*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Is there a specific process to follow when using watercolor pencils? What things should I do to ensure a better outcome when using this medium? What are some good watercolor pencil options for beginners just getting started? In this blog post, I'll be providing five key tips that will help make the learning process less frustrating and enable you to create amazing artwork as soon as possible. In the video included here, I'll also be sharing how I personally use watercolor pencils by painting a yellow rose. Watercolor pencils are not only an extremely versatile art medium, as they are simultaneously a drawing and a painting tool, but their practicality makes them ideal for many beginners that are short on time and space. They also allow for much more control when compared to regular watercolor paint and can help us start getting a feel for what it's like to work with watercolors without having to master water control. Watercolor pencils are basically watercolor pigment that has been encased in wood, in the form of a pencil. They can and can be used either with or without water to create different effects, which can range from a heavily-textured colored pencil look, to a smooth and painterly watercolor paint look. To create marks and colored pencil textures, we simply use them right on our paper, which can be completely bone dry or pre-wetted with clean water. Of course, the type of paper used has a great impact on the amount of texture created. Smoother paper will lead to smoother effects, while rougher paper will create more texturized effects, as the pigment isn't evenly distributed throughout the tooth of the paper. On the other hand, to create painterly effects, we lay down our color on our paper just as if we were using regular colored pencils and then smooth it out by going in with a dampened paintbrush. There's no need to use heaps of water for this. *You can also use the impromptu paint mixing palette method I demonstrate in the video included below. When using quality watercolor pencils, water really activates the pigment and makes the color look a lot brighter and bolder. These techniques can be used alone or in combination. For example, if you were painting a landscape, you could use more painterly techniques for your background, and more textured/detailing techniques for layers in your foreground. There is no specific process to follow when using this medium. It's use is going to depend on the specific style and effects you are personally going for with the piece on hand, which is why it's important to give thought to the overall look you want to create before starting. All this said, many of the regular watercolor "rules" (if they can even be called rules) apply. In the following video you'll see how, even though my general method is different to what I would do when I paint with regular watercolor paint, I still protect my highlights throughout the process, work from light and translucent to dark and saturated, and allow my paper to dry in between layers. In this past blog post/YouTube video, I do a comparison between regular watercolor paint and watercolor pencils, and share a complete demo in which I paint the same apple using both mediums. They are very similar, but very different at the same time! Watercolor Pencil Tips for Beginners
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2. Create your preliminary sketch lightly
One of the main characteristics that sets watercolors apart from other painting mediums such as acrylics, oils and gouache, is its translucency.
Because of this, if we create a preliminary sketch prior to starting with our painting process that's not very light, it will likely show through our paint.
There are lots of watercolor artists out there who like their line work to show through their paint, but if you don't want this to happen, it's important to make sure that you're outline sketch is created lightly. I usually use an HB pencil for this phase of the process and make sure I'm not exerting much pressure at all.
Being light-handed when creating your preliminary sketch will also help ensure that the graphite left behind on your watercolor paper won't dirty up the colors you start placing on top. You want your colors vibrant and fresh.
Something you can also do, is use a light colored watercolor pencil to create your preliminary sketch. This way, once you start using water, your line work will disappear completely as you go!
3. Plan the colors you'll be using before starting to paint
It's incredibly important for people starting on their painting journeys, to look into the color wheel and Color Theory.
Color is an Element of Art that not only plays a huge role in making an artwork look harmonious and cohesive, but knowledge about the color wheel enables us to create color mixtures effectively throughout the art-making process.
Over at my Patreon site, I offer sequential classes that cover all must-know Art Fundamentals. You can also get immediate access to my Drawing and Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Courses by becoming an art email insider here (the third class in the watercolor course is all about color).
Instead of randomly picking colors throughout the painting process, take five minutes to observe your reference picture and pick out the specific watercolor pencil colors you'll be using. Take them out of your package and place them beside you as you prepare for your new piece.
Don't only think about the colors of the subject in and of itself (ex. if I'm painting a gray cat I'm not only looking for different grays), but also think about what colors you'll be adding in to create your darkest values, cast shadows and background colors.
Take time to swatch your colors on a scrap piece of watercolor paper, as they really tend to look different once they are applied vs. the color shown on the pencil. Test any color mixtures you're planning on using.
Keep things limited and as simple as possible.
I promise, it'll make a huge difference in terms of both your organization during the process, as well as the outcome.
4. Use a good reference photo
If you're looking to create higher levels of realism, make sure you're stemming from a good reference photo (or have your subject in front of you in good lighting).
Not only will a good reference photo enable you to see details and the tiny nuances that will make your drawing or painting more realistic, but it will also provide you much needed information in terms of light behavior and locations of highlights, midtones and darks.
Remember, it's these different values (highlights, midtones and darks), that make drawings and paintings look three-dimensional. If you're unable to locate them in a photo reference, you'll have lots of trouble trying to recreate them.
Always make sure your reference photos have a great resolution that will enable you to see details and zoom in (if necessary), and that they show good lighting.
You'll know a photo has good lighting if it shows a good play between lights and darks. *Photos taken with flash are usually washed out and make everything look very flat, which makes the drawing and painting process a lot harder.
If you don't have a good reference to work from, you're basically guessing at what things look like and have to make your own conclusions in regards to where highlights, midtones and darks are located.
Unless you've been drawing or painting a specific subject for years, you're drawing or painting it the way you think that subject looks like, and not what it actually looks like in real life.
Learning to observe and learn all we can about the subjects we're interested in improving at by actually taking in all sorts of references (photos, life subjects, videos, etc.), is so important, as artists!
And, remember, just because you're using a reference, it doesn't mean you can't bring in your own creativity into your work.
5. Give thought to what kinds of effects you want to use in each area of your painting
Because watercolor pencils allow for so many different types of techniques, it can be very easy to get lost during the process and end up with effects we weren't intending to create.
Give thought to the specific techniques you'll be using, as well as when and where you'll be using each, throughout the painting process. This will make it much more likely that you'll end up with an outcome you'll love.
Think of how you can combine different techniques to create impactful and contrasting effects in your different layers (foreground, middleground, background), as well as how you can use them to bring more attention to your focal point.
There are so many ways you can go with watercolor pencils!
Explore, have fun and don't forget to bring in a bit of yourself into everything that you create. :)
2. Create your preliminary sketch lightly
One of the main characteristics that sets watercolors apart from other painting mediums such as acrylics, oils and gouache, is its translucency.
Because of this, if we create a preliminary sketch prior to starting with our painting process that's not very light, it will likely show through our paint.
There are lots of watercolor artists out there who like their line work to show through their paint, but if you don't want this to happen, it's important to make sure that you're outline sketch is created lightly. I usually use an HB pencil for this phase of the process and make sure I'm not exerting much pressure at all.
Being light-handed when creating your preliminary sketch will also help ensure that the graphite left behind on your watercolor paper won't dirty up the colors you start placing on top. You want your colors vibrant and fresh.
Something you can also do, is use a light colored watercolor pencil to create your preliminary sketch. This way, once you start using water, your line work will disappear completely as you go!
3. Plan the colors you'll be using before starting to paint
It's incredibly important for people starting on their painting journeys, to look into the color wheel and Color Theory.
Color is an Element of Art that not only plays a huge role in making an artwork look harmonious and cohesive, but knowledge about the color wheel enables us to create color mixtures effectively throughout the art-making process.
Over at my Patreon site, I offer sequential classes that cover all must-know Art Fundamentals. You can also get immediate access to my Drawing and Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Courses by becoming an art email insider here (the third class in the watercolor course is all about color).
Instead of randomly picking colors throughout the painting process, take five minutes to observe your reference picture and pick out the specific watercolor pencil colors you'll be using. Take them out of your package and place them beside you as you prepare for your new piece.
Don't only think about the colors of the subject in and of itself (ex. if I'm painting a gray cat I'm not only looking for different grays), but also think about what colors you'll be adding in to create your darkest values, cast shadows and background colors.
Take time to swatch your colors on a scrap piece of watercolor paper, as they really tend to look different once they are applied vs. the color shown on the pencil. Test any color mixtures you're planning on using.
Keep things limited and as simple as possible.
I promise, it'll make a huge difference in terms of both your organization during the process, as well as the outcome.
4. Use a good reference photo
If you're looking to create higher levels of realism, make sure you're stemming from a good reference photo (or have your subject in front of you in good lighting).
Not only will a good reference photo enable you to see details and the tiny nuances that will make your drawing or painting more realistic, but it will also provide you much needed information in terms of light behavior and locations of highlights, midtones and darks.
Remember, it's these different values (highlights, midtones and darks), that make drawings and paintings look three-dimensional. If you're unable to locate them in a photo reference, you'll have lots of trouble trying to recreate them.
Always make sure your reference photos have a great resolution that will enable you to see details and zoom in (if necessary), and that they show good lighting.
You'll know a photo has good lighting if it shows a good play between lights and darks. *Photos taken with flash are usually washed out and make everything look very flat, which makes the drawing and painting process a lot harder.
If you don't have a good reference to work from, you're basically guessing at what things look like and have to make your own conclusions in regards to where highlights, midtones and darks are located.
Unless you've been drawing or painting a specific subject for years, you're drawing or painting it the way you think that subject looks like, and not what it actually looks like in real life.
Learning to observe and learn all we can about the subjects we're interested in improving at by actually taking in all sorts of references (photos, life subjects, videos, etc.), is so important, as artists!
And, remember, just because you're using a reference, it doesn't mean you can't bring in your own creativity into your work.
5. Give thought to what kinds of effects you want to use in each area of your painting
Because watercolor pencils allow for so many different types of techniques, it can be very easy to get lost during the process and end up with effects we weren't intending to create.
Give thought to the specific techniques you'll be using, as well as when and where you'll be using each, throughout the painting process. This will make it much more likely that you'll end up with an outcome you'll love.
Think of how you can combine different techniques to create impactful and contrasting effects in your different layers (foreground, middleground, background), as well as how you can use them to bring more attention to your focal point.
There are so many ways you can go with watercolor pencils!
Explore, have fun and don't forget to bring in a bit of yourself into everything that you create. :)
Great watercolor pencil options for beginners:
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*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Why is it important to plan colors before starting a painting? How is a limited color palette useful? How will learning about the Color Wheel help us create more successful and professional-looking artwork?
In the video included within this blog post, I'll be sharing how I go about selecting my colors prior to starting a new piece. I'll share my thinking process as I go through this method and will be offering lots of tips pertaining to color.
In past blog posts and YouTube videos, I have mentioned how color is an essential Element of Art to learn about as a beginner artist. The reason? When we're looking to create a visual composition, we have to think about how different parts fit together into a whole.
And color plays a huge role in making a visual composition look harmonious and cohesive.
When it comes to a visual composition, all individual elements are connected. Each one has an effect over how we perceive the elements around it.
And just like how you wouldn't throw on an outfit with a ton of different colors and textures that don't mesh well together, you have to think about how things will look like in a painting when appreciated as a whole.
It's not about one element in the piece, but how the different elements included intermix to effectively transmit the idea or message we're trying to get across.
It's incredibly important that any beginner artist who is serious about improving their painting makes time to learn about the Color Wheel. This is an incredibly important tool that allows us to understand relationships between colors so that we're not only able to create effective color mixtures during the painting process, but also prepare color schemes that work well.
Limiting the amount of colors that you use in a painting is also very useful because the more colors you use, the more disorganized your palette will be, the more likely color mixtures will lead to mud, and the more incoherent the end-results.
Whatever you do, stay away from randomly selecting colors during the painting process and dedicate at least a bit of time to plan for your painting. I promise you, there's much more of a chance that you'll end up with great results.
To get immediate access to classes on Art Fundamentals and direct feedback from me, join us on Patreon!
Why is it important to plan colors before starting a painting? How is a limited color palette useful? How will learning about the Color Wheel help us create more successful and professional-looking artwork?
In the video included within this blog post, I'll be sharing how I go about selecting my colors prior to starting a new piece. I'll share my thinking process as I go through this method and will be offering lots of tips pertaining to color.
In past blog posts and YouTube videos, I have mentioned how color is an essential Element of Art to learn about as a beginner artist. The reason? When we're looking to create a visual composition, we have to think about how different parts fit together into a whole.
And color plays a huge role in making a visual composition look harmonious and cohesive.
When it comes to a visual composition, all individual elements are connected. Each one has an effect over how we perceive the elements around it.
And just like how you wouldn't throw on an outfit with a ton of different colors and textures that don't mesh well together, you have to think about how things will look like in a painting when appreciated as a whole.
It's not about one element in the piece, but how the different elements included intermix to effectively transmit the idea or message we're trying to get across.
It's incredibly important that any beginner artist who is serious about improving their painting makes time to learn about the Color Wheel. This is an incredibly important tool that allows us to understand relationships between colors so that we're not only able to create effective color mixtures during the painting process, but also prepare color schemes that work well.
Limiting the amount of colors that you use in a painting is also very useful because the more colors you use, the more disorganized your palette will be, the more likely color mixtures will lead to mud, and the more incoherent the end-results.
Whatever you do, stay away from randomly selecting colors during the painting process and dedicate at least a bit of time to plan for your painting. I promise you, there's much more of a chance that you'll end up with great results.
To get immediate access to classes on Art Fundamentals and direct feedback from me, join us on Patreon!
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel! I share a new video every Friday with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials, and encouragement for aspiring artists.
Watercolor Supplies Used in the Video
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Royal & Langnickel Zen Line Watercolor Brushes $2.69-$5.39
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Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Live Q&A sessions
-Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Do you need fancy supplies to progress your drawing skills and create the artwork you'd like to share with the world? How does one go about drawing a believable face? Why is keeping a sketching habit important for artists of all kinds?
In the time lapse video included within this blog post I share my entire face drawing process, starting with creating the head shape, moving onto laying down guidelines to help with the effective placement of facial features, sketching in individual elements and finishing up by adding quick shading using a combination of hatching and crosshatching.
Drawing believable portraits (and any part of the human figure) is challenging, as it requires us to not only have decent drawing skills to be able to render form/three-dimensionality as well as different textures like hair and skin, but it also entails having a good amount of knowledge on proportion.
You see, faces are probably what we see most as human beings. Due to this, even non-artists are usually able to tell when something looks off, even though they may not know exactly where the error is.
In my past blog post/YouTube video titled How to Draw a Face (for Beginners), I take you step-by-step, through drawing a simple, forwards-facing portrait and explain basic facial proportions. *This is, in my opinion, an essential place for beginners to start.
In my blog post, How to Draw Faces at a 3/4's Angle-My 4 Step Process, I get into starting to understand the head shape as a three-dimensional form, why it's useful to understand the underlying structure of the face (the human skull), and take you through drawing a portrait at an angle.
Though I primarily sell my paintings, I'm a huge sketching fan. I consider drawing to be the basis for all kinds of art and really believe in keeping a sketchbook habit. Even quicker sketches created consistently will help keep your observation sharp and continue progressing your artistic skills.
Not to mention, sketching is also incredibly practical as we don't really need much besides drawing paper, a few different pencil grades and an eraser. There's no need to take out your painting supplies and go through your whole set-up if you're short on time.
Do you need fancy supplies to progress your drawing skills and create the artwork you'd like to share with the world? How does one go about drawing a believable face? Why is keeping a sketching habit important for artists of all kinds?
In the time lapse video included within this blog post I share my entire face drawing process, starting with creating the head shape, moving onto laying down guidelines to help with the effective placement of facial features, sketching in individual elements and finishing up by adding quick shading using a combination of hatching and crosshatching.
Drawing believable portraits (and any part of the human figure) is challenging, as it requires us to not only have decent drawing skills to be able to render form/three-dimensionality as well as different textures like hair and skin, but it also entails having a good amount of knowledge on proportion.
You see, faces are probably what we see most as human beings. Due to this, even non-artists are usually able to tell when something looks off, even though they may not know exactly where the error is.
In my past blog post/YouTube video titled How to Draw a Face (for Beginners), I take you step-by-step, through drawing a simple, forwards-facing portrait and explain basic facial proportions. *This is, in my opinion, an essential place for beginners to start.
In my blog post, How to Draw Faces at a 3/4's Angle-My 4 Step Process, I get into starting to understand the head shape as a three-dimensional form, why it's useful to understand the underlying structure of the face (the human skull), and take you through drawing a portrait at an angle.
Though I primarily sell my paintings, I'm a huge sketching fan. I consider drawing to be the basis for all kinds of art and really believe in keeping a sketchbook habit. Even quicker sketches created consistently will help keep your observation sharp and continue progressing your artistic skills.
Not to mention, sketching is also incredibly practical as we don't really need much besides drawing paper, a few different pencil grades and an eraser. There's no need to take out your painting supplies and go through your whole set-up if you're short on time.
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel! I share a new video every Friday with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials, and encouragement for aspiring artists.
If you're not new to my blog posts or videos, you're probably already aware that I'm a huge fan of keeping it simple when it comes to art supplies. I'm a big fan of artists who are able to create amazing work using basic, and even limited, tools.
There's no need for anything fancy in order to make immense progress in your drawing skills.
The supplies below are what I usually have on hand when I'm drawing or sketching. *I'm not a big fan of kneaded erasers and have replaced them entirely with my Mono Zero eraser that I acquire via Amazon. I use blending stumps only when I'm creating more realistic drawings such as the one in this video.
If you're not new to my blog posts or videos, you're probably already aware that I'm a huge fan of keeping it simple when it comes to art supplies. I'm a big fan of artists who are able to create amazing work using basic, and even limited, tools.
There's no need for anything fancy in order to make immense progress in your drawing skills.
The supplies below are what I usually have on hand when I'm drawing or sketching. *I'm not a big fan of kneaded erasers and have replaced them entirely with my Mono Zero eraser that I acquire via Amazon. I use blending stumps only when I'm creating more realistic drawings such as the one in this video.
Drawing Supplies Used in Video
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I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Live Q&A sessions
-Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Live Q&A sessions
-Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
Are you interested in starting to sell your artwork online but are lost as to how to start digitalizing and editing your work using photo-editing software? Have you started learning Photoshop and want to know which tools to use in order to remove the background from your scanned work as efficiently as possible?
It's essential for traditional media artists to familiarize themselves with some kind of photo-editing software at least at a very basic level. Whether you're looking to sell prints of your work through your own website, create products with drawings or paintings via print-on-demand platforms, create mock-ups using pictures you've taken of your work, or you're simply looking to share your art on social media, it's important to make it shine and transmit a sense of quality to the viewer if you intend to make any sales.
Today, I'll be sharing a video that is perfect for artists just getting started with Photoshop. I'll be explaining three different selection tools commonly used by artists/illustrators to separate their artwork from its background, and I'll also be sharing which my personal favorite is and why. Throughout the video, I also give important tips that you should definitely be aware of when digitalizing art made with traditional mediums. These apply to whatever photo-editing software you choose to use.
Check out my blog post How to Sell Artwork on Society6 + Pros and Cons to find out more about my entire process, from finishing a watercolor illustration, to scanning it, editing it, and finally uploading it onto Society6 to design products. In this past post, I also share the positives and negatives I've learned in regards to print-on-demand platforms like Redbubble and Society6 throughout the time I've been using them.
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I publish a new video every-single-Friday sharing art tips and tutorials!
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
What, exactly, does the term wet-on-wet refer to and how can we use these techniques to create beautiful paintings with watercolor? Do you love watching artists create those awesome washy watercolor effects, but find that things don't end up as expected when you're trying them yourself?
