How To Get Started With Watercolor Painting For Beginners

Watercolor paintings are one of the most appealing pieces of art out there. The interplay of light and translucent layers of color makes it all the more attractive. Artists, especially beginners, often attempt to recreate the same magic but the complexities of watercolor often intimidate them. 

You might have also come across watercolor competitions, offering exciting prizes and promotions, but you just don’t know how to get started because you don’t know the intricacies of watercolor. If you are one of those artists who want to learn how to play with watercolors, then you are at the right place. Today I will discuss with you some beginner tips and tricks that can help you get started with creating beautiful watercolor art.  Let’s dive right in!

Get Accustomed To Watercolors

Watercolor is one of the most unpredictable art mediums and you can rarely predict the exact results with this playful color. Compared to other mediums it is more difficult to control its movement because the pigment has a mind of its own. Another overwhelming issue with watercolor is its translucent nature, which leaves every brushstroke visible to the naked eye. I am not laying down these points to intimidate you, but simply because I want you to familiarize yourself with the true nature of watercolors. 

However, it is a bit unfair to put watercolors in such a negative light simply because of these factors. A slight control of your brush strokes and some patience with this pigment can prove to be a game changer for your watercolor paintings. 

Get the Right Art Supplies

To start with watercolors, you don’t need a plethora of art supplies, but simply just the right supplies to begin with. You can start with a paintbrush, a thick watercolor paper, and just the primary colors. 

To use watercolor, the choice of paper is very important because poor-quality paper will start tearing off with excessive use of water. Hence you can choose between a paper made of 100% cotton or wood pulp because they can endure excessive application of water without tearing off. Whereas for colors, with just having a few primary and neutral colors, you can easily create a range of different colors without having to spend too much on pigments. 

Understand the Flow of Water

The final result of your watercolor painting entirely depends on the flow of water on your canvas and how translucent your every layer is. When it comes to the flow of water, you need to remember that it always flows from a wet space to a dryer space. Hence, the water you add while mixing your watercolors will make your pigment flow from one place to another. 

Another important point to remember is that water takes very little time to dry. Hence, you won’t be able to play with your pigment if the water evaporates from the paint. Therefore, you have a very small timeframe available to experiment with your color after applying it to the canvas. If you wish to extend this time, the trick is to infuse more water while mixing your paint. The more the quantity of water, the longer it will take to dry.

Experiment with Different Watercolor Techniques

Techniques like wet-on-wet, dry-on-wet, wet-on-dry, etc are representations of how watercolors behave in different textures and surfaces. Without getting into the details of each technique today, (because it\'s an exhaustive discussion and deserves a separate blog) let’s just talk about how these techniques can improve your understanding of watercolors. With every addition of water to your watercolors, it lightens the hue of your pigments. Hence, you add very little water, if you want stronger hues and more water if you want lighter hues. 

If you are using the wet-on-wet technique, your paint will flow more freely as compared to when you use dry paint on a dry or wet surface. Finally, if you want to get the best results when layering your surface, always go from dark to light. Start with darker hues of paint and let every layer dry before adding a new layer of lighter hue. This enhances the transparency of every layer and ensures that every stroke is visible. 

Start Painting To Learn Watercolor Painting

Now that you have some guidance on where you can start, the only way you can make the best of watercolor painting is by actually creating one. With time and practice, you will be able to better control your brushstrokes and understand the flow of water. As a result, you will also understand the proportion in which you should mix your paint for desired results. I hope this blog helps you start a blissful journey of painting with watercolors.