Watercolor painting has its own history and traditions. It first appeared in China in the 12th century, although even in Ancient Egypt they used opaque watercolors with the addition of white.
It’s interesting, because one of the characteristic features of watercolor paints is their transparency, and sets never contain white. In medieval Europe, as in Rus', opaque watercolors were used to color church books or manuscripts in which capital letters or ornaments were highlighted in watercolor.
Water based paints
What ancient Egyptian, medieval and later paints have in common is that the solvent for them is water - aqua. Hence the name aquarelle, or watercolor. This term applies both to the paints themselves and to the type of painting made with them. The main features of pure watercolor are the above-mentioned transparency and purity of color. Watercolor painting is usually delicate, fragile and airy. But until the middle of the 13th century, it had a purely applied nature; it was mainly used for coloring drawings, engravings, and frescoes. Although such a masterpiece as “The Hare” by Albrecht Durer, considered a textbook work, was written back in 1502.
From isolated hobbies to universal recognition
Remarkable isolated examples were encountered later, but these were the exception to the rule. Such generally recognized brush masters as Van Dyck, Giovanni Castiglione and Claude Laurent dabbled in watercolors. In England, it received special development thanks to Joseph Turner. Although even before him, watercolor painting was promoted by quite venerable English artists. Under Turner, watercolor became the leading painting in this country, and in 1804 the Society of Watercolorists was created in England.
Wonderful foreign watercolorists
Watercolor came into fashion in France, other countries of Europe and America. It can be added that at the instigation of the Argentine artist Rojo, International Watercolor Day was declared. It was first noted on November 23, 2001.
In the public domain you can see the amazing watercolor works of the Japanese artist Abe Toshiyuki, who achieves photographic precision in his extraordinary paintings.
Great Russian masters
How did watercolor painting develop in Russia? The first major master in this art form was P. F. Sokolov (1791-1848), who is considered the founder of the genre of Russian watercolor portrait. An academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts, he left a cross-section of the era for posterity, as he captured contemporary Russia in his landscapes, portraits, and everyday scenes. Karl Bryullov and A. A. Ivanov paid tribute to watercolors. In the 18th-19th centuries she became very popular, especially the miniatures she made. But large works created with water paints are also remarkable. Especially good are the paintings by Ilya Repin, Mikhail Vrubel, Valentin Serov, and the artists of the World of Art. The Society of Russian Watercolor Painters was created in 1887.
The beauty of watercolor landscapes
Water paints are suitable for all genres of painting, but landscapes are especially good. Watercolors can convey subtle color transitions, the saturation of space with air, the richness of each tone. That’s why flowering gardens in landscapes painted in aquarelle are so uniquely beautiful and colorful.
The work of the English artist Beatrice E. Parsons (1870-1955) is especially good. Watercolor landscapes, in particular winter ones, made by Russian masters are unique and inimitable. A selection of Russian winter landscapes created by various watercolorists is widely available.
Characteristic techniques
How are effects unique to watercolor achieved? It is characterized by special techniques, it has its own rules and, of course, its own paints prepared in a special way. Blurring and streaking are specific techniques of this genre. We must immediately make a reservation that painting with watercolors is a rather complex matter, requiring special skill.
Nowadays, with the availability of a huge number of master classes and tips on the Internet on how to replace masterly use of a brush with various tricks, you can come across the statement that everyone can draw. Not all. And such a technique as glazing is available only to strong professionals. There are also such techniques as “wash”, “alla prima”, “dry brush”, “drops” and “wet”. Only virtuosos master them perfectly.
Painting on paper
In the second half of the 19th century, easel watercolor developed, the works of which are not inferior to oil painting. Their significant difference is not only in the colors, but also in the material on which the works are created. In watercolor it is paper, less often silk. And this makes drawing in watercolors similar to graphics.
When creating paintings with water paints, the paper is sometimes pre-wetted (the “wet” technique), the stroke takes on a special spread-out shape, and the one applied next to it forms, merging with the previous one, a new shade, which is sometimes even difficult to predict.
Special devices
The paper dries quickly and warps. Therefore, the sheet must be tensioned. This is achieved in several ways. You can place a damp sheet on the glass and then tilt it at the desired angle during work in order to better conserve moisture in the desired area. It is clear that this method is not available to a beginner. There are special frames for tensioning the sheet. They are called erasers. To retain moisture, place a damp flannel under the paper. It all depends on the ratio of paint and water, and completely different shades are achieved. Various aids have been created for different techniques, such as a tablet and watercolor blocks.
Tools
Each watercolorist has his own technique. Watercolor and all its virtuoso techniques are not so easy to master; you need to make a lot of paper, which is divided by quality into several types - Bristol cardboard, Whatman paper, torchon and many other types, adapted for frequent wetting. Watercolorists use brushes made from delicate squirrel hair. Such brushes are even used in forensic science. Marten, ferret and badger hair are suitable.
When working with water-based paints, there is a lot that is included in the concept of “technique”. You can work with watercolors, as mentioned above, on both dry and wet paper. In the first case, there are their own techniques, in the second - their own. When making a drawing directly with paints, the paper, even initially wet, is still dried. Applying several layers to obtain depth and iridescence of color (glazing) involves only dry cardboard.
The most common technique
Painting with watercolors “on wet”, or “on wet”, or “wet on wet” is unique and inherent only in this painting genre. True, frescoes are painted on damp soil, and some experts consider them to be the forerunner of watercolors made using the “wet” technique. A soft brushstroke and a one-of-a-kind texture of the paint layer are the specifics of working with watercolors “on wet”. In addition, in these works there is an effect of tremulousness and movement of the image. Then you can introduce a drawing with a pen or pencil into the dried watercolor, especially since watercolor pencils appeared not so long ago. The essence of watercolor is that a white or light tone is obtained due to the cardboard showing through a transparent layer of paint.
Actually paints
What about paints? Their quality is achieved by special grinding of the pigment and its quantity in the original product. To prevent the pigment from rolling into balls, ox bile is added to the paint, which is a surfactant that reduces tension. Easily water-soluble adhesives gum arabic and dextrin (processed corn and potato starch) are added to paints as binders.
To give them elasticity and plasticity, plasticizers such as glycerin are added to them, and invert sugar retains moisture well. The most important complaint about water-based paint is the uniformity of the coloring pigment. Bad colors remain on the paper in the form of grains of sand. This is an indicator of paint failure.
Watercolor marinas
It was noted above that water paints are unusually good for depicting landscapes. The sea especially wins. Watercolor, with all the techniques and methods available only to it, can depict all the exciting beauty of the water space. And then, maybe there is something in painting water with water-based paints? Maybe that’s why there are so many lessons for beginners in watercolor painting on how to paint the sea? And how consonant with the expanse of water are such watercolor techniques as “drops” or “blowing”. In addition to them, wax crayons can be used in the marina to cover the cardboard in order to preserve the white areas.
All sorts of different ways
Methods such as bleaching, punching, spraying, using masking tape and many others, used by watercolorists, especially beginners, will help not only to depict the sea in watercolors, but also turn the work into a fun activity, especially if you paint with a child. But in serious adult works, various techniques are also used. Sometimes, to achieve the desired effect, you can put the brush down and try something else. What the masters resort to: cling film, foam, salt, stamping and much more - the imagination of a person, especially an artistically gifted one, is limitless.
In our time, when the information field is so wide, when in any genre of fine or applied art, which we had never heard of before, you can not only try yourself, but also exhibit your work, a great many people have discovered their talents and decided on a direction developing your own skills. Moreover, on any issue there is a lot of available advice, master classes, recommendations and opportunities to purchase the necessary items and tools for this type of creativity. Watercolor painting for beginners does not stand aside. Dozens of lessons and step-by-step descriptions of absolutely everything related to water paints are widely available.
Watercolor painting has its own history and traditions. It first appeared in China in the 12th century, although even in Ancient Egypt they used opaque watercolors with the addition of white.
