Have you considered embarking on watercolor painting, and have you been discouraged by people’s comments about watercolor paint? Or Have you watched YouTube videos, and the whole process looks simple, only to start, and everything seems frustrating? If you are in this position, you don’t need to worry because this article will give an insight into what you should know before embarking on watercolor painting.
Plan Your Watercolor Paints Before You Start Painting
As a beginner, this might look stressful for you, but truth be told, it is always better to plan before you start painting with your watercolor paint. Planning may require you buy watercolour paint ahead. If you don’t do this, your anxiousness about starting your painting as soon as possible can ruin a beautiful drawing that you could have achieved.
You should remember that if your art is effective, it must depict harmony, unity, and coherence. To achieve this, you must ensure that all the elements and composition of the painting relate well and complement each other, including the watercolor paint used.
To avoid the clumsiness and unnecessary use of your watercolor paint set, you can start with a palette with a limited number of colors. Color planning is an excellent way to achieve a professional outcome.
Get Paper Meant For Watercolor Painting
You may be frustrated if you are having difficulty with your watercolor paint supply. Thus it is important for you to get the right materials needed to get the job done.
Buying the paper meant for watercolor painting will save you a lot of stress. It would be best if you got papers meant for water-soluble medium.
If you are keen on improving the quality of your work, then you should avoid painting on cardboard or normal paper.
It is often advised that you carry out detailed research to determine a watercolor paper brand that is of high quality. The more you grow in watercolor painting, the better you’ll be at deciding the best type of paper for you. You will decide if you like to work with hot press, cold press, rough, thick, or thinner watercolor paper.
Start Painting Lightly and Transparently
As a beginner, you have to be conscious of your watercolor paint set application. It is always best to start painting your watercolor paint from light to dark. Meaning, your paint transparency shouldn’t be too thick and should be watery at the beginning of your painting.
Once you start lightly, you can work your way up, adding layers upon layers and allowing each to dry before adding more layers. Doing this as a beginner will give you more control over your painting.
You should also follow your picture reference to date. This you can do by placing the darker color on your painting exactly where they are on the picture reference. While doing this, you need to be more careful to avoid having a flat painting. Don’t forget that the details of your painting are what give it depth.
Take Care of The Whites
You may find this a bit difficult to do if you are starting, but with time, you’ll get comfortable with it. Remember, it was mentioned earlier that watercolor painting is all about playing.
Right from the beginning of your painting, you should identify where the lightest areas will be and desire to protect them throughout your painting.
Use Light Pencil Sketches When Dealing With Watercolor Paints
Due to the lightness in layers of watercolor paint, you have to be careful when drawing your sketches so that they don’t show in your final piece.
You should apply your pencil lightly while sketching. After sketching, you can partially erase them using a soft and clean eraser.
Using water-soluble gray colored pencils is also a great option. This pencil will automatically dissolve with your painting. You may not find this effective if your sense of observation isn’t that sharp.
Avoid Using More Than Three Colors In A Mixture
In all types of painting, you need to understand how color works. The same also applies to watercolor painting. This is needed when you need to buy watercolor paint. You should clearly understand the color wheel and the result you’ll obtain when different colors are mixed. As a beginner, you should keep it simple by not using more than three colors.
You can also make things easier by mixing your colors and testing them out on a separate sheet before applying them to your paintings. This will give you a picture of what to expect.
Clean Brushes At Intervals
When painting, you shouldn’t take for granted that watercolor painting can be easily washed off the brushes you are using. You should ensure you remove the previous color before dipping your brush into another color.
If you use the same paintbrush for multiple colors, you can wash your brush in water and clean it with a rag to ensure the initial watercolor paint has been completely removed. You would like muddiness in your painting outcome such that it will affect your painting.
Change Your Water Frequently
When it comes to watercolor painting, you shouldn’t be lazy. Once you see your water is getting murky, you should know it’s time for you to change your water.
Some artists are comfortable using multiple glasses or jars of water. With time, you’ll find what works best for you. But make sure you don’t ruin great paintings with things you can easily avoid.
Allow Your Layers To Dry
With watercolor paint, you need to be very patient. If you want your painting to come out nice, you must ensure you allow each layer to dry before adding another. Without doing this, you might end up messing up colors repeatedly.
Suppose you are the impatient type. You may consider working on two watercolor painting pieces at the same time. This will be of great help because while working on one, the other paint gets dried up. With this method, you can easily switch between the two paintings.
Having a clear understanding of the rudiments of watercolor paint techniques and how to go about them will make your learning experience easier and fun-filled. You should apply the tips mentioned in this article when starting your watercolor painting journey anytime soon.
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