How to Paint With Watercolors

Looking to expand on your paint-by-number skills? Watercolor painting is a rewarding and expressive skill. The paints are made with color pigments suspended in a water-soluble base. You control the addition of water to create a luminous or striking painting. Watercolor paints are often chosen to render landscapes or natural scenes. Whatever you choose to paint, you'll need to buy supplies, get set up, and start practicing.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Getting Supplies

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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. Invest in mediocre quality watercolors. Cheap watercolors will become chalky and their color will be less colorful.^{[1]XResearch source}
- 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.^{[2]XExpert SourceKelly Medford
  Art Teacher & PainterExpert Interview. 2 July 2019.}
- Almost all watercolor paint containers have a square on the packaging that will tell you how transparent the paint is. A completely black square means opaque paint. A square filled halfway with black is semi-opaque paint. A square with a white filling is translucent paint.^{[3]XExpert SourceKelly Medford
  Art Teacher & PainterExpert Interview. 2 July 2019.}
- 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.
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.^{[4]XResearch source} Once you learn how to work with these fundamental colors, experiment with other paints.
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3
Select your brushes. 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 large flat brush, 1/2” or larger. 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. Be sure to look for “watercolor” brushes, which have soft bristles. Hard bristled “oil” brushes won't work.
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Buy watercolor paper. There's no going around this one if you want paintings that won't warp or bubble when you start to work. Printer paper will not work because it is too thin to contain the watercolors. 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.^{[5]XResearch source}
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.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Getting Started

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1
Set up your painting workspace. 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.^{[6]XExpert SourceKelly Medford
Art Teacher & PainterExpert Interview. 2 July 2019.}
- 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.
2
Arrange your paints, brushes, and water. 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.^{[7]XExpert SourceKelly Medford
Art Teacher & PainterExpert Interview. 2 July 2019.}
- 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.
3
Set up your paper. 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.
5
Understand how to use warm and cool colors. 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.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Learning the Basics of Watercolor Painting

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1
Learn how to mix a puddle. Pick a color of paint and dab a drop or two in your mixing tray. A round brush, size 8, is excellent for beginners. Do not use the flat brush pictured. 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. However, use more water for large spaces, such as the sky. Watercolor is done in layers, so if your area dries too light, add another layer of color.
- Fill your palette with the different colors you are using. Squeeze just a bit of each color into the individual palette wells.
2
Practice mixing colors. 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.
3
Load your brush with paint. 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.
4
Learn how to rinse out your brushes.You'll want to do this if you're changing colors, but using the same brush, or if you are finished painting for the day. 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. You may also swish the brush to release paint, yet not damage bristles. 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.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Mastering Common Techniques

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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.
7
Paint with your first color. 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.
8
Fully load the brush with the second color. 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.
This is a handy technique if you make a mistake or would like to make a unique effect. You can simply blot the area using a paper towel, or you can use the flat or tip of your brush for more precision.
14
Take a clean firm brush and moisten it. 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.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Practicing With a Simple Monochrome Mountain Landscape

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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.
2
Brush water across the top of the paper. 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.
3
Paint the sky. 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.
4
Load your brush with more paint and go over the top half of your sky again. 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.
6
Paint a mountain ridge. 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.
9
Continue painting right along the horizon line. 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.
10
Paint a lake in foreground. 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.
12
Finish painting the very bottom of your foreground. 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.

Expert Q&A

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Question
What are some advanced techniques in watercolor?
Kelly Medford
Art Teacher & Painter
Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.
Kelly Medford
Art Teacher & Painter
Expert Answer
Consider glazing your paper to add a subtle hue to your painting. Take a light, transparent color and dilute it with clean water, then paint over the area and let the glaze dry fully. You can do this either underneath your painting or on top of it. If you use a color like gamboge yellow under your painting, for instance, it will give the piece a soft glow, but you can also glaze over your shadows with a color like cobalt to help tone them down.
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Question
How can I paint grass to make it look real?
Kelly Medford
Art Teacher & Painter
Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.
Kelly Medford
Art Teacher & Painter
Expert Answer
Try splattering the paint to add movement. Dip a toothbrush in your water and paint, then hold it near the paper and run your thumb over the toothbrush. You can't necessarily paint every rock or blade of grass, so this technique can give your artwork some needed texture and movement.
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How can I add texture to my watercolors?
Kelly Medford
Art Teacher & Painter
Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.
Kelly Medford
Art Teacher & Painter
Expert Answer
If you want to add texture to your painting, like for foliage, take a brush that hardly has any water on it. Then, brush over the top of your paint to leave rough, uneven texture marks. It's called dry brushing, and it's great for creating texture.
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