It’s interesting, because one of the characteristic features of watercolor paints is their transparency, and sets never contain white. In medieval Europe, as in Rus', opaque watercolors were used to color church books or manuscripts in which capital letters or ornaments were highlighted in watercolor.
Water based paints
What ancient Egyptian, medieval and later paints have in common is that the solvent for them is water - aqua. Hence the name aquarelle, or watercolor. This term applies both to the paints themselves and to the type of painting made with them. The main features of pure watercolor are the above-mentioned transparency and purity of color. Watercolor painting is usually delicate, fragile and airy. But until the middle of the 13th century, it had a purely applied nature; it was mainly used for coloring drawings, engravings, and frescoes. Although such a masterpiece as “The Hare” by Albrecht Durer, considered a textbook work, was written back in 1502.
From isolated hobbies to universal recognition
Remarkable isolated examples were encountered later, but these were the exception to the rule. Such generally recognized brush masters as Van Dyck, Giovanni Castiglione and Claude Laurent dabbled in watercolors. In England, it received special development thanks to Joseph Turner. Although even before him, watercolor painting was promoted by quite venerable English artists. Under Turner, watercolor became the leading painting in this country, and in 1804 the Society of Watercolorists was created in England.
Wonderful foreign watercolorists
Watercolor came into fashion in France, other countries of Europe and America. It can be added that at the instigation of the Argentine artist Rojo, International Watercolor Day was declared. It was first noted on November 23, 2001.
In the public domain you can see the amazing watercolor works of the Japanese artist Abe Toshiyuki, who achieves photographic precision in his extraordinary paintings.
Great Russian masters
How did watercolor painting develop in Russia? The first major master in this art form was P. F. Sokolov (1791-1848), who is considered the founder of the genre of Russian watercolor portrait. An academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts, he left a cross-section of the era for posterity, as he captured contemporary Russia in his landscapes, portraits, and everyday scenes. Karl Bryullov and A. A. Ivanov paid tribute to watercolors. In the 18th-19th centuries she became very popular, especially the miniatures she made. But large works created with water paints are also remarkable. Especially good are the paintings by Ilya Repin, Mikhail Vrubel, Valentin Serov, and the artists of the World of Art. The Society of Russian Watercolor Painters was created in 1887.
The beauty of watercolor landscapes
Water paints are suitable for all genres of painting, but landscapes are especially good. Watercolors can convey subtle color transitions, the saturation of space with air, the richness of each tone. That’s why flowering gardens in landscapes painted in aquarelle are so uniquely beautiful and colorful.
The work of the English artist Beatrice E. Parsons (1870-1955) is especially good. Watercolor landscapes, in particular winter ones, made by Russian masters are unique and inimitable. A selection of Russian winter landscapes created by various watercolorists is widely available.
Characteristic techniques
How are effects unique to watercolor achieved? It is characterized by special techniques, it has its own rules and, of course, its own paints prepared in a special way. Blurring and streaking are specific techniques of this genre. We must immediately make a reservation that painting with watercolors is a rather complex matter, requiring special skill.
Nowadays, with the availability of a huge number of master classes and tips on the Internet on how to replace masterly use of a brush with various tricks, you can come across the statement that everyone can draw. Not all. And such a technique as glazing is available only to strong professionals. There are also such techniques as “wash”, “alla prima”, “dry brush”, “drops” and “wet”. Only virtuosos master them perfectly.
Painting on paper
In the second half of the 19th century, easel watercolor developed, the works of which are not inferior to oil painting. Their significant difference is not only in the colors, but also in the material on which the works are created. In watercolor it is paper, less often silk. And this makes drawing in watercolors similar to graphics.
When creating paintings with water paints, the paper is sometimes pre-wetted (the “wet” technique), the stroke takes on a special spread-out shape, and the one applied next to it forms, merging with the previous one, a new shade, which is sometimes even difficult to predict.