In today's blog post I'll explain what wet-on-wet effects are, how they can be combined with wet-on-dry effects to create awesome paintings, and a few essential tips to apply when using these techniques. I'll also explain how to do different effects like blooms, splatters and runs. Make sure to check out the video included in this post to see me in action!
Wet-on-wet refers to the act of applying fresh paint onto a wet surface or on paint that is still wet rather than onto a dry surface or a layer of paint that has already dried. When using these kinds of techniques, we get colors that blend or intermix with each other. It's important to understand that this painting technique isn't exclusive to watercolors, but can be used with all traditional painting mediums (watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oils) and it can be used in a variety of ways.
First and foremost, when working with watercolors, it's essential to understand that when a paint mixture is placed on paper that is wet (either because it has been pre-wetted with clean water or because a previous layer of paint hasn't dried), the paint mixture will expand, creating a blurred out/fuzzy effect. Opposite to this, when we place a paint mixture on paper that is dry (either because it's a fresh sheet of watercolor paper or because the previous layer has completely dried), the newly placed paint will not expand, leading to sharp looking lines and defined shapes.
This principle is essential to grasp and it's important for beginners starting out with watercolors to know that wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry effects complement each other to create beautiful paintings. By combining them, we're able to create a visually pleasing contrast, bring attention to focal points by adding sharper detail to certain elements, add depth to a piece, and many other things.
It's important for beginners to practice both kinds of techniques, and start giving thought to how they can be used in a particular piece before actually starting the painting process.
Watercolor Cardinal painting by Erika Lancaster. Wet-on-wet techniques in combination with wet-on-dry techniques.
How and when you use wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques in your painting process will depend on what subject you're painting and what effects you're personally going for. Generally speaking though, the first layers of paint should be translucent and paint mixtures should contain more water than pigment. As the painting process moves forward and subsequent layers start being placed, paint mixtures contain less water and more pigment.
Watercolor Winter Landscape painting by Erika Lancaster. Wet-on-wet techniques in combination with wet-on-dry techniques.
If you enjoyed this video, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel! :) I publish a new video every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials, and encouragement for aspiring artists.
5 Essential Tips to Have in Mind When Using Wet-on-Wet Techniques
1. Use medium to heavier-weight paper with enough tooth/absorbency
Paper makes a huge difference when painting with watercolor and can often be the reason why our wet-on-wet effects don't turn out as expected.
No matter what kind of painting medium we're using, it's absolutely essential to give thought to what paper or support we'll be painting on before starting a piece as this will directly affect both our painting process, as well as its overall outcome. When painting with a water-soluble medium like watercolor, we should use a paper that is intended for this purpose.
This said, when we're planning on using lots of wet-on-wet effects like the ones described in this post, it's best to use a medium (140 lb.) to heavier weight (300 lb.) watercolor paper, as anything thinner will warp and possibly even shred throughout the process. You also want it to have some degree of tooth or texture to it, as this will help ensure that water/paint mixtures will be absorbed when placed upon it.
Watercolor paper can certainly be difficult to grasp, as there are so many different types and formats available. In my blog post/YouTube video Watercolor Supplies for Beginners and Things You Must Know, I go much more in depth into watercolor paper and explain a few other important aspects in regards to watercolor painting supplies.
2. Give thought to the colors you'll be using
Because colors will be intermixing a ton when using wet-on-wet techniques, it's essential to do a bit of planning to ensure that we won't create unwanted hues accidentally.
Though one of the beauties of watercolor is the fact that it has a mind of its own, skilled artists are able to have at least some level of control over the 'chaos'. They have practiced water control and have a good idea of what's going to happen when a certain paint mixture is placed in a specific area, using effects to their advantage.
Skilled watercolor artists have not only become masters at managing the combination of paint and water, but they also know the importance of planning color. This Element of Art is an important aspect behind making a painting look harmonious and balanced. We're also able to create very striking visual effects when planning our color palettes and giving thought to how we'll actually be using it throughout the painting process.
Color shouldn't be an afterthought or something that happens accidentally.
