The natural composition of watercolors is ground pigment with natural adhesives - gum arabic, casein or milk phosphoprotein, dextrin, honey, phenol. The paint is applied with water with a brush on the surface of the paper. This term denotes work performed in this environment. The pigments are usually transparent, but can be made opaque by mixing them with white - in this form the paint is known as gouache.

Watercolor differs from other types of painting in its variety of technical techniques.
Weightless, light paint gives freshness and luminosity to calligraphic strokes, which gives the work an atmosphere and weightlessness.

There is one fundamental difference between watercolor and other painting mediums - its transparency. The artist applies one opaque color to another in oil until the desired result is achieved. Watercolor is a universal drawing medium, as it makes it possible to reproduce all genres, since the water base allows you to obtain unique and unpredictable effects. For abstract style random scattered watercolor strokes across wet paper

help to achieve a blur effect.

Northern Renaissance painting Watercolor paints on paper can melt, spread, and mixtures create beautiful combination

colors in painting of different styles.

Working methods

Watercolor is the freest form of painting due to its transparent watery nature. There are certain painting techniques for working with watercolors, but the most popular ones are:

Differential blur This is the basic way artists work and is achieved by wetting paper in a specific area and applying pigment to the surface from top to bottom. The technique is used for a massive image of the sky, water, meadow and allows you to experiment with various shades

. The paper rises almost vertically, and on a damp surface the colors spread in all directions. The technique requires drying naturally.

This method is similar to blurring, but requires the use of a pigment that is applied to a dry sheet. The method actually regulates color and tone, ideal colors and transitions. Dry each color separately before applying the next one.

"Wet on Wet"

The "A la Prima" method is a process of wetting the paper before applying pigment. To do this, use a large brush or sponge to distribute the water evenly over a sheet of watercolor paper. The technique creates beautiful blurry shapes and colors, soft shades and paint transitions in the works.

Dry brush technique in painting

"Dry brush"

For painting, use a barely damp, hard brush with big amount paints on dry paper. On an uneven surface, a clear, hard, highlighted mark is obtained, granular effects similar to pencil drawing. Entire compositions are made in this way, also used to enliven a dull background.

Washing off

The process of removing paint after application and complete drying. The area that needs to be changed, to deepen the color or add volume, is moistened with water and the paint is blotted with a cloth. The technique creates complex shapes and lines, especially if strips of paper are used to mask areas with removed pigment in the painting.

Impact of water on paint

When the applied watercolor in the drawing dries, you can use a clean wet brush to drip water onto the desired area to obtain the effects of layering, cracking, roundness, and volume.

Glaze

This is a method of applying multiple layers of watercolor from a light tone at the base to a darker shade on top. Watercolor is applied with transparent, thin strokes after the previous layer of work has dried. The result is three-dimensional image, where the colors do not mix, but complement each other and allow you to see the border of each layer.

Batik fabric painting technique

Author Natalia Shevchenko

scratching

By scratching or removing some areas of the painted dry surface, lighter areas of the same tone are created.

Disguise

If it is necessary to keep some areas white during work, use a reserve, that is, cover required places masking with paraffin or wax, which, after the work has completely dried, I remove with a brush or roll into a ball with my hands.

Addition

Adding another color to the wet area of ​​the painting allows it to merge and branch out, creating interesting illusions. The method produces interesting and vibrant color gradations that cannot be achieved by mixing pigment on a palette.

Famous artists

Some famous artists working with watercolors often used similar effects in their works:

Impasto painting technique

Watercolorists learned to take advantage of the unexpected results of painting. The Greatest Masters painting practiced spontaneity. Artists improvised to effectively harness the power of watercolor.

English School

The classical painting technique was perfected in England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries:

Watercolor is a tradition that has its own chronicle in history. Prehistoric man used pigments mixed with water to rock paintings and applied them with fingers, sticks and bones. The ancient Egyptians used water-based paints to decorate the walls of temples and tombs and created the first designs on papyrus.

Sfumato painting technique

Eastern school

In the Far and Middle East, the first watercolor schools had individual style- Chinese and Japanese masters painting on silk and fine rice paper self made. Their art was filled with literary allusion and calligraphy. But the basic image remained a typically contemplative landscape, which became a central aspect of the watercolor tradition in subsequent centuries. In India and Persia, opaque gouaches were used for religious images.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, the monks of Europe used tempera to draw manuscripts - books were considered the most important form of art and the equivalent easel painting. The monks copied holy texts by hand on sheets of parchment made from sheepskin and calfskin. Sometimes entire pages were decorated with elaborate flourishes and symbolic images.

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

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. Draw a sketch of the hills and tree. First paint them with a wet brush on 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. 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.

1. Read books and articles on watercolors and try to get new ideas from them. Watch videos on YouTube and other portals to learn more about the methods watercolor painting. After that, try to draw something you really like. Interesting view painting is Sumi-E or Japanese painting mascara, 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 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 paper types
   • 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.

Lately, more and more special paints and pencils have appeared to make it convenient for children to draw on paper. fantastic images. But for beginners, the most successful introduction to fine art is in the process of painting with watercolors. Let's look at some of the nuances of this process step by step.

Unity of water and color

Watercolor appeared in Europe in the 15th century, while in China, an aqueous suspension of coloring pigment was used in painting as early as the 2nd century. Even then, artists valued paint for its ability to create stunningly subtle color transitions on canvas or paper. It is this property of watercolor that has made it so popular not only in professional, but also in amateur fine arts. It is recommended that even very young creators practice painting with watercolors. For children 2-5 years old and older, this paint is ideal because:

• does not require special skills to get started - you just need to prepare water, brushes and paint;
• mixes well and allows you to achieve a wide palette of colors;
• easily washed off the body and washed off clothes, which is especially important in the case of babies;
• affordable, because usually young artists They use material very wastefully.

Types of paints and watercolor techniques

Before you start drawing, you need to decide on the idea and choose a watercolor. There are 5 types of paints:

• tiled hard;
• semi-solid;
• liquid;
• pencils, crayons;
• pearl watercolor.

The first type is suitable for posters and drawings, but not suitable for children's creativity. But other types can be used depending on which texture is easier for a person to cope with. In addition, the combination of liquid form and pencils or crayons brings the originality of a combination of painting and drawing to the finished work.

After choosing paints, you need to decide on the technique of execution:

• on a dry sheet (the picture is bright, with clear contour lines);
• on a damp canvas (makes all transitions blurry, revealing the richness of shades).

In the latter case, you can use either special paper for watercolors, or place a damp cloth - flannel - under the sheet.

What do you need to work with this type of paint?

To make working with paints enjoyable, you need to prepare everything you need for work in advance. In addition to watercolors and paper mentioned above, you will need:

• shallow container with wide sides for mixing paints;
• paint brushes in sizes from 0000 to 6 made of mixed fibers (it is most convenient for beginners to mix paints with a brush No. 3);
• a glass for water to graduate washes;
• paper napkins to remove excess water or paint;
• hard and hard-soft simple pencils to sketch the outline of the drawing.

Be prepared that over time a drawing board with a slight slope may come in handy, as well as masking fluid for areas of the painting that should not have paint on it.
How to draw flowers?

Getting acquainted with watercolor painting for beginners should occur in stages. And flowers with semi-solid paint on a dry sheet in this case are a very convenient object for depiction. It allows you to demonstrate all the richness of color shades, but does not contain too small elements that would be quite difficult for a beginner to handle. And, since watercolor painting involves drawing from life, it is advisable to place a vase or a separate flower in front of your eyes. It is better to choose tulips, irises, pansies, that is, fairly large representatives of the flora.

Instructions:

1. We place the nature so that the light is concentrated on it. It is better if it is daytime and not artificial.
2. We sketch the contours using a simple pencil.
3. Showing areas of shadow.
4. We draw the back petals with paints.
5. Making a shadow. To do this, we use two shades of the main color - dark and light.
6. We proceed to the center of the composition, alternating with leaves and stem.
7. Tint the background with a translucent shade.

Landscape paintings are most effective in liquid paints, as they allow all the color details to be conveyed. For landscapes, it is better to use the technique of painting with watercolors on a wet sheet. However, for beginners, this image method can be slightly simplified by gradually wetting the desired areas of the paper.

Instructions:

1. Let's make a sketch. On objects with shadows, apply a little more pressure.
2. We moisten a section of paper under the sky, apply paint and let it spread.
3. For the bulk of the foliage, we also lightly soak the paper with water and, after mixing required colors, apply paint so that white areas of the paper remain.
4. We draw large details of the image (mountains, cliffs, etc.).
5. Let's move on to the foreground of the picture. We draw the grass, adding tones from dark to light.
6. Adding shadows. Please note that the further from the foreground, the deeper, that is, darker, the shadow.
7. Draw the tree trunk and branches.
8. We clarify the contours of foreground objects.
9. Remove paint stains, if any. To do this, press it to the area of ​​the drawing. paper napkin, then drip water and blot again. Repeat until the stain disappears.
10. If necessary, add details. The drawing is ready.

How to learn to paint with watercolors from scratch?

Watercolor painting is one of the most difficult in the world, but at the same time, it is the most delicate, fragile and attractive for beginning artists. What's so special about it? The whole secret is in the transparency of the lines, thanks to which even the most insignificant color transitions are visible. The wateriness of the pattern, which gives it volume. But how to comprehend this not simple art? How to learn to paint with watercolors from scratch? Before we start drawing, we need to select auxiliary materials. Art school for adults and children in its courses offers professional education drawing in any technique, but you can learn it yourself. Let's look at the points in this article that will help us with this.

On what paper and what brushes should I paint with watercolors?

1. Paper. It’s better to immediately buy a watercolor one, it’s not expensive (about 40 rubles for a notebook). Its difference from the usual one is in the dense texture of the sheets. Such paper will not swell from water and warp.
2. Brushes. In a painting store, first take two brushes. Small and big. Squirrel fur is well suited for watercolor paints.
3. Palette. The choice of palette is not important, we choose any one. Some artists replace the palette with a small glass; it is practical to use and easy to clean.
4. Paints. Children's honey paints with the addition of lemon and other things - immediately set aside. We won't need them. In the artist store we take any professional paints. Open them and look at the colors, you should like them. You don’t have to take the most expensive ones, it doesn’t matter.

How can beginners learn to paint with watercolors step by step?

How to paint beautifully with watercolors? In order for our watercolor drawings to be of high quality, we need to master several basic techniques.
1.Uniform filling. Draw a square or rectangle on paper. It is better to choose a darker color, it will be easier to see. Place it on the brush and stretch it from one corner to the other. Paint again. Draw the next strip so that it overlaps the previous one. If the first strip does not completely flow into the second, then tilt the sheet of paper. Pick up the paint and continue to paint stripes, maintaining a uniform shade. Rinse the brush in water and squeeze. Smooth out the dark stripes with a brush. Let the drawing dry. If you get a rectangle evenly filled with paint, you've succeeded.
2. Dependence of paint shade on the amount of water. We put paint on the brush and draw the first line, then lower the brush into the water and draw the second one 1 cm from it. Let's continue to dip the brush in water and draw lines until they become as transparent as possible. This exercise helps you feel how much water you need to add to get the desired shade.
3.Gradient. The goal of this exercise is to obtain a uniform transition from dark to light. Load your brush with paint and brush vertical line, then dip the brush in water and move the second one so that it extends slightly beyond the first and the paint begins to flow. We repeat the same thing again, adding water. We achieve a complete color transition. Run the last strip with just water. Dry your brush and run a roller of paint underneath the fill.