Special devices
The paper dries quickly and warps. Therefore, the sheet must be tensioned. This is achieved in several ways. You can place a damp sheet on the glass and then tilt it at the desired angle during work in order to better conserve moisture in the desired area. It is clear that this method is not available to a beginner. There are special frames for tensioning the sheet. They are called erasers. To retain moisture, place a damp flannel under the paper. It all depends on the ratio of paint and water, and completely different shades are achieved. Various aids have been created for different techniques, such as a tablet and watercolor blocks.
Tools
Each watercolorist has his own technique. Watercolor and all its virtuoso techniques are not so easy to master; you need to make a lot of paper, which is divided by quality into several types - Bristol cardboard, Whatman paper, torchon and many other types, adapted for frequent wetting. Watercolorists use brushes made from delicate squirrel hair. Such brushes are even used in forensic science. Marten, ferret and badger hair are suitable.
When working with water-based paints, there is a lot that is included in the concept of “technique”. You can work with watercolors, as mentioned above, on both dry and wet paper. In the first case, there are their own techniques, in the second - their own. When making a drawing directly with paints, the paper, even initially wet, is still dried. Applying several layers to obtain depth and iridescence of color (glazing) involves only dry cardboard.
The most common technique
Painting with watercolors “on wet”, or “on wet”, or “wet on wet” is unique and inherent only in this painting genre. True, frescoes are painted on damp soil, and some experts consider them to be the forerunner of watercolors made using the “wet” technique. A soft brushstroke and a one-of-a-kind texture of the paint layer are the specifics of working with watercolors “on wet”. In addition, in these works there is an effect of tremulousness and movement of the image. Then you can introduce a drawing with a pen or pencil into the dried watercolor, especially since watercolor pencils appeared not so long ago. The essence of watercolor is that a white or light tone is obtained due to the cardboard showing through a transparent layer of paint.
Actually paints
What about paints? Their quality is achieved by special grinding of the pigment and its quantity in the original product. To prevent the pigment from rolling into balls, ox bile is added to the paint, which is a surfactant that reduces tension. Easily water-soluble adhesives gum arabic and dextrin (processed corn and potato starch) are added to paints as binders.
To give them elasticity and plasticity, plasticizers such as glycerin are added to them, and invert sugar retains moisture well. The most important complaint about water-based paint is the uniformity of the coloring pigment. Bad colors remain on the paper in the form of grains of sand. This is an indicator of paint failure.
Watercolor marinas
It was noted above that water paints are unusually good for depicting landscapes. The sea especially wins. Watercolor, with all the techniques and methods available only to it, can depict all the exciting beauty of the water space. And then, maybe there is something in painting water with water-based paints? Maybe that’s why there are so many lessons for beginners in watercolor painting on how to paint the sea? And how consonant with the expanse of water are such watercolor techniques as “drops” or “blowing”. In addition to them, wax crayons can be used in the marina to cover the cardboard in order to preserve the white areas.
All sorts of different ways
Methods such as bleaching, punching, spraying, using masking tape and many others, used by watercolorists, especially beginners, will help not only to depict the sea in watercolors, but also turn the work into a fun activity, especially if you paint with a child. But in serious adult works, various techniques are also used. Sometimes, to achieve the desired effect, you can put the brush down and try something else. What the masters resort to: cling film, foam, salt, stamping and much more - the imagination of a person, especially an artistically gifted one, is limitless.
In our time, when the information field is so wide, when in any genre of fine or applied art, which we had never heard of before, you can not only try yourself, but also exhibit your work, a great many people have discovered their talents and decided on a direction developing your own skills. Moreover, on any issue there is a lot of available advice, master classes, recommendations and opportunities to purchase the necessary items and tools for this type of creativity. Watercolor painting for beginners does not stand aside. Dozens of lessons and step-by-step descriptions of absolutely everything related to water paints are widely available.
Surprisingly light, airy watercolors evoke an irresistible desire to take brushes and paints and create a masterpiece. But it requires preparation - these paints are not as easy to work with as they might seem at first glance. Knowledge of the law of vision of tone, fluency with a brush and the technique of applying paint to paper is only basic knowledge, but the airiness and transparency of the work can only be achieved through experience.
Painting with watercolors requires careful selection of relief, type, grain and sizing - everything matters. Paints apply, absorb and dry differently depending on the type of paper.
Watercolor painting techniques are magical and original: on wet and dry paper, washing, pouring, multi-layer and mixed techniques, painting with ink or palette knife, using salt.
Painting on wet paper creates airiness, transparency, the flow of one color into another and is used to create landscapes. The paint is applied to a pre-moistened sheet of paper and, depending on the degree of humidity, spreads more or less over the sheet. The technique requires experience, mastery of the brush and constant self-control, because if the paint spreads in the wrong direction, it is almost impossible to correct the mistake.
Dry painting allows you to clearly control the flow of the paper, the shape of the strokes and the density of tone. You can write:
- with a dry brush on a dry sheet in one layer, achieving airiness;
- with a wet brush on a dry sheet, applying one stroke to the edge of the wet one next to it, creating iridescence.
Glazing or multi-layer painting creates rich colors, light and shade, and emphasizes the texture of objects. Painting with watercolors in this technique is done layer by layer, the top one is applied to the already dried bottom one, often the work takes place in several stages. Works made using the glazing technique are reminiscent of gouache works in the density of strokes, and therefore only experienced artists can give the picture transparency.
An interesting technique for working with salt is that when it gets on a wet layer, it absorbs some of the paint, forming stains. But the sheet should not be too wet, otherwise the salt will dissolve. Large crystals form large patterns that look like stars or flowers, while small crystals create images of falling snow, foam, and small inflorescences.
Filling is a watercolor painting technique in which a sheet of paper is covered with a layer of diluted paint. You can cover the surface with a wide brush or sponge. Filling can be:
The complexity of this technique is that the layers can turn out uneven, with clear boundaries, interspersed...
Improving this technique will greatly simplify the work with large format paintings, open landscapes, and spatial subjects.
Mixing all the techniques will turn watercolor painting into a fun and exciting activity.
The result will be a watercolor masterpiece.
Painting with watercolors is back in fashion. Why is it impossible to make a copy of a watercolor drawing and what are the secrets of watercolor paints? Watercolor painting festivals are held annually in different countries of the world. The works that won prizes amaze first of all with their realism. Competition entries are not at all like painting with watercolors - rather, you see photographs with bright and at the same time natural colors, clear contours, and an interesting plot.
Painting with watercolors did not immediately gain popularity. Its heyday was at the end of the 19th century. Watercolor came into fashion when the worldview changed: people began to evaluate themselves, the area in which they live, and the beauty of nature differently. Watercolor became popular when people became more aware of the fragility of Beauty and their existence.
Perhaps it is precisely this – the awareness of the fragility of the world – that has caused the current renaissance of watercolors?
Painting with watercolors - no room for error
They say that it is impossible to make an exact copy of a watercolor drawing, because watercolor is style, mood, light, harmony of nature and the artist’s intention, that is, something that cannot be repeated. The main feature of painting with watercolors is plastic color transitions, atmospheric effects, and optical illusions that permeate the image.
In a watercolor painting, the colors imperceptibly move and penetrate each other. Often a watercolor canvas is blurred spots of color: the more blurred the spot, the more secrets there are in the painting, the better the viewer’s imagination works - it penetrates through the layer of paint into the artist’s plan.
Watercolor is a complex material that in many cases does not tolerate correction. The desire to correct it often leads to blurred, incomprehensible colors and dirt. Therefore, a master of watercolor painting is a professional with a capital P, capable of painting a masterpiece in a limited number of hours, applying strokes to paper only once.
Brief description of the basic techniques for working with watercolors
- Based on the moisture content of the paper, a distinction is made between “wet” watercolor and “dry” watercolor. In the first method, watercolor paints are applied to a damp sheet - this technique allows you to achieve lightness, transparency, and “blurriness” of the image. There are special techniques to keep the sheet wet while working. In the second case, paints are applied to a dry sheet - this method allows you to get clear contours, pure and rich colors. A combined working style is also practiced. Sometimes a master of watercolor painting has to work very quickly: a technique when the work is painted quickly, in one go, is called a la prima. In this case, the smear is applied only once.
