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Basic Watercolour

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This page contains basic watercolour instruction, for further study go to Gordon's Gallery

Watercolour for Beginners

Unless stated otherwise all content and pictures the work of the artist Gordon Townsend

INTRODUCTION

Gaining knowledge and skill in the use of watercolour is a lifetime’s journey,

the enjoyment and rewards of this medium more than repay your efforts.

The temptation to rush through the process must be avoided

as it as caused many a beginner to give up.

This watercolour course is based on the simplified method

that I have gradually developed over many years of teaching art.

Although it contains what you will find in any good art book on the subject,

it is broken down into bite size pieces.

For example you will only be introduced to one type

of watercolour paper at the beginning,

this will enable you to have a through understanding of that paper

before moving on to another. Dealing with and mastering one aspect at a time is by far the best approach.

These lessons are for those who wish to paint in a realist style and so some drawing ability is required.

If you need some help with your drawing the following web sites offer free drawing lessons

These basic watercolour techniques are suitable for all categories of art such as abstract art etc,

Let’s get started

The materials required to do this course are

Sketch pad. 2b graphite pencil. Pencil sharpener. Eraser.

Watercolour paper 300gms cold press. This is the first and the most popular of the three main types of watercolour paper.

This is the first and the most popular of the three main types of watercolour paper. more about the other two later

A warm and cool version of the three primaries.

I suggest you use

And Raw sienna. Burnt sienna. plus Raw umber and Burnt Umