Watercolour technique
Technique starts with what you want the paint to do.
Choose the effect you are after, whether a clean edge, an even wash, a second layer or a texture, and follow it to the guide that shows how. Each guide covers one control in depth, so you can learn them in the order your paintings need.
Three questions to start with
Lay an even wash
These guides cover the flat, graded and variegated washes, and the bead that carries each one across the paper.
- A flat wash without streaks
Loading, angle and pace for an even area of colour.
- A graded wash
Moving smoothly from strong colour to pale.
- A variegated wash
Letting two or more colours meet within one wash.
- Managing the bead
Keeping the wet edge moving, and finishing it cleanly.
Control an edge
Whether an edge comes out crisp or soft depends largely on how wet the paper is when the paint arrives. These guides cover both conditions and how to choose between them.
- Wet in wet
Painting into wet paper for soft, spreading colour.
- Wet on dry
Painting on dry paper for defined shapes and control.
- Hard and soft edges
Making both kinds of edge, and softening one deliberately.
- Blooms and backruns
Why they form, how to prevent them and when to use them.
Build up layers
Layers add depth when each one goes down in a planned order. Work out the sequence first, then glaze transparent colour over dry work.
- Working light to dark
Planning lights, middle values and darks in order.
- Glazing
Transparent layers over dry paint.
- How long to wait between layers
Signs that a layer is dry, and safe ways to shorten the pause.
Add texture
Texture can come from the brush as well as from the paint itself. Drybrush leaves broken marks that suggest a surface without weighing the painting down.
- Drybrush
Broken, textured strokes from a lightly loaded brush.
- Granulating pigments
Texture that comes from the pigment, from the Materials guides.
Lift and correct
Some changes are still possible after the paint goes down, but paper has limits. These guides help you choose the gentlest correction and protect the whites you planned.
- Lifting without damaging the paper
Removing paint, wet or dry, while protecting the surface.
- Fixing mistakes without overworking
Choosing the smallest useful correction, and when to stop.
- Keeping whites without white paint
Painting around, masking, lifting or adding opaque accents.
Mix colour
Clean mixing starts with knowing what each paint contributes. Begin with two paints, then use neutrals to quiet a colour without turning it to mud.
- Colour mixing for beginners
A first mixing procedure with two paints.
- Mixing neutrals without mud
Subdued greys and darks, and how to avoid a disturbed wash.