TipsforWorkingwithWatercolorPaints

Usescrappaperforpractice
Beforeputtingpaintdownonyourfinal
project,testoutcolorsonscrappaper.
Holdthebrushupstraightwhenpainting
Thisallowsthepainttoflow
evenlyfromthebrush.
Paintthelightestcolorsfirst,thendark
darkcolorsaremuchharderto
removeaftertheyhavebeenlaiddown,whereaslightcolorsmayalwaysbe
darkened.
Keepyourbrushclean
youdontwanttomuddyupyourcolorsormess
upyourpainting.Takethetimetochangethewaterfrequently.
Addwatertoaddlightness
watercolorsarenotlightenedordarkenedby
addingwhiteorblack.Instead,watercoloristsaddwatertomakeacolor
lighter(lesssaturated)oruselesswatertomakeacolorappeardarker(more
saturated).
Keeppapertowelshandyforblotting
althoughthereisnowayto
completelyremovepaintonceithasbeenlaiddown,gentlyblottingthearea
withapapertowelwillremovemostofthepigmentsoitcanberepainted.
Makesurethatthisnewlayerdoesnotoversoakthepaper.Youmayalso
wanttoremovewaterfromyourbrushattimes.
Enjoyhappyaccidents
acceptwatercolorsunpredictabilityandallow
unintentionalmarkstoenhanceaworkratherthantakeawayfromit(add
trees,bushes,clouds,orbirds).

Terms

AtmosphericPerspective
a

technique

of

creating

depth

or

distance

in
a
painting

by

adjusting
the

tone

or

hue

and

distinctness

of

objects

perceived

as

recedingfrom

the

picture

plane,
especially

by

reducing

distinctive

local

colorsand

contrasts

of

light

and

dark

to

uniform

light
bluishgray

color.
ColorSaturation
Acolorspurityofhueitsintensity.Apurehuehasthehighestsaturation.
Watercolorscanhavelow,medium,orhighsaturationsdependingontheamountofwaterused
withthem.
Landscape
aworkofartinwhichthefeaturesofthelandarethepredominantsubject.
Background/Middleground/Foreground
thatpartofthepaintingthatappearstobethe
farthestawayfromtheviewer/liesbetweenthebackgroundandtheforeground/thatappearsto
beclosesttotheviewer.
Wash
athinorwatercoatofpaint
WetonWet
apaintingtechniqueinwhichlayersofwetpaintareadministeredonprevious
layersofwaterorpaint.Colorswillspreadintooneanotherproducingsoftedgesandblending.
WetonDry
apaintingtechniqueinwhichlayersofwetpaintareadministeredonprevious
layersofdrypaint.Producessharpedgestoshapes.
Warm
Consistofred,yellow,andorange.Theylookasthoughtheycomeforwardoradvance.
Cool
Consistofblue,green,andpurple.Theylookasthoughtheyrecedeorgoback.
Tone
Thisreferstothelightnessordarknessofsomething.Thiscouldbeashadeorhowdark
orlightacolorappears.Thepartsoftheobjectonwhichthelightisstrongestarecalled
highlightsandthedarkerareasarecalledshadows.
Hue
referstoapurecoloronewithouttintorshade
PicturePlane
theflattwodimensionalsurfaceonwhichwedraworpaintanimagein
perspective.