How to Paint With Watercolors

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Select what kind of watercolors to buy.

   Watercolor paints are available in either tubes or shallow pans.
   
   Choosing tubes enables you to customize your collection a bit more, while pans usually come with an array of pre-selected colors.
   
   Watercolor paints are delineated by property: some are transparent and others are opaque.
   
   Transparent colors allow you to see the white of the paper, giving the paint strokes a luminescent quality.
   
   Opaque colors can also be quite vivid, but they have a tendency to look dull since they block the light from coming through the paper.
   
   Watercolor paints may also be either non-staining or staining.
   
   Non-staining paints stay on the surface of the watercolor paper, making them easy to lift or blend with other non-staining paints.
   
   Staining paints seep into the paper permanently and they're more difficult to blend with non-staining paints.
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   Step 2: Decide what colors of paint to buy.

   You'll probably want a basic set that includes the following primary colors:
   New Gamboge, Hansa Yellow Medium, Pyrrol Scarlet, Quinacridone Rose, French Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue (GS), and Quinacridone Burnt Orange.Once you learn how to work with these fundamental colors, experiment with other paints. , You'll want to pick up a handful of sizes, ranging from number 5 round to number 10 round.
   
   They should have a nice point in order to hold paint easily.
   
   You might also buy a flat brush.
   
   This has a long straight edge which is useful for doing washes or applying a base layer of paint.
   
   Some artists will tell you to invest in good brushes right away while others recommend starting with inexpensive brushes until you decide if you want to stick with watercolors.
   
   With this confusing advice in mind, choose brushes according to your budget and your own desire to watercolor paint. , There's no going around this one if you want paintings that won't bubble when you start to work.
   
   Watercolor paper is heavy and slightly textured.
   
   It's made to withstand the application of a considerable amount of water and paint.
   
   Watercolor paper comes in three different textures: hot-pressed, which has a slick surface, cold-pressed, which has a medium surface, and rough, which has a bumpy surface.
   
   You'll also want to choose a thicker, heavier paper when starting out., When you're starting out, you can typically find items around your house that you can use to start painting.
   
   Once you've decided to really stick with watercolor painting, you can invest in purchasing higher quality items, if you like. , If you're using household items, consider using a large plate.
   
   This will allow you to drop several colors of paint and mix puddles.
   
   If you're looking to purchase a palette, be sure to choose one with large wells so you can mix in water.
   
   You can buy one palette with a lot of wells, or buy several to use for designated colors. , When starting out, this can be as simple as a sturdy piece of cardboard propped up against a wall or board.
   
   If you're purchasing a board, choose a wood, plexiglass or foam board to which you can affix your watercolor paper.
   
   You may also want to buy an easel to hold the board upright while you paint.
   
   This is a matter of personal preference, as some people like to paint on a flat surface, while others like painting at an angle. , These will vary, depending on what you personally need.
   
   Many artists keep water containers, paper towels, pencils and erasers handy.
   
   You may also want to change into an old t-shirt or smock while painting. , This should be a comfortable space that you'd like to spend time in.
   
   Choose an area that gets a lot of natural light.
   
   If you'll be working in the evening or don't have access to very good light, you may want to set up a strong desk lamp.
   
   Look for a bulb or lamp with full-spectrum lighting.
   
   This will keep your lighting from being being too warm, making it difficult to paint accurately.
   
   Also, make sure your lampshade is pure white.
   
   This will keep your lighting more natural., Once you start painting, you won't want to stop and search for supplies.
   
   Keep them close to your painting, but give yourself enough room to maneuver comfortably.
   
   If you're right handed, set up your palettes, brushes, and water containers on the right side of the desk, with the paper towels and other equipment on the left side.
   
   Reverse this if you are left handed.
   
   Lay your brushes flat on a paper towel when you're not using them.
   
   Never leave brushes sitting in your water containers.
   
   They won't stay clean and you can ruin the tips of your brushes., Tape your watercolor paper to your board using masking tape and set it in the middle of the table.
   
   Tilt your desk upward, if possible, or raise the back of the board by placing a block underneath it to give you a good angle.
   
   You can lightly sketch your subject or landscape onto the paper with a light pencil.
   
   Many artists like to paint without a guide, but it can be useful when starting out.
   
   Keep erasers nearby to correct mistakes. , Pick a red, a yellow, and a blue to use as your primary colors.
   
   These colors will be mixed and blended to create some of other colors you'll use when painting, giving it a nice coherence.
   
   You can then choose other special colors to make each painting unique.
   
   Many artists use the same three primary colors in all of their work. , Warm colors, such as red, orange, and yellow, tend to look as though they are moving forward on the paper.
   
   Cool colors, such as blue, purple and green, appear to be receding.
   
