Wondering how to paint with watercolor? Here are 3 easy tips to help along the way.
3 Tips for Learning How to Paint with Watercolor
If you're new to watercolor, it can feel somewhat difficult the first time. Since watercolor is a 'loose' art medium, there is not as much control of your paint, and it can feel difficult to paint with as a beginner.
These easy tips are perfect for any beginner wanting to build a foundation before painting with watercolor. I've collected the top three tips I wish I'd known when I started watercolor painting, and condensed them into a list with simple explanations and clear visuals.
After understanding these 3 watercolor fundamentals, you'll be able to step into a watercolor hobby with confidence.
Materials to Gather Before You Start:
- Blank watercolor paper
- A cup of water
- Paper towels
- A set of watercolors
- A small paintbrush or set (usually size 5 or 6 round brush)
You can browse all my favorite supplies here.
3 Tips for Making Watercolor Easy:
1. Work light to dark.
Watercolor is a unique paint in its transparency. Since you can always see through watercolor due to its thin nature, when you start painting, you always start with a light layer of color first.
After painting a light layer of base color, simply darken the necessary areas to add further color to your piece. Add more paint for more details or for shadows, and leave the lightest areas of your painting with only the initial thin layer of color.
This technique takes a while to master, but if you enter into watercolor painting knowing that you need to paint light to dark, you will have a much easier time understanding how your paint is being applied.
2. To lighten a color, add more water.
There's no such thing as a pure white watercolor. Watercolor is not 'opaque,' meaning you can see through it since it is a thin painting medium. Because of this, to lighten a color, you simply add more water.
For example, want light pink? Dip your wet paintbrush in pink pigment, and add water until it's the shade you're looking for. If you accidentally add too much paint pigment and/or water, you can always dab off the excess with a paper towel. It should remove the paint and leave a light enough mark so that you can simply paint over it when you try again.
The reverse is also true for this tip: To darken a color, add more paint. This will give you a higher saturation of pigment, and allow you to paint with a more vivid color.
3. Paper is crucial to your watercolor success.
This may sound simple, but I can't emphasize it enough. A good watercolor paper makes all the difference.
Watercolor paper has to be quite heavy in order to manage all the water + paint that is being added to it. If you paint on a normal piece of paper or even a kid sheet of marker paper, it will gum up, warp, and your paint will spread everywhere without your control.
A heavyweight, finely 'toothed' (or textured) paper means that it will be able to hold your watercolor in place without buckling and without disrupting the texture of the paper. A simple step, but it makes all the difference!
This is my absolute favorite watercolor paper, but for a more budget-friendly version, you can try this as well. Looking for a watercolor sketchbook? This sketchbook is made by a fellow artist, and it is phenomenal at holding up under any medium, including watercolor.
Congratulations! You've set a solid foundation for learning to paint in watercolor, and you're ready to start your own paintings or projects. Watercolor is a delightful practice and can be used to create so many things. Enjoy what you've learned, and keep practicing!
If you're looking for a first watercolor project, try our paintable DIY watercolor cards. Perfect for beginners and a sweet gift for friends, these cards are a simple and enjoyable project for beginning watercolor artists.
Happy painting!
Caroline Ann