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Painting with Watercolour
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THE NATURE OF WATERCOLOUR
 Watercolour
paint is translucent and is used thinly, allowing the white of
the paper to show through. Because the colour is not opaque, it
is not capable of covering up mistakes, and a light colour can't
be painted over a dark colour.
The colour is lightened by adding water, so to achieve, for example, pink, you
must dilute red until the correct shade of pink is created. A traditional watercolourist
would seldom use white paint, except for small areas of detail, as it makes colours
look impure and chalky.
Because mistakes are often difficult to rectify, the watercolour artist must
plan the picture carefully and work in a methodical way. It is usual to begin
with the lightest areas and work through to the darkest in a logical sequence.
PREPARATION
The watercolour paper supplied is mounted onto board, so it doesn't need to be
stretched. Unmounted papers are often soaked, taped to a drawing board and allowed
to dry to prevent them from buckling when painted on.
The work surface should be as flat as possible to prevent the paint from running.
It is a good idea to have a plastic or disposable table cloth, a jar of clean
water and a kitchen roll for wiping brushes. If you are indoors, make sure you
have enough have enough natural light to the front or side of you.
COLOUR MIXING
 Before
you begin a painting it is best to practise a few basic exercises. Firstly try
painting a flat wash. To best achieve a flat wash of colour, make sure you have
mixed enough paint in the palette to cover the area. Apply smoothly and quickly
with a large well-loaded brush. Test the colour strength on a scrap of paper
first.
Colour mixing can only come with experience and experimentation. Red, Yellow
and Blue are called the primary colours. This means they cannot be mixed from
other colours. Your set of 8 colours can be mixed together to create a comprehensive
range, but remember that sometimes it may be necessary to mix 3 or even 4 colours
to achieve a result.
Once you have achieved the correct colour, you must then achieve the correct
tone (or shade) i.e. The strength of the colour. Remember, more paint -less water
for a strong colour. More water - less paint for a pale colour. When darkening
a colour you may need to add other colours to it. Black is not the only darkening
colour. It can often make colours look dirty. Try experimenting with browns and
blues. They darken colours in very different ways to black. It is advisable to
make notes to remind you how you achieved various colour mixes.
COMPOSITION
 Choosing
subject matter is a very personal thing. If you are inexperienced, avoid complex
compositions. you will become frustrated and abandon the picture! It is better
to tackle a simple scene and do it well.
Before committing yourself to paper, consider the scene from different angles
and distances until you settle on the best view point. Work out which section
of the scene you are going to paint and then lightly, with a soft pencil sketch
out the basic lines of the composition. Do not concern yourself with too much
detail at this stage. Correct any mistakes with a soft putty eraser to avoid
tearing the paper surface, and never use an eraser on wet paper.
PAINTING
Whether you are painting a still-life , a figure or a landscape the same rules
apply. The pictures opposite show how a traditional watercolour is built up in
stages.
| 1. Simple sketch of the composition. The artist has made
a feature of the dramatic sky by keeping the horizon line low
in the composition. The farm building provides a useful focal
point. |
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| 2. The palest areas of the picture are washed in with a large,
well-loaded brush. The sky can be dabbed with crunched-up tissue
to create realistic cloud effects. Allow areas to dry before
butting up to other areas or the paint will bleed. Surplus
paint can be removed with the corner of a piece of tissue or
a dry paint brush. Work smoothly and quickly with as large
a brush as possible. |
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| 3. The next darkest tones are applied when the first layers
are dry. (sometimes an artist will lay a wash on top of a damp
wash to allow the colours to run. This is especially good for
skies and water). If you need to soften or blend an edge, run
a clean, slightly damp brush along the edge of the wash while
it's still damp. Here the artist has overlaid different blues
and pale yellow in the sky to add interest. |
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| 4. More layers of tone have been added and the picture is
now at full strength. Small areas of detail in the farm-house
contrast against the openness of the fields and sky. The trees
to the right of the farm are created by dabbing the brush almost
dry. The paint is scraped on sparsely to create a broken texture,
rather than using a wash. This is called Dry Brush Technique.
Finishing touches are added with a small brush. No attempt
is made to paint individual blades of grass, etc. Traditional
watercolour needs to be painted in an impressionist style to
retain its freshness. |
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FINISHING TOUCHES
Watercolours are traditionally framed under glass, with a bevel -cut card mount
, unlike oil paintings. The mount stops the glass touching the picture and causing
damage. Most professional artists allow a small margin on their paper rather
than painting to the edge. This is useful for testing colours prior to painting,
and also helps the framer to site the mount. Mount cutters and mitre saws can
be purchased from artist suppliers if you wish to make your own frames.
CARE OF EQUIPMENT
Never stand brushes upright in water- jars. This ruins the bristles. Always thoroughly
clean brushes in soap and water at the end of the day and restore their shape
before putting them away. Do not contaminate the purity of your paints by dipping
brushes into them, or by using the wrong tops. Always use the palette for mixing.
Make sure the tops are firmly screwed onto the tubes to avoid drying out. |
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