For many of us, watercolor is a simple kind of paint that we got acquainted with it in primary school. More importantly, it was a kind of paint mostly overshadowed by various pastel paintings or colored pencils sets at that time. However, the works with watercolor show that it deserves to receive more attention. Having a unique spirit, freedom, and softness, watercolor is pretty eye-pleasing but at the same time, it is a bit intimidating. So, what should those who want to start watercolor painting pay attention to? We have listed them as 7 tips for you.
Choosing paints and deciding which colors you want can seem quite overwhelming, but focus on the colors you need rather than the colors you want. By mixing the colors you have, you can get many different colors. Start with the basic colors: yellow, red and blue. You can create the secondary and tertiary colors yourself or you can buy some ready-made sets and create a wide range of colors.
With so many different options and brands, brushes look quite attractive, right? However, all you need is one round brush. The tip of the watercolor brushes is pointy, which allows painting without the need for a second brush for details. However, for very fine details, you can choose a small and medium-sized round brush.
Watercolor papers are different. They are heavier and their surfaces have texture. This is because they are designed to absorb water and to let people use water in a controlled way. So make sure you don’t use a regular A4 paper, and buy a cold-pressed watercolor book weighing 300 gr/ m².
Before you start, you know we need to use water to activate the paints. So keep 2 cups of water with you. Use the first one to activate the colour or clear the colour you used and the second one to go on painting with a new colour.
One of your closest friends is a tissue paper. You can use it to eliminate the excess water when you load your brush with lots of it. It is also very useful for reducing excess water and color on your paper. Lastly, it gives you a chance to correct the mistakes you make on the paper, you can use it as an eraser!
Draw a sketch before you start painting, this will guide you. You can simply visualize the lights and shadows in the drawing. By doing so, you don’t waste your time and your paper. Once you are sure that your draft has the most basic lines, you are ready to paint.
You must go on a trial and error process to master your technique. You need to experiment to be able to control the amount of water and colors on your paper. Try the techniques you learn, see how the color mixes look on your paper. When you think your work is going wrong, explore the ways to fix it and observe the results. You will definitely get better results in time.