In the video included in this post, you'll see how I create my warm and cool color studies separately. The reason I do this is because I know that when Complimentary Colors mix together, they create grayed out/dull tones. Complementary Colors mute each other out and, in these studies, I wanted my colors vibrant and saturated.
3. Keep your water clean
Using murky water when painting with watercolor is a huge no-no, no matter what kinds of techniques you're using. Dirty water will affect your paint colors and may even make your piece appear dirty.
When working wet-on-wet we're not only using a lot of water, but we're also usually working at a faster pace because we're using the freshness/dampness of an area to create beautiful effects. It's important to ensure that we're not accidentally dipping our paintbrush into dirty water and placing this water on our paper!
I've known of artists that use two or even three cups of water as they are painting. One idea could be to use one glass of water to rinse color off your brush and a second one to dampen it with clean water. Whatever it is you decide to do, make sure you're constantly checking on your water throughout the painting process.
4. Constantly give thought to how much water is already on your paper and how much water is in your brush
The outcome of our wet-on-wet techniques will greatly depend on how wet/damp the specific area of paper is, as well as how thick or watery the paint mixture that we're placing upon it is. I would recommend beginners to practice creating a wide range of paint mixtures, from watery/translucent to thicker/heavily pigmented mixtures, and see what happens when they are placed on slightly dampened paper vs. puddles of water.
In the video included in this blog post, you can see me play around with large puddles of water/paint mixtures. While puddles allow for a lot of exciting movement, they are certainly difficult to control and can lead to unwanted effects like backruns and splotchiness if we're not careful!
Generally speaking, if your paper is already very wet, it would be best to stay away from laying down a very watery paint mixture on it. In principle, for backruns not to happen, you have to make sure that there is less water in your brush than there is on your paper. Another option to avoid backruns and undesired splotchiness would be to allow your paint layer to dry completely before going back in with another color.
If you've wetted your paper too much accidentally, you can always absorb some excess water with a paper towel or with a clean (dry or slightly dampened) brush.
5. Know when to stop
When I was first starting out with watercolor, I didn't understand that watercolor paper can only take a certain amount of 'beating' before it has to be left alone to regain its strength. Even if paper is specially intended for use with water, it's essential to understand that wet paper is fragile paper.
With watercolors, we must stay mindful of when we should stop, as continuing to work over and over on one same area will definitely lead to overworking our paper (even when using the heavier weight variety). Beginners starting out with this medium tend to lay down paint mixture over paint mixture and try to fix mistakes or make changes in one same area, damaging the paper.
When we've made a mistake, it's best to do a bit of gentle lifting when the paint is still wet and then allow it to dry completely. What I like doing, is ignoring my accident for a bit and working on other areas of my painting while that one dries. Other times, I work on two pieces at once and jump back and forth from one to the other, allowing paint layers to dry.
Often, we can make mistakes less noticeable by doing a bit of work in the area once the initial layer has dried. We can add more washes of color, lift some more, or even to a bit of gentle scrubbing at this point.
Check out my blog post titled 5 Common Watercolor Painting Mistakes and How to Fix them for ideas on fixing accidents and avoiding them altogether.
Watercolor Wet-on-Wet Effects and Techniques
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Watercolor Wet-on-Wet Effects and Techniques
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Watercolor Wet-on-Wet Techniques
1. Blooms
Watercolor blooms are mesmerizing to watch and are the first thing that comes into many of our minds when we first think of watercolors. These are beautiful gradients in which one color turns gradually into another that has been previously placed. It can also be a gradient of color turning more and more transparent until all we can see is the whiteness of the paper.
To create a bloom effect, wet your paper with clean water or lay down a wash watery paint mixture, and drop a new color right on top of it. To retain the "bloom" effect, you want to lay it down gently and allow the paint to do its thing without going back and attempting to smooth or shift it.
Watercolor orange and yellow bloom
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Watercolor blue and green bloom
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2. Runs (Controlled + Organic)
Runs are interesting effects that can be used when we're creating an abstract painting, or even when adding abstract elements to figurative painting. They are, quite simply, a stream of paint running off the main area or subject in our piece.
