Experimenting with Different Watercolor Techniques

(c) jlowatercolor.2018

Welcome back watercolor friends! I hope at this point you’ve been able to experience the joy of touching your brush to paper and seeing how the color flows. There are so many fun and interesting subjects to paint, but no matter which direction you choose, it is always helpful to know a variety of techniques. We will cover of handful of them here, but know the possibilities are almost endless!

Wet on Dry vs. Wet on Wet
These terms are fairly explanatory, and are used to describe the state of your brush and paper. Painting with a wet brush on dry paper will give you crisp lines and bold color. Painting with a wet brush on wet paper will express itself with softer hues and color gradients. See the pic below for an example.

photo credit: www.artnebulaph.com


 Salt on Wet Watercolor
This is a fun technique that allows you to experiment with salt from your pantry!
photo credit: https://lilyade.files.wordpress.com


 Painting in Negative Space
Utilizing negative space makes your central subject matter really stand out.


photo credit: www.craftsy.com

The few examples above are great tools to try out and incorporate into your paintings. Take some time to experiment and find what works for you. One application may feel more "right" than others.

To see these techniques and more in action, check out this great video by Lorraine Watry:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbDawbOO8XY

Thank you for joining me, and as always, please feel free to leave any questions or comments below!

Next blog: Finding Inspiration

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