Learn to paint with watercolors step by step using various techniques for beginners

How to start painting with watercolors? It is necessary to comprehend the basics of art. These are certain exercises, by doing which you will master the first basics of painting with watercolors.
1. Wet on wet. Wet a small piece of paper with water. The sheet should be evenly saturated with water. Now take the paint on the brush and brush it over the wet area. Watch how the paint flows. Practice adding more or less paint to a piece of paper. This will be very useful to you.
2. Flow from color to color. First, let's draw any shapes with water. Take on a brush, for example, Blue colour and apply it to the figure. Add a little burgundy and yellow. You should achieve a smooth transition from one color to another. If this does not happen, add some water.
3. Layering. Let's draw the background as in the first exercise. Let's wait a little and let it dry completely. Draw a couple of circles of different colors on the background and let it dry. Draw a third layer on the circles.
4. Reception using table salt. Draw a background and sprinkle a little regular table salt on top. We wait. The salt crystals gradually absorb the paint and become like stars. The effect is most noticeable in dark areas.
5. Clouds using a napkin. Fill in the background and while the paint is still wet, begin to apply a napkin, giving it a shape. This way we get a texture that resembles clouds. This technique can be used to correct mistakes that you encounter while drawing. Just blot off any excess paint.
6. Splashes. We put paint on the brush and run our finger over the brush over the paper or drip it, forming uneven splashes over the entire surface. It is better to cover the table with a cloth to avoid contamination.

10 common mistakes beginner artists make

1. Love yourself. Many artists begin to scold themselves and unnecessarily criticize their paintings. There is no need to do this. If you drew something, praise yourself. Everything you do is only for you and to fulfill your creative needs. The more you enjoy the drawing process, the better you will do.
2. Use comfortable materials. High quality brushes, paper and paint. Then the drawing process will bring you only pleasure.
3. Copy stories famous artists. They will serve as the basis of your knowledge.
4. Show your paintings to all your friends, relatives and acquaintances. Donate your painting. Gather like-minded people around you who will support you.
5. Warm and cold colors. Use more cool tones in the distance and warmer ones up close. This will show aerial perspective in your painting.
6. Do not paint the entire background with one paint. Change the tone, mix colors, create color in your painting. Make two or three strokes with one color, add another. The more shades you use, the more interesting your painting will be.
7. Give the painting a chance to dry. This way you will make it more elaborate and deep.
8. Show volume up close. Apply more paint to nearby objects using a palette knife. Make them voluminous.
9. The more colors you mix, the more picturesque your painting will be. Mix in halftones.
10. Decorate paintings with baguettes. It gives the picture additional volume.

Watercolor is one of the most difficult materials for painting; it does not forgive mistakes. The main difficulty is that white in watercolor it is not, so unpainted areas of paper are used instead, and due to the transparency of the paint, flaws cannot be completely covered with a new layer. But the complexity of working with watercolor also lies in its main charm - only watercolor can lay on paper like the thinnest veil, and only watercolor painting is characterized by such airiness and lightness.

There are no particular difficulties in the drawing technique itself. Watercolor is a very malleable paint if you find the right approach to it. Sometimes, in order to get some kind of pattern, it is enough to drop a little paint on dampened paper. It is thanks to this opportunity that painting with watercolors turns into a fascinating process, which sometimes drags on for a long time.

Materials
Since the effect of veil and lightness is achieved in watercolor through interaction with water, the paper must be rough and resistant to large amounts of moisture. For watercolors, paper with a density of 180-300 g/m2 is used - you will find this mark on the packaging. A lower density may cause the paper to wrinkle or even tear when drawing.

