How to Paint with Water Colors

Posted on April 25th, 2009 by Marck

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Students and artists alike love watercolors. Watercolors give your sketches, paintings, and other artwork a very natural, flowing feel. Here are some helpful tips to make your own watercolor artwork stand out.

Kinds of Watercolor Paints

You can buy watercolors from just about any bookstore or art supply store. Many artists have a preferred brand or type of watercolor paint, although watercolor paints come in two forms:

Block paints are small blocks of hardened watercolor paints arranged in palettes. The paint “cakes” are watered down with a small amount of water, and the tinted water is used to paint the sketch, drawing, or painting. The problem with block paints is that the colors are not as vivid or clear as tube paints.
Tube paints are the preferred painting medium for watercolor enthusiasts. A small amount of paint is squeezed out of the tube, and mixed with water on the palette. Tube paints have a more striking color and vivid hue compared to block paints, and are almost always used for any watercolor painting project.

Brushes

The kind of brush you use for a watercolor painting can have a significant effect on your painting. There are two brushes you should always have on hand:

Synthetic brushes are usually used for making precise strokes, like lines or very thin curves. The fibers of a synthetic brush should always be kept in line, so that the strokes don’t go all over the place.
Natural brushes are a must-have in any watercolor kit. Natural brushes are used to make just about any stroke in a sketch or painting. You should always keep the bristles of the brush supple so that you can make those clean, flowing strokes.

Tips

Like any art form, execution makes all the difference between a standout painting and a mediocre one. Here are some tips to help you make a beautiful watercolor painting:

Start freehand. When watercolor paint dries, it is a bit translucent and does not completely cover the canvas or paper. Try to avoid using pens or dark strokes of a pencil to make your guides on the surface. Better yet, you can draw your watercolor sketch or painting freehand.
Mixing colors together is an important skill to learn when you paint with watercolors. Instead of sticking with the colors available from your paint blocks or paint tubes, experiment with various combinations of colors that you can use to make your painting more attractive.
Blending your strokes can add depth, dimension, and emotion to your painting. Instead of using just one width or direction, you can use various sets of brushes or use the different widths of a single brush to make and blend your brush strokes.
Washing over the painting with a small amount water can give your painting a melancholy feel, especially if you use a lot of dark colors. Wash painting (called sumi-e in Japan) is done by applying a small amount of water to the finished painting with a broad brush.

Watercolors are fun for kids and adults alike. With these tips, you can make just about any painting or sketch of any scene or object with the magic of watercolors.