Watercolor is the preferred art form of many artists all over the globe, and not without good reason. They are easy to use, versatile, portable and a good quality set won’t break the bank. The translucent nature of watercolors that allows the white of the paper to show through is almost magical, allowing artists to play with values and to build depth by layering different colors and playing with light. In this guide, we’ll explore watercolors, from the basic materials and supplies you need to get started to some watercolor painting techniques you can use in your paintings.
By the end, you’ll be ready to make your own watercolor paintings, and to take away the fear of a blank canvas, we’ll guide you step-by-step through your first painting project. Let’s get started!
Watercolor Materials and Supplies
Before getting started with the techniques, let’s go over the basic materials and supplies you need and all you need to know about them. Having the right paints, paper and brushes can make a big difference in your paintings and in your experience overall, here’s what you need to know to get started:
Types of Watercolor Paints
There are different types of watercolor paints, if you’ve browsed the internet you’ve probably seen pans, tubes and cakes.
- Tubes: Fresh, pasty form, great for when you need a lot of paint of one color or to build your own palette, recommended for more advanced artists. Usually found in professional grade.
- Pans: Dry, re-wetable form, amazing for beginners, easy to use and very portable. Usually found in student and professional grades.
- Cakes: Dry, re-wetable form, good for beginners, but better suited for little children due to the low price and washable nature. Low quality, not recommended for artists.
For help choosing the right watercolor paint, you can find our full buying guide: Best Watercolor Paints for Beginners.
Basic colors to start with:
A basic watercolor palette should include warm and cold versions of the primaries, as well as black, brown and a neutral tint. Some additional colors include the modern primaries, which translated into pigments would be cobalt teal, quinacridone magenta, and lemon yellow.
Watercolor Brushes
Brushes in watercolor painting are very important, not only the shape but the quality and type of bristle can make a huge difference in the result and painting experience. While synthetic brushes are fine for beginners, we recommend opting for synthetic brushes that mimic natural hair, since they’ll have more water retention, a better snap and will perform better overall with watercolors.
A basic set will be slightly more expensive than a full synthetic set but it’ll be a worthwhile investment. Try to look for a set that includes a flat, a round, a detail and a wash brush as these will be more than enough. Let’s see what each of these brushes do:
- Round Brushes: These have a pointed tip and are versatile for both detailed work and broader strokes. Recommended size: 6
- Flat Brushes: These have a flat edge and are useful for covering large areas and creating sharp edges. Recommended size: 8
- Detail Brushes: These are smaller brushes used for fine details and intricate work. Recommended size: 2
- Wash Brushes: These are large, flat brushes designed for covering large areas with a wash of color. They hold a lot of water and pigment, making them ideal for backgrounds and broad, even strokes. Recommended size: 10 or 12
Watercolor brushes require more care than normal brushes, since the bristles are so soft, it’s not recommended to leave them soaking in water. Make sure to thoroughly rinse them with water after each use and to gently re-shape the bristles before storing them flat or upright to maintain their shape for a long time.
For help choosing the right watercolor brush set, see our full buying guide: Best Watercolor Brushes.
Watercolor Paper
If there’s something that truly matters in watercolor painting, besides paint and brushes, it’s paper. The quality of the paper you paint on makes a huge HUGE difference on how the paints perform. Even the cheapest paints will perform great in good quality paper, however the best paints will perform poorly on bad paper.
When buying watercolor paper, try to get 100% cotton paper, as it resists multiple washes, it’s more durable and forgiving with mistakes and watercolors perform beautifully on it.
Cotton or Cellulose, there are different types of watercolor paper:
- Hot Press: Smooth texture, great for detailed work, not recommended for beginners.
- Cold Press: Slightly textured, the most popular choice for general use, great for beginners.
- Rough: Very textured, good for creating interesting effects and textures, not recommended for beginners.
For help choose the right watercolor paper to buy, see our full buying guide: Best Watercolor Paper.
Additional Watercolor Supplies
You’re going to need some additional supplies to start painting:
- A Palette to mix your paints. You can use a plastic, ceramic, or metal palette.
- Two containers, one for rinsing brushes and one for clean water to mix more paint.
- Masking Tape (painter’s tape) for securing your paper to your workspace and getting clean edges.
- Paper Towels for blotting excess water or paint and for cleaning your brushes.
Basic Watercolor Techniques
Below find examples of basic watercolor techniques to learn as you try watercolors for the first time:
Color Mixing
As you probably know, there are three classic primary colors, as we discussed in the previous section there are also three modern primaries. The big difference between them lies in how they mix together. The colors that classic primaries produce are dark and muddy, while the modem primaries produce bright, saturated mixes.
One of the first exercises you should do once you buy your watercolor paints is making a color wheel, learning how the colors mix, which colors go well together and what mixes they produce is a good starting point. If you manage to get your hands on the classic and modern primaries, try this exercise with both and appreciate the differences yourself.
Water Control and Painting Techniques
The Wet-on-Wet Technique consists of applying water to your paper, then adding watercolor paint to the wet area. This creates soft, flowing blends of color.
The Wet-on-Dry Technique consists of applying watercolor paint directly onto dry paper. This gives you more control and creates sharper edges.
You can also create gradients, which are smooth transitions from one color to another. Practice creating gradients by gradually adding more water or more paint. Washes are large areas of color, a flat wash has a uniform color, while a graded wash transitions from dark to light.
To learn more of these techniques, see our full article: Watercolor Techniques.
Step-by-Step Watercolor Tutorial: Painting a Simple Landscape
Finally, we have come to our watercolor painting tutorial! See below for step-by-step instructions on painting your first watercolor landscape!
Step 1: Tape the Paper
First, tape your paper to your working surface, cover the four sides of the paper leaving a small but regular margin.
Step 2: Sketching the Outline
With a 2H pencil, lightly sketch the basic shapes of hills, sea, and other elements in your painting.
Step 3: Applying the First Wash
Wet the sky area with clean water using a large brush. Mix a light blue paint and apply it to the wet area, leaving some white spaces for the clouds allowing the color to blend smoothly. Let this layer dry completely.
Step 4: Repeat
Once fully dry, repeat the previous step adding intensity to the sky with each layer.
Step 5: Adding the Background Elements
Wet the hills area and mix a light yellow color, and apply it to the hills you drew. Dab the paint with your paper towel to create irregularities and texture. Let this layer dry completely.
Step 6: Repeat
Repeat the previous step for the hill closer to the viewer, intensifying the saturation of the color.
Step 7: Detailing the Foreground
With a flat brush and a little brown paint, add textures to the hills by flickering your brush and splattering small dots of paint. Make sure to cover the area of the sea and sky to prevent staining.
Step 8: Painting the sea
Wet the area of the sea and apply blue paint to it, lift if the color is too intense. Build layers on top, creating small waves on the sea with your brush.
Step 9: Adding Vegetation
Mix a bright green color and paint the top of the hills with it, let this layer dry and build on it, adding some texture by stippling with your brush.
Step 10: Final Touches
With your small round brush, add some grass and vegetation. Use quick, fluid hand movements. Mix black paint for the small boat and the birds, paint them carefully without applying too much pressure.
Step 11: Remove the Tape
Carefully remove the tape and admire your work!
