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 One of the most versatile mediums, watercolor can be very rewarding but sometimes equally frustrating!
- For finely detailed work an illustration board with a smooth, hard surface is best.
- There are various grade of watercolor paint available. The better quality paints are more expensive but will give better light-fastness and will last longer.
- Start with the lightest tones first and build up the layers to the darkest tone.
- By allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next, you can achieve excellent depth of color.
- The best way to build up layers is with a ‘dry’ brush with not too much color. If the brush is too loaded with color it may cause the previous layers to lift.
- If the paint is not allowed to dry first, it will lift or cause the color to become ‘muddy’.
- To make color appear more complex try adding different colors to the layers, for example, if I am painting black feathers, I might dry brush on a layer of green to give depth and complexity to the basic color.
- To achieve a soft highlight on an area of paint, use an eraser with a sharp, clean edge after all the layers of watercolor have been applied.
- Highlights with hard edges are best achieved with masking fluid.
- If you make a mistake, you can try lifting the paint by applying clean water on your brush and blotting the area with a clean tissue. However, the more layers of paint to lift, the harder it will be to correct.
- Lifting an area of paint with a very fine wet brush is another useful technique for achieving a soft highlight, on the edge of an eyelid, for example.
If you have some painting tips to share or if you have a question for Jane please fill in the fields below:
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