Traditionally, squirrel brushes and kolinka brushes are used for watercolor painting. Squirrel brushes are a budget option with excellent properties; they hold and release moisture well and have a thin tip. The Squirrel is a softer brush, which is good for making broad or abstract strokes, while the Kolinsky is more elastic, holds its shape better and gives clearer lines. In addition, there are now good synthetic brushes that are similar in quality to kolinsky. Brushes are divided by number - from one to fourteen. For beginner artists, brushes No. 3, No. 6 and No. 8 will suffice. The largest brush is for filling, a medium brush for the main image and a thin brush for detailing.

The first thing you should know when choosing watercolors is that honey watercolor is not suitable for painting, since its production uses low-quality pigment that is difficult to mix, and it is almost impossible to blur such watercolors - it clings tightly to the paper. The main domestic producer of watercolors is Nevskaya Palitra. Their line includes Sonnet paints, suitable for beginner artists, and more professional paints with best quality pigment. Watercolors can be sold in two formats: tubes or cuvettes.

Pros and cons of cuvettes:
+ all the colors are visible;
+ as a rule, when purchasing, all the necessary colors are already included in the set, and some colors do not have to be mixed yourself;
+ the cuvettes can be placed in a box, which will also serve as a palette;
+ ditches can be replaced if a certain paint runs out - they are sold separately;
- since cuvettes small size, then when working with a large brush there is a risk of constantly catching neighboring colors;
- cuvettes often stick to the box lid and get mixed up.

Pros and cons of tubes:
+ tubes are more convenient for mixing paints;
- watercolor tubes are sold individually very rarely, so if you run out of some paint, you’ll have to buy a new set;
- tubes require constant availability of a palette.

In addition to watercolors, paper and paint brushes, you will need a tablet to attach the paper to, and masking tape to secure the paper to the tablet. It would be a good idea to have a simple thin pencil and an eraser.

First acquaintance with watercolor
After purchasing paints, you need to get acquainted with watercolors. Take paper and draw a grid on it according to the number of colors in the set. Label each field with the name of the paint and make a stretch - that is, put a lot of paint on the brush and, adding water, reduce the color from dark to barely noticeable. Such stretches need to be done for each color in order to understand how a particular shade behaves depending on the amount of water, and as a bonus you will have a “catalog” of possible shades. After this, try mixing paints with each other and remember the resulting colors - this will help you better use the capabilities of the palette.

Drawing techniques
Glaze is one of the most important watercolor techniques. This is the gradual application of transparent layers of paint on top of each previous one, which allows you to get deeper and rich colors without increasing the amount of paint on the brush. The overlay technique also allows you to achieve a particularly light image and move some elements into the background - it is glazing that is used to create aerial perspective. Four rules will allow you to master this technique:

• Each subsequent layer is applied only when the previous one is completely dry.
  
• Watercolor must be sufficiently diluted with water; when applied to paper, the color must be transparent.
  
• For glazing, only soft brushes are used; hard synthetics can scratch the previous layer of paint.
  
• Layering can only be done on high-quality thick paper.
  

• Do not allow puddles of water to form on the paper; they will pull all the paint into themselves. If puddles appear, you need to suck them in with the tip of a brush or a paper napkin.
  
• You should not use color overlay in this technique; instead of effective transitions and tones, you will get dirty colors.
  

The dry brush technique is used to create complex textures, be it wood or water surface. Load the paint onto the brush, and then blot it with a cloth or napkin, removing excess water, and then apply the paint to the drawing strictly with the edge of the brush.

Graduated washes are good for creating skies. Load up a large amount of paint with a moderate amount of water onto a large brush and draw a line from edge to edge along the top of the leaf. After that, add a little more water to the brush and draw a second line, hooking the first. So paint over the entire required surface, adding water before each new line.

In addition, when painting with watercolors, you can use the very wet brush technique on dry paper, which gives an effect similar to the wet technique, but more controlled, as well as the splash technique or the salt technique. As tools, you can use a slightly damp sponge, which allows you to create realistic foliage on trees, and to obtain a “curly” texture using the wet technique, you can use a chaotically crumpled paper napkin.