- Based on the number of layers, a distinction is made between single-layer and multi-layer watercolors (or glaze). The latter is used when they want to get visible boundaries of strokes, to achieve some texture from the drawing. Sloppy strokes of multilayer painting with watercolors at first glance contribute to the creation of bright, realistic, three-dimensional paintings.
Sometimes watercolor paints are used as an auxiliary tool in other types of painting, or, on the contrary, watercolor drawings are modified with other artistic materials. Most often, watercolor is used in combination with oil paints, tempera, and pastels.
Professional watercolor paints
We all know what children's watercolors are. They are usually sold in round cuvettes so that the child can mix water and pigment directly into them to his heart's content. Professional paints are produced in rectangular ditches or tubes - this makes it convenient to control the consumption of material.
It is known that white color is not used in watercolors - the background of the paper acts as white color in painting with watercolors: transparent paints lie harmoniously on a white sheet and become luminous. As for brushes, acrylic paints love “synthetic” paints, but watercolor paints are more inclined to use natural brushes. Column and squirrel brushes are good for watercolor paintings.
“Nevskaya Palitra” is the best choice for painting with watercolors
The sets of professional watercolor paints “Leningrad” (now “St. Petersburg”) and “White Nights” from the ZKH “Nevskaya Palitra” deserved the most compliments from artists in Korolev. Advantages of these sets:
- natural, pure, bright, transparent colors;
- quality pigments;
- color fastness after drying;
- efficiency.
Watercolor paints “Sonnet” are a budget option and are more suitable for beginning artists. Painting with watercolors is quite an expensive pleasure, but a professional set will last an artist for many years. Sets of paints from reputable manufacturers are complemented by a convenient plastic palette and brush; can be produced in wooden gift cases. You can also buy watercolor paints individually.
What subjects does watercolor like?
Watercolor techniques are suitable for any subject. Vrubel masterfully painted portraits and plot sketches in watercolors. But most of all (mutually) watercolor is in love with the landscape. Painting with watercolors is a fragile young autumn, when chrysanthemums and asters are blooming, the leaves are just beginning to turn yellow, nature is alive, the colors are bright, but you can already feel some kind of fragility, the inevitability of cold and rain.
Watercolor is a mood, it is illusions and motives, it is penetration, the fragility of our feelings, the visual embodiment of our dreams. This is modern watercolor.
Watercolor paints are one of the most loved by artists. Firstly, watercolor has a lot of different techniques, and secondly, with its help you can create a beautiful drawing, even if you don’t know how to draw at all.
These techniques will help beginners learn how to draw, and professionals will refresh their memory and find inspiration and ideas.
1. Painting with a flat brush
Step 1
Draw a square or rectangle to mark the start and end of the layer.
Select a darker shade (it's easier to see) and starting in the top left corner, touch your brush to the paper and gently draw a straight line all the way to the top right corner.
But: Left-handers should draw from the right corner to the left.
Step 2
Fill your brush with paint again.
Start the next stroke from the bottom edge of the first, trying to cover the accumulation of paint that has formed at the bottom of the first stroke.
Hint 1: If the buildup of paint in the first stroke does not flow completely into the second, then increase the angle of your easel to help the paint flow freely.
Hint 2: By increasing the angle of inclination, you also increase the chances of getting uncontrollable paint flows. So try to work faster or have something like a rag or sponge on hand to quickly clean up spills.
Step 3
Repeat the previous step, also trying to cover the accumulation of paint in the top stroke.
Hint 3: You can use the flat edge of the brush to “cut” the beginning of the layer and make it even.
Hint 4: If you want to smooth out the end edge of a layer, then at the end of the stroke, pause and move the brush up and then down as you would with the beginning edge.
Hint 5: If the stroke turns out to be intermittent, then immediately fill the brush with paint and re-stroke it.
Step 4
Repeat the previous steps until the very end. Try to stick to the same paint tone.
Hint 6: You won't believe how different the behavior of brushes, paints and paper can be between different brands. Typically, more expensive and popular brands make your job easier by providing high quality products.