We can create runs completely organically by shifting our paper to a slanted or sideways position while it has a large amount of water on it. Sooner or later, gravity will make the water naturally travel down your paper. If it doesn't happen, consider placing a bit more water in the puddle using your paintbrush, and/or gently tap the paper on your desk in this vertical position.
We can also create controlled runs quite easily by drawing a line of clean water in a specific shape/direction, placing a watery paint mixture at the start of it (the place where our main shape ends and our clean line of water starts), and shifting our paper sideways until the paint mixture starts moving down on its own.
Remember, when using watercolor paper, the paint mixture will naturally expand or move towards the wetness and stay away from dry areas. This is why the paint will naturally travel down the path we've created for it!
Watercolor run in yellow
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Watercolor run in blue/green
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3. Splatters
Splatters can have very striking results and can be used in a variety of ways. If heavily-pigmented paint drops fall on areas of paper that are wet, you can create mini-blooms! On the other hand, if splatters fall on dry paper, these drops will retain their sharp, circular shape.
It's easy to go overboard with it, though, mostly because it's quite fun to do! So work incrementally and stay mindful throughout the process.
To do this technique, create a watery but pigmented paint mixture, wet your paintbrush (I use a round in size 8 in the video) and gently tap it on another paintbrush in a cross position.
Watercolor splattering technique in warm color exploration
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Watercolor splattering technique in cool color exploration
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4. Bleeds
Many beginners starting out with watercolors aren't aware of this, but it's easy to soften out stark- looking lines and shapes both while our paint is still wet and after our paint has already dried. One of the techniques we can use to soften lines or create feathering effects is bleeding, which can be easily done whilst our paint is still wet or is in the drying process.
To do bleeding, simply rinse your paintbrush thoroughly and draw a line of clean water right along the outer edge of the shape or line you want to soften out. Because paint will expand in wet areas, the color will feather out into the recently wetted line of clean water you've drawn, creating a softened effect.
This said, one of watercolors characteristics is the fact that they can be reactivated once they've dried! This means that we'll always have the option to go back into an area to soften it out by doing some gentle scrubbing using a clean, damp paintbrush. Of course, certain pigments will be easier to lift and move around than others and it will be almost impossible to go back to the whiteness of our paper, but we'll be able to do at least some level of softening.
It's very useful to swatch out our colors when buying a new watercolor paint set, as this allows us to test out paint characteristics before actually using them in a painting. In my blog post/YouTube video titled How to Swatch Watercolors and Why it's Important, I describe important characteristics and terminology related to this painting medium and take you through my own swatching process.
Watercolor bleeding/feathering effect in red
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Watercolor bleeding/feathering in green
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*Bonus Effect: Backrun
When we're just starting out with using wet-on-wet effects, are working too fast and/or are not staying mindful of what what's going on, backruns happen. We can avoid backruns by practicing water control, staying mindful of how wet our paper is and how much water our paintbrush has in its bristles.
In essence, backruns can be avoided by making sure the amount of water in our bristles is less that the amount of water that is already on our paper. They can also be avoided by allowing the previous layer to dry completely before going back in with another wash of color.
This said, backruns are one of those things that some artists consider to be absolutely wrong, while others actually create them intentionally to give the impression of specific things in their paintings like foliage in a landscape, etc.
What do you think?
In essence, backruns can be avoided by making sure the amount of water in our bristles is less that the amount of water that is already on our paper. They can also be avoided by allowing the previous layer to dry completely before going back in with another wash of color.
This said, backruns are one of those things that some artists consider to be absolutely wrong, while others actually create them intentionally to give the impression of specific things in their paintings like foliage in a landscape, etc.
What do you think?
Watercolor back run
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
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-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
Join the Becoming Artists Patreon community. Click to learn more!
Used supplies:
 Arches Watercolor Paper Pad: 10 X 14 inches $15.68
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Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Tube Set: 12 pieces $26.25
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Royal & Langnickel Zen Line Watercolor Brushes $2.69-$5.39
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