3 Ways To Use Water

Understanding how water is used in WATERcolour is so important and often overlooked.

And, hey, I'm not judging. In fact when I first started using watercolour I thought that adding water only made the colours really 'wishy washy'.

I had come from an acrylic background and just didn't know that water was the magic sauce for watercolour. So, let me save you some time and share with you 3 ways you can use watercolour, as a beginner, to get wonderful results.

1. Play with the amount

Often when you get a new set of watercolour it will come in a little neat container. And it is SO logical to think that is everything you need. But, I suggest you also add a plate and two glasses of water to your first play session.

You need to add water to your watercolours from your glass of water. So the first thing you are going to do is move some of that water on to a plate in the form of a 'puddle'.

Make three different puddles. A small puddle, a medium puddle (add a little more water to your small puddle) and a larger puddle.

Now, use your paint brush to move the colour into the puddles. You can watch one of my 'bitesize creativity' lessons on this page for more insights.

What you find if you have the same colour with different amounts of water is that you suddenly get a light, medium and dark colour. Playing with the amount of water you use is what EVERY artist does.

2. Let your water dry

The biggest mistake I see beginners make is not letting their watercolour dry before adding more water. Sure, there are different techniques that need your to have more water added to water, BUT, I'm not talking about that.

Have you ever tried to put a colour on a page only to have another colour bleed into it? That's because, unlike acrylic paint, watercolour paint LOVES TO TRAVEL. And the fastest way it travels is by water and gravity. If you tip your page on an angle you'll notice this. 

If you are applying one colour next to another colour you need for the first colour to dry. 

That's why you'll often see artists zipping around to different sections of the page, or drying their paper with a light hair dryer. I'll often do this because I'm super impatient!!

3. Get 'LOOSE' with water

Bob Ross and I both believe there are not mistakes only 'happy accidents' and this saying is never truer than when playing with watercolour.

When you paint with water you have very little control over the outcome until it is dry... so EMBRACE the unknown, roll up your sleeves and have a go.

1. Try splashing about colour onto a wet page then compare it with splashing some colour on to a dry page. How is it different?

2. Try added several colours to a clean puddle of water on your page, then try adding several the same colours to a yellow puddle, or a blue one. What do you notice?

3. Dive (pun intended) into a beginner friendly workshop and learn all about using water and colour to make a whole finished painting.

Understanding water is the key to understanding how to make amazing watercolour paintings. The steps that a beginner needs to take are fun and easy. So why not try them today?