Hint 7: If your strokes are choppy even though your brush is full of paint, you are using paper that is too thick or the paper is too rough in texture. If you come across such paper, spray it with water, blot it with a clean sponge and let it dry. This will make the surface more receptive to your paint.
Step 5
Rinse the brush and squeeze out all remaining water from it. Gently pick up any clumps of paint left from the bottom of the final stroke with your brush, but don't pick up too much paint or you will discolor your drawing.
To create more texture in your design, let it dry at an angle. This will give the paint a more interesting look.
Gradient
Step 1
Draw a square or rectangle. Then dip your brush into a darker shade of paint (mix on your palette) and carefully brush over the stroke.
Step 2
Dry your brush with a sponge or paper towel and dip it again in a lighter shade.
Then draw a new stroke, overlapping the bottom of the previous one. Notice that the left side of the layer has already merged with the previous stroke. Let gravity do its thing.
Step 3
Rinse the brush again and dry it. And then refill the brush with paint and make another stroke. Repeat this process until the very end.
Hint 1: If your stroke breaks or doesn't go on as smoothly as you'd like, quickly refill your brush with paint and repeat the coat.
Step 4
Rinse the brush with clean water, dry it and pick up any remaining paint.
Hint 2: Try this technique by working with different colors and creating interesting transitions.
Watercolor glaze
Step 1
This technique requires improvisation and imagination. Using the example, we will draw an improvised landscape.
First we paint the sky and river with blue paint. We will separate the paint with a small amount of water, this will be a waterfall.
Step 2
Draw the clouds in dark pink and start drawing the mountain in yellow. We will also mark the bottom part of the picture in yellow.
The example uses light and transparent tones so you can see how the layers interact.
Step 3
By mixing cobalt blue and ultramarine blue, we will paint the horizon of the mountain and shade the small yellow slope.
Hint 1: allow each layer to dry. You can use a hair dryer to speed up this process. Keep it at least 25-30 cm away, turn on the cool setting and set the hair dryer to the lightest air flow. No steam or hot air!
Step 4
To shade and add interesting colors, we use orange. With its help we will create the shores in the foreground and shade the sky.
Hint 2: If you get droplets of excess paint, rinse and dry your brush as you did in the previous techniques, and pick up the droplets with it.
Step 5
Please note that the images show different paint brushes. You can use the ones you have on hand.
Take a dark blue color and use it to highlight the top of the mountain, varying the pressure on the brush and turning it to create an interesting texture.
Step 6
Using the same blue color, let's play with the waterfall by drawing some circles. Sometimes visual clichés become your friends.
Let's rinse the brush and pick up the yellow color, we will use it to add visual details to our shores.
Step 7
After the paint has dried, shade the bubbles in the waterfall with a shade of purple. This way we will make them more interesting.
Step 8
We need to link some elements and add trees. In the example, we used round templates for the crowns, but you can draw as you like.
Step 9
We will use brown color to depict tree trunks. We will also use blue to shade the water and sky a little more. Then, using pink, blue and green, we will paint the grass in the foreground.
Step 10
Use a mixture of pink and red to add the final details. Our trees are now bearing fruit, and several fruits lie under them.
If you look closely, you can see how each layer interacts with each other. A darker shade has more power, but when the colors overlap each other, they create an interesting and beautiful combination.
“Wet” technique
Step 1
Wet the paper with water
Step 2
Blot the paper with a clean sponge, removing excess water. Try to achieve an even distribution of moisture throughout the paper, you should get a satin effect.
If the paper is shiny, it means it is too wet, blot it again.
Step 3
We will draw the landscape again. Let's start, of course, from the sky. Using this technique, it is easier to draw the background first, then moving on to the foreground objects.
Step 4
We continue to draw the sky until we start to like it. The strokes will blur, creating an interesting effect.
Step 5
Now let's move on to the grass in the foreground. Using green, we will make several broad strokes, leaving space for the stones.
As the paper dries, the strokes blur less and less.
Step 6
Let's add forms. To do this, we use different shades of green and draw trees on the horizon.