   Complementary colors that appear opposite each other on the color wheel, such as yellow and purple, appear to advance in equal measure when they are next to each other
   - in other words, they seem to fight for attention. , Pick a color of paint and dab a drop or two in your mixing tray.
   
   Dip your brush in water and mix the brush into the paint in your tray.
   
   If you're using additional colors, create two more paint puddles in two separate mixing trays.
   
   Be sure to wash out your brush between puddles.
   
   Don't use too much water.
   
   Start with just a little, then add more if necessary.
   
   It's more difficult to achieve a richer color by adding more paint than it is to dilute a color by adding a little water.
   
   Fill your palette with the different colors you are using.
   
   Squeeze just a bit of each color into the individual palette wells. , This way, you'll understand how they work together.
   
   Having the ability to mix and layer colors so precisely is part of what makes watercolor so unique.
   
   The first few times you mix colors, you may be surprised at the outcome.
   
   Watercolor paint dries several shades lighter than it appears when it is still wet.
   
   Keep this in mind when you're figuring out how to make a color lighter or darker.
   
   Try not to overmix your colors.
   
   They don't need to be totally blended.
   
   One brushstroke may contain distinct gradations of color, rather than a solid blend.
   
   That's part of the beauty of watercolor. , To fully load it, slide your brush through your paint puddle so that it gets completely saturated.
   
   Lift the brush and slide it across the rim of your mixing tray to remove the paint drip.
   
   Otherwise, slide it across the rim several times so that the brush isn't so saturated with paint.
   
   You may want to blot after loading your brush.
   
   To do this, simply touch it to a paper towel to remove some of the excess paint.
   
   You can also blot lightly or blot well. , Dip your brush in a container of water and lightly thump it on the bottom of the container to open up the brush hairs and release the paint.
   
   Continue until the brush is rinsed clean.
   
   If you're cleaning several brushes, you may want to change the water.
   
   You won't be able to clean brushes with dirty water. , This is the technique used to fill in a large shape with even, consistent color.To begin, draw a square or rectangle on your watercolor paper and fully load your brush with the paint you want to use. , Using a light touch, paint two small strokes about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) to make a corner.When you lift your brush you should have a bead of watercolor standing on the surface of the paper.
   
   Touch your brush to the bead a few more times to release more color and increase the size of the color bead. , Lift your brush, releasing more paint.
   
   You have now established what is called a watercolor bead. , Paint a new line from right to left, this time using the body of the brush instead of just the tip.
   
   About halfway across, stop, fully load the brush again, and continue to the left edge of the box. , Continue painting down the sides and then across in half-inch increments until you've filled in your square.
   
   Remember to move from right to left and left to right when filling in the square. , Charging colors refers to mixing two colors on the watercolor paper, rather than in the mixing tray, which can create a smooth transition from one color to the next. , You may want to practice making a controlled wash that you can use to charge the colors.
   
   For example, paint about halfway down your controlled space or square with your first color.
   
   Make the bottom of the bead an irregular line, rather than painting it straight across.
   
   Rinse out the brush. , Touch the tip of the brush to the edge of the watercolor bead you established.
   
   Lift the brush to release the paint.
   
   The paint will immediately blend with and enlarge the bead.
   
   The paint on your brush will become tinged with your first color.
   
   You may want to rinse out your brush again and load it with the second color you chose.
   
   This will give you a clearer transition between the colors. , To create a blurred edge or transition color values, you'll need to carefully apply water. , Rinse out your brush and blot it until it's moist, but not dripping wet. , Make sure to work while the line is still wet.
   
   You can make one continuous swoop or several short strokes, which creates an even softer look.
   
   The color will charge into the wet area. , Rinse out the brush and repeat, again painting a wet line along the wet edge.
   
   Do this until the color stops charging into the wetted area. , You can simply blot the area using a paper towel, or you can use the flat or tip of your brush for more precision. , You don't want a whole lot of water or you'll have less control over the color you lift.
   
   Use the flat of your brush for a slightly larger area.
   
   Use the tip of your brush if you only need to remove a small bit of color. , Use precise strokes and avoid going back over the area. , This will remove some of the color you've lifted from the brush. , Do this only if you want to lift more color. , Use a pencil and a ruler to draw a straight line about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom edge of the paper.
   
   The landscape you paint will flow above and below this single line., Use clear water and apply it from top down till you get an inch away from your horizon line.
   
   Prepare several puddles of a single color on your palette.
   
   Vary the amount of water you mix into them, so you have several shades of your color. , Load a medium brush with a vibrant shade of your color and paint from the top down, stopping about an inch away from the horizon line.The color should gradually lighten as you paint lower towards the horizon line.
   
   You can leave a little space between these variations in saturation.
   
   You can leave an unpainted area in the sky to give the appearance of the sun rising above the mountains.
   
   Be sure to soften the edges of the paint surrounding the unpainted area. , This will further distinguish the sky from your horizon.Use a paper towel or tissue to lift paint from the paper in a few places, creating the appearance of clouds and shifts in color. , You can either let it sit till dry to the touch or blow dry it.
   
   This speeds the process up, just make sure you're using watercolor paper or it will drastically bubble., Start a few inches above your horizon line and use a dark concentrated shade of your color to paint a craggly line across your paper.
   
   Keep your line running a few inches above your horizon without touching it.
   
   Don't worry about making the paint look even and consistent within the mountains; having uneven spots will be reminiscent of real mountains. , Paint down towards the horizon line, but stop 1/2 inch above it., This is the area between the base of the mountains and the horizon.
   
   Dip a stiff brush in the same puddle you used to paint the mountains and hold it horizontally like a chisel, dabbing paint here and there across the horizon., Keep holding the brush firmly like a chisel and vary your layers of paint, making some darker and lighter.
   
   Your lowest line should be darker, since it will be the edge of a lake.Create texture by making the horizontal strokes slightly uneven.
   
   Leaving little gaps and bits of white space among the lines for a natural appearance. , This is the part closest to you in the painting.
   
   Load a wide, stiff brush with paint and a lot of water to create a lighter shade.
   
   Using one precise stroke, drag your brush from one side of the paper to the other without stopping.To give the impression of sunlight on the water, use the brush very lightly on the part of the lake that falls just below the horizon line, so that bits of white paper show through the strokes.
   
   Repeat this broad strokes as you move down your paper, stopping an inch from the bottom of the paper. , Again, you can air dry or blow dry., Load your brush with a dark shade of your color and again dab horizontally to paint a dark, thick, uneven line across the bottom of the lake.
   
   Fill in the foreground in this dark color, leaving it a little lighter where the lake and sky are also light.To add reeds, dry the same stiff brush, load it with your darkest paint, and make downward vertical strokes along the shoreline.
   
   Avoid painting reeds across the whole line.
   
   Instead, just pick a portion of the lake to line with reeds. , Your first painting is complete, and you can sign it, mat it and have it framed.
   
   Practice more and move on to more advanced techniques, like sponging, splattering, using salt, dry painting, and much more.
3. 3

   Step 3: Select your brushes.

4. 4

   Step 4: Buy watercolor paper.

5. 5

   Step 5: Make or buy other watercolor supplies.

6. 6

   Step 6: Find a palette.

7. 7

   Step 7: Look for a board.

8. 8

   Step 8: Get organization and cleaning supplies.

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   Step 9: Set up your painting workspace.

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    Step 10: Arrange your paints

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    Step 11: brushes

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    Step 12: and water.

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    Step 13: Set up your paper.

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    Step 14: Choose colors to use in your painting.

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    Step 15: Understand how to use warm and cool colors.

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    Step 16: Learn how to mix a puddle.

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    Step 17: Practice mixing colors.

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    Step 18: Load your brush with paint.

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    Step 19: Learn how to rinse out your brushes.You'll want to do this if you're changing colors

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    Step 20: but using the same brush

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    Step 21: or if you are finished painting for the day.

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    Step 22: Learn how to Paint a controlled wash.

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    Step 23: Paint the edges of the top left corner.

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    Step 24: Run your brush along the top of the box

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    Step 25: painting with just the tip

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    Step 26: then paint 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) down the right side.

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    Step 27: Start filling in your box with paint.

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    Step 28: Keep painting towards the bottom of your square.

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    Step 29: Learn how to charge two colors.

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    Step 30: Paint with your first color.

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    Step 31: Fully load the brush with the second color.

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    Step 32: Learn how to soften hard edges.

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    Step 33: Paint a line in one color.

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    Step 34: Drag your moist brush along the line.

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    Step 35: Continue softening the edge of your line.

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    Step 36: Learn how to lift watercolor from the paper.This is a handy technique if you make a mistake or would like to make a unique effect.

37. 37

    Step 37: Take a clean firm brush and moisten it.

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    Step 38: Drag the brush over the area of color you want to lift.

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    Step 39: Pat the brush onto a towel.

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    Step 40: Rinse and repeat.

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    Step 41: Draw a horizon on your paper.

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    Step 42: Brush water across the top of the paper.

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    Step 43: Paint the sky.

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    Step 44: Load your brush with more paint and go over the top half of your sky again.

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    Step 45: Let your sky dry.

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    Step 46: Paint a mountain ridge.

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    Step 47: Fill in your mountains with the same shade.

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    Step 48: Paint the middle ground.

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    Step 49: Continue painting right along the horizon line.

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    Step 50: Paint a lake in foreground.

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    Step 51: Let your lake dry.

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    Step 52: Finish painting the very bottom of your foreground.

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    Step 53: Regard your work.

Detailed Guide

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