Watercolor Painting Tips & Articles
Welcome to the Watercolor Painting section of CreativeSpotlite.com. On the following pages you will find an awesome selection of step by step watercolor painting demonstrations, techniques and tips that I am certain you will find enjoyable. The watercolor instruction on the following pages has been generously donated by professional artists from all over the world. We are most grateful for their generosity and we hope you enjoy! Happy watercolor painting! |
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Watercolor Painting Techniques - My Priming Method
My Priming Method gives a magical transparent glow to my watercolors. It allows soft gradations of color which help to describe the form of my subject in such a way that it feels as if the subject has a true substance. Things you need to know about this watercolor painting technique: Your pigments must be transparent or semi transparent.
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Watercolor Techniques - My Simple 3 Step Process
I developed my Priming Method over a period of many years, and I now teach this watercolor technique to all of my students. It is a simple but very effective 3 step process:The first step is to apply water to the region you wish to paint and then allow the moisture to be absorbed into the paper.Next, while the paper is still barely damp from step one, i.e. the sheen of the surface has just disappeared, lay in another light wash of clear water....
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Watercolor Tips and Hints For Stretching Watercolor Paper
Below you will find instructions on how I love to stretch my watercolor paper. It is interspersed with many hints and tips to ensure you don't come unstuck by the 'traps for young players'. I want this to be a reference point so I have explained everything that I can possibly think of that could go wrong - so you will have all of the remedies should you encounter a problem.
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My Watercolor Palette - A Magical Palette of Hues
I am often asked what colors I use to create my luminous and transparent reality. It is not a straightforward answer. But one of the main reasons my work looks as if the subject has a presence is because I use a multi-layered technique using transparent or semi-transparent watercolor.
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Getting Good, Soft Edges in Your Paintings
Several terms are used for getting good soft edges. Some artists call it “losing edges,” others us the term “feathering edges.” This technique is essential in doing paintings of sand and snow...
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Thoughts on Painting Things Which are White
Some of the most striking paintings we’ve seen have had a white object or objects as their centers of interest. Buildings, flowers and dresses head an ideal sort of list...
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Masking Technique Tips For Watercolors
Quite often people will ask how I managed to paint a big loose wash around an object in a painting that has very complicated edges without letting the wash dry before I'm finished...
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A Few Choice Words About Brushes
Sharon and I are frequently asked, “What brushes should I buy?” We reply: “What size paintings will you be doing?” Almost always we hear, “What difference does it make?”
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Transferring Value System from Reference Photo to Painting
Aside from shapes, values are the most important part of our painting. They are also the part we most often misjudge and paint incorrectly. First we must know that value has nothing to do with color...
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Getting Rich, Vivid, Strong Color Into Your Watercolor
One of the bad raps watercolor has taken over the years is that it's colors are pale, washed out, looking almost faded. At the same time other media offered strength and contrast...
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Five Things to Consider When Bringing Information From a Reference Photograph to a Painting
While we have discussed painting from photographs in an earlier edition, it may be well to give you this list to keep for future reference. If you run into a problem during a painting, chances are one of these five things is the answer to that problem...
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A Better Understanding of Warm and Cool Colors and How to Paint Them
Odd that of all the languages, English is one which doesn't have different words to differentiate between warm and cool as they apply to things tactile and the same two terms when they apply to color...
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Getting the Color and Value Right on Objects in the Background of Landscapes
It could be mountains. Maybe it’s trees or bushes. A barn or fence post is a possibility. Whatever is back there in your painting you want color and value to be right...
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Painting With Gouache
Several people have accessed my web site over the last few years as a result of doing web searches on painting in gouache (pronounced "gwosh", or "goo-wash"), probably lead there by the numerous gouache paintings listed on the site. There is some conflicting information published on this topic. Consequently, this article is to help you better understand this opaque watercolor medium based on over thirty-five years of experience in using it and as a professional art educator.
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Introduction to Watercolor Painting Supplies For Beginners
Watercolor is probably the most convenient of all the painting mediums. All you really need to get started is a box of paint, a few brushes, water and some paper. There are no toxic solvents or mediums to be concerned about and your brushes can be cleaned with a little soap and water. This convenience makes watercolor one of the most economical painting mediums as well. This article will provide an introduction to the more popular supplies that a beginner should consider investing in.
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Painting with the use of reference photos
This edition is aimed at those who already do or would like to, use photographs to derive visual information for composition, detain, color, etc. for their paintings. You will notice that material in this edition applies equally to any medium...
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Painting Fog That Really Looks Like Fog
First have a plan for your composition. Whatever is in the foreground will not be in the fog and will need to be masked out either with frisket or professional grade masking tape...