints are most clearly visible on it.
3. The paper should be thick and well glued. Well-glued paper absorbs water more slowly and does not allow the colors to lighten. Papers sold in packs of A3 sheets are most often poorly sized and suffer from excessive yellowness.
4. Grain (smoothness of paper)
- Fine-grain paper is suitable for fine detail rendering. On it, the stroke encounters almost no obstacles.
- Medium-grain paper is the most common and is suitable for all types of work.
- The coarse-grained surface of the paper is slightly rough and has a distinct texture. It is used in very specific jobs. It is often made by hand and is famous for its high density.
5. Thin or non-grained paper cannot be used; it will warp during use.
Paints
It is always better to prefer professional watercolors to ordinary school watercolors if you are committed to results.
Paints in baths require a little more effort to prepare them for drawing than all the others. To use them, you need to drip water from the brush into the tray so that the paints get a little wet. These paints are convenient because you don’t need to look for additional containers for them.
Paints in tubes suitable for more experienced artists. The master himself can create a palette in accordance with his needs, although a ready-made set with a dozen tubes can be recommended to amateurs.
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Number of colors in the set There can be either twelve or thirty-six pieces, but not all of them are used. It will still be useful to mix different colors to find out which of them give unusual combinations. To work, you will need no more than ten commonly used paints.
In general, paints are divided into two types: warm and cool. Warm colors include yellow, orange and other colors based on red or yellow. Cool colors include colors with a predominance of blue or purple tint. Green, purple, gray and black colors can be either cold or warm, depending on the characteristics of the color and the influence of the environment. The colors blue, yellow, red are basic, the rest, obtained by mixing, are considered derivatives.
Let's draw a poppy
Painting with watercolors is more difficult than with oil paints or gouache, but you can always try to create works full of tenderness and lightness. At the same time, see how much easier it is to paint with watercolors after practice.
He adds transparency to watercolor strokes. White color paper It is almost impossible to correct watercolor works, so try to act without mistakes.
Start by mixing a few colors. To do this, wet a piece of paper with water and brush it with paint over the wet paper. Excess paint can be removed with a glass of water.
You should paint with the tip of the watercolor. Do not press on it, let the paint spread, make a couple of strokes on top of the already applied paint. You should not mix more than three colors in one place, otherwise you will get dirty stains. Now let's get down to drawing.
Do pencil sketch and let's move on to the background. Trying not to dry the paints, draw the background. The strokes should flow into each other, hiding the traces of the pencil on the paper. Use ocher, light green and yellow paints.
Wait for the background to dry and grab the petals. Draw light parts on dampened paper yellow paint. Without waiting for it to dry, apply red paint to the petals. Do not paint the entire petal, the paint will spread on its own. Don't make the color too thick.
All that remains is to draw the leaves and green stems, add dark green shadows and the drawing is ready. You can also draw a frame on it.
Watercolor, flowers. Artists' works
Try putting a rich stroke of paint on the paper. While it's still wet, add a dab of a different color to it. The last stroke of paint will flow into the previous paint, thereby creating a patch of color with jagged edges.
However, this effect does not occur on every paper. The more absorbent and grainy the paper, the less paint flows over it. And vice versa: on thick and smooth paper, spreading will be maximum. As you gain some experience, using this technique will become easier. It will be possible to control the cutting of paint on the sheet.
Even this simple technique in the initial stages may not give the expected result. If unsuccessful, you can simply wash off the paint and start again. This technique is widely used in the practice of professional artists, both for drawing large objects (water and sky) and for local areas of the picture (flower petals).
The effects created by paint drips are almost impossible to recreate with a brush. This is their uniqueness. For example, to achieve the effect of reflection on a water surface, you can add highly diluted paint or water to previously applied and already dried paint. The fresh paint will begin to spread, thereby forming blurry edges, like a reflection in water with ripples. True, it will take some experience to be able to accurately determine whether the paint has dried on the first layer.
Inventory
Brushes
A watercolor brush must meet the following requirements:
1. absorb and retain water well;
2.be flexible;
3. easy to take the same shape after a smear;
4. when applying long or point strokes, her hairs should not bristle.
Unlike other types of brushes, watercolor brushes have short handles.
Wide flat brush(1), quite tough. 
It allows you to remove or wipe off the paint and makes the job very easy.
Blur brush(3) - a fairly large round soft brush that allows you to process large areas, for example, the background. No brush can also take different shapes well and hold the right amount of paint and water without drying out.
Working brushes - their size depends on the characteristics of the technique. Flat synthetic brush (2), small round synthetic brush (4), small round kolinsky hair brush (5).
Paper
Paper for painting with watercolors should not delaminate when you erase the paint, warp, and paint should not flow down it.
The paper should be white. If you want to use a variety of colors, then white paper will be easier to work with. Colors can change unexpectedly on tinted paper.
The paper must be glued. This means that water will be absorbed relatively slowly. In addition, rapid and strong absorption of water leads to excessive lightening of the paint placed on the paper. Watercolor paper, sold in packs of several A3 sheets, usually suffers from yellowness and poor sizing.
The paper must be thick enough
Grain is like the degree of smoothness of the paper:
1. Fine grain paper is very smooth. This paper is used for work that requires careful transfer of details. On such paper, the stroke encounters almost no obstacles.
2. medium grain paper. This paper is used most often. It is suitable for any work. Albums for watercolors are most often made from this paper.
3. Coarse paper has a slightly rough surface. Has a distinct texture. Typically used for special work. This type of paper is characterized by high density; very often this type of paper is made by hand.
The most common paper for watercolors has a medium grain and a density of 250 g/m²
Thin paper or paper without grain cannot be used, because... This type of paper does not absorb well and warps when wet.
Paints
Have you bought school watercolor paints? This is also an option, but it is better to take professional paints for artists.
“Honey watercolor paints” produced in St. Petersburg are more or less suitable
Watercolor paints are available in plastic baths and in tubes.
Paints in baths require a little more effort when preparing for work: you need to drop a drop of water from the brush into the tray so that the paints get a little wet. It is more convenient to use such paints, because... they are diluted directly in the bath and remain there after painting. In the initial stages, it is recommended to use paints in baths.
Paints in tubes Recommended for those who already have some experience working with watercolors. The artist independently creates a set of paints, guided by his own needs. A ready-made set in tubes with a dozen paints can be recommended to amateur artists.
Number of colors in the set
Sets can contain from 12 to 36 paints, but not all of them will be used. It is absolutely not necessary to have a large number of paints in a set; moreover, it is simply inconvenient. It is advisable to try all possible combinations of paints in order to know which combinations produce dirt and which ones produce unusual colors that are not in the set.
No more than ten of the most commonly used paints are selected for work. Most often, these are blue, cadmium yellow, red and orange, ocher, umber, emerald green, neutral black.
In general, paints are divided into two groups - warm and cold. Warm colors include yellow, orange, red, brown, that is, all colors that basically contain one or another amount of red or yellow color. The cold group includes blue, indigo, green, violet, if they are dominated by coldish blue shades. Green, purple, gray and black colors can be either cold or warm, depending on the characteristics of the color scheme and the influence of the environment. The colors blue, yellow, red are basic, the rest, obtained by mixing, are considered derivatives - warm or cold depending on the composition paints Even such neutral colors, like gray and black, contain countless nuances that are sometimes difficult to determine by the quality of the color. If you take a group of warm colors, for example red, and compare them with each other in terms of warm-coldness, then it is noticeable that in this group there are colors that are colder and warmer in relation to each other.
For beginners, it is recommended to take: yellow, red, blue and black, each in 2 shades, cold and warm. All other colors are obtained by mixing existing ones.
Of course, painting with watercolors is much more difficult than, for example, gouache or oil paints. But you can try to make small, transparent and delicate works, and make sure that painting with paints is not so scary, but, on the contrary, extremely pleasant.
Watercolor strokes are usually made transparent without using white. It is assumed that the whitest part of the composition is the color of the sheet of paper.
Watercolor paintings are almost impossible to correct, so try to do everything the first time. You need to start with the simplest compositions and slowly move on to more complex works.
Try just mixing a few colors first and see how they naturally flow into each other.
Wet a small piece of paper with water (just don’t create puddles, the paper should be damp) and brush the paint over the wet surface. Place a small amount of paint on the brush and remove the excess on the edge of a glass of water.
Paint with the tip of the brush, do not press hard on it, lightly, airily.
Have you tried it? The paint should spread beautifully; next to it, make another stroke of another paint and see how they flow onto each other. Do not overwrite or mix more than three colors in one place - you will get dirty stains.
Now let's move on to our flowers.
First, draw a sketch of the flowers in pencil.
Let's make the background. Carefully, trying not to dry out the paint (that is, do not let the strokes dry too much, so that the boundaries between them are not noticeable and sharp), draw the background. All strokes should flow into each other, no traces of “pencil coloring” should be visible. Use light green, yellow and ocher paint.
This article is intended for beginners, that is, for those who are about to start learning something new, since any road begins with the first step. Just get started and take your time and try to enjoy the process of learning how to draw! Watercolor painting is both enjoyable and a little challenging. It all depends on your approach. Watercolor is one of the most versatile genres of painting, in which you can paint almost anything: from realistic concrete images to abstraction and impressionism. Beginners are advised not to start with the idea of creating a masterpiece, but with small steps, gradually and slowly.
Before you feel completely comfortable with watercolors, you will have to paint a lot. Don't give up if your first attempts are less successful than you would like. Mastering the watercolor technique requires a lot of effort and time, but it's worth it!
So, let's begin!
Steps
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Once the watercolor is completely dry, mix a small amount of paint in a contrasting shade and quickly paint over the area. This will change the color and if done correctly will not blur the image. Light golden paint applied by glazing to illuminated areas of the landscape can make sunlight much more expressive.. After that, try to draw something you really like. Interesting view painting is Sumi-E or Japanese painting ink, which perfectly transforms into watercolor drawings.
- Many instructors begin their courses by teaching the wet-on-wet-paper technique, but it is preferable to begin by introducing the most common technique, wet-on-dry-paper.
- If you are using quality embossed watercolor paper (such as Arches), do not throw away your sketches or unsuccessful paintings made on it. You can always paint over them again with acrylic or gouache or use it as a background for pastel painting. This paper will also look better no matter what you paint on it, and if you paint something beautiful, your painting will last longer without yellowing.
- Watercolor paints are produced in various forms: in tubes, in pencil form or in cuvettes. There are also watercolor crayons. This article used tube watercolors.
- Try to find a type of paper that suits your painting style. Various types papers have different characteristics. Arches paper does not have most of the disadvantages and is the most versatile, even allowing you to wash off a watercolor image, dry it and reuse it.
- If you use paint in pans, do not throw them away after the paint runs out. You can always reuse the ditches by filling them with paint from tubes, rinsing them thoroughly first, and you will have the opportunity to fill the ditches with your favorite colors without having to rely on standard sets in which the cuvettes are supplied.
- Don't buy the most expensive paper or natural sable brushes. You can spend a large amount money to buy, but this is not necessary! Quality synthetic brushes, a small palette of good paint (artist paint is better than student paint) and 300gsm cold pressed paper is most suitable for beginning artists. Buy a few supplies to start with and gradually add more as needed.
- Watercolor pan sets are convenient for painting outdoors or while traveling. They are not easy to mix in large quantities, but they are very useful for wet brush on dry paper. For travel, it is better to choose a brush with a medium or sharp tip. big size, included in sets of paints in cuvettes. However, for drawing small parts you will need a smaller brush. A pocket-sized block of watercolor paper is ideal for sketching during travel, class, or lunch breaks. Some sets (like Winsor & Newton) include a water bottle, collapsible palette lids, and so on.
- One of the best manufacturers watercolor paints is Winsor & Newton. The Cotman brand is designed specifically for use by beginners. It is cheaper and therefore you can experiment without worrying about high costs. Winsor & Newton Cotman accessories are of excellent quality and are suitable for students.
- The wet-brush-on-wet-paper method also works well over the wet-on-dry-paper method within the same painting.
Warnings
- NEVER leave a brush in a jar of water with the bristles facing down. However, if you have a brush cleaner that has a coil spring, you can leave the brush in the water without the bristles touching the bottom of the jar. If you have brushes made in China, try to wring them out with your fingers and hang them on a nail or hook and loop on the handle, this will allow the brush to maintain its optimal shape.
- Do not use the same brushes for water-based paints (watercolor, acrylic, gouache) and oil paints(For oil painting, pastel). Once a brush has been used for oil paints once, it should always be used for that type of paint. Mark the handle of the brush with a labeled tape to avoid confusion.
- Wash your brushes with mild dishwashing soap or a special brush cleaner (such as Masters Brush Cleaner & Conditioner). This will remove any residual paint, but some colors may remain. In addition, this will extend the life of the brushes.
- Don't try to shape the brush with your lips. Use your fingers exclusively. Remember that some color pigments can be toxic and hazardous to health.
What you will need
- Several tubes of multi-colored watercolor paints
- 640gsm watercolor paper that will not warp with too much water compared to other types of paper
- Watercolor brushes - size 8
- Two cans of water
- A piece of white plastic or porcelain palette plate
- A roll of paper towels or old clean rags.
Place a sheet of thick paper on the table. Draw something very primitive with a simple pencil. For example, square or circle
Apply a small amount of watercolor of any color to the white surface of the palette.
Wet the brush a little. If the brush absorbs too much water, remove it with a cloth or shake it lightly.
Drip a little water from the brush onto the paint previously applied to the palette. One or two drops is enough, no more.
Dip the brush into the paint and water that has formed on the palette and pick up a small amount of paint. Next, paint over what you drew on a piece of paper. geometric figure. If the paint is too thick and won't spread, dip your brush in water and try again. Continue experimenting with different amounts of water and paint in the mixture until you get the consistency you want. If you want light, dry shades with a dry brush effect, you will need less water. If you want juiciness and brightness, then, accordingly, more, etc. Completely paint over the geometric shape drawn on paper.
Let the drawing dry.
Take a piece of watercolor paper and secure it to the drawing board using special adhesive tape. Use a large brush or sponge to dampen the entire surface of the paper. After this, try applying a few strokes of watercolor paint in different colors. See what results you get when varying degrees moisture content of paper when applying paint of various colors.
If you use paper that is too wet, you can end up with a very smooth and light color. Paint of various colors is mixed on paper, allowing you to obtain new shades. Try putting a blue stripe on wet paper next to a yellow or gold stripe, and then a red stripe. You will see how the colors mix, creating uniform color transitions.
Try letting the test design dry until the shine is gone and the paper is still damp. Now the applied stripes will still have soft edges, but will become a little more defined. Once the paint has completely dried, add details with a wet brush on dry paper.
To begin with, try to depict a very simple object that can be multi-colored. Mix up some sky blue paint. Sketch the hills and tree. First paint them with a wet brush wet paper. After that, start adding some larger details with a wet brush. Finally, when the paper is completely dry, add fine details with a wet brush on dry paper. That is, the larger the parts, the moister the paper should be.
You can determine that the paper is completely dry by its temperature, which can be checked by holding it back side palms over the paper, but without touching it.
There should be no cold coming from the leaf. In order to acquire the skill of determining temperature in this way, you will need to practice a little. But this is necessary, since any touch can lead to damage to the design and the appearance of greasy stains from the skin of the palms on its surface. Do not remove the adhesive tape until the paper is completely dry. The tape helps the paper not curl, keeps it straight and flat, eliminating the formation of unevenness caused by changes in humidity and exposure to paint.
You can use ready-made watercolor blocks in which all four sides of the paper are glued, like the top edge of a notebook. It's a little more expensive, but very convenient for a beginner.
Try applying light paint to the surface of the paper, and while the paint is still wet, sprinkle salt on it. You'll get interesting effects that can be used to paint landscapes with snowflakes in the sky or lichen on the rocks. Try drawing on paper with white or
wax pencil
, or the tip of a candle to see how the lines appear when watercolor paint is applied to them. Try cutting out shapes from adhesive masking film and painting over the resulting stencil to get specific outlines.
Anything covered with stencil film will remain unpainted. Always start your watercolor paintings by painting in the darker areas and outlining the lighter areas. Isolate or mask out anything that needs to remain white. Get used to the "negative image" as this will also help you get more accurate outlines of objects than if you draw them first and then outline the background. Try starting your image of the cup with its surroundings and the background behind the handle, leaving the details of the cup itself for last. You will feel a big difference in image accuracy! Try the "glazing" technique.