Step 7
Having added the trees, let's try to add texture to them. To do this, use a darker shade of green to create accents.
Step 8
Add stones using gray color. We filled in the gaps in the foreground with this color, leaving some gaps.
Try to use either dark or cool shades. Using both dark and cool shades will create visual dissonance.
Step 9
Let's place accents to diversify the design. Using a crimson tint, we will depict several floral elements in the foreground. Let the crimson flow as it pleases. Then, using a dry brush, remove the color from the middle of the spots.
Step 10
Then drop clean water into the center of these spots to allow them to blend into the grass.
The hardest part about this technique is knowing when to stop. Overdoing it with blurs and colors will result in a messy drawing.
This technique gives a slightly strange but interesting result. A drawing made using this technique has a hypnotizing effect.
Dry brush painting
Step 1
We think the name of the technique speaks for itself. We will need to put paint on the brush, blot it from excess liquid with a paper towel or sponge, and then paint.
First, let's make a pencil sketch. After this, we roughly outline the sky by moving the brush over the surface of the paper.
Step 2
Let's paint the trees on the horizon line in green, outlining what will later become our lake.
Then, mixing purple and blue, we will draw the first layer of the tree trunk.
Step 3
Let the drawing dry and add some elements: the reflection of a tree in the lake and the flow of water.
Mixing green and blue, shade the shore in the background of the image and let the drawing dry again.
Step 4
Mix an intense blue with ultramarine and paint a layer on the tree trunk to create shadows and bark texture.
Step 5
Then, using shades of orange, we will depict an autumn landscape by painting over the background trees.
Step 6
Having finished with the previous step, use a light orange tint to depict the reflection of the trees in the water.
Also, mixing gray with blue, we will place dark accents on the trees.
We will also add trees on the other side of the horizon. Let's denote the tree shapes in orange.
Step 7
Let's take care of the water. Use dark green and brown to achieve the desired color. And with wave-like movements we will draw the water in the lake.
Step 8
When painting a lake, change the pressure on your brush to add texture.
Clue: if the brush is too wet, the paint will look flat. Dry the brush to intensify the colors.
Step 9
Let's add some grass under the tree, using the same color as for the grass in the background.
Step 10
Let's add some details to the foreground.
We will also darken the lake a little by adding a blue tint. We’ll also shade the sky with the same color.
Removing moisture
This technique will require several sponges. It is suitable for depicting clouds and soft light. It can also control the behavior of paints.
Sponges
Makeup sponges are best. They absorb well and give an interesting effect.
Try not to rub the sponge on the paper, and if you do, do it very carefully so as not to damage the paper.
Paper towels
With their help you can create sharper highlights. But paper towels absorb huge amounts of paint very quickly. Therefore, they can completely absorb fresh paint.
Paper towels can come in handy if you make a mistake. Then you can quickly remove the paint.
Dry brush
You can use a dry brush to create a design using this technique. To do this, rinse thoroughly and squeeze out the brush. With its help you can create clear lines.
Other methods:
- You can spray water where you want to remove the paint and then soak it up with a sponge.
- Use different fabrics to add texture
- You can use your fingers or other body parts. Skin can also absorb moisture.
Discoloration of dried paint
Watercolor brushes
Use clean water and a cloth, wet the desired areas, gently rub the drawing and remove the moisture with a dry brush. This method allows you to control the areas you lighten.
Brushes for oil or acrylic paint
Stiff bristles allow you to quickly scrape paint off the desired area. But it is worth noting that this method can damage the paper, so control yourself.
Here, just like in the first method, you first need to wet the area and then brush it on.
Spray and towel
Take a spray bottle and spray the desired area, and then apply a paper towel to it. This method leaves large light spots and gives an interesting effect.
Sandpaper
It is very rarely used, as it can damage the paper. It's best used at the end to add texture. You don't need water for this method, just rub the design where you want it.
Blades and knives
Can be used to highlight small areas and create crisp lines. This method is also very risky as it can damage the paper.
Sponges
You can also use sponges. Wet the desired area and dry it with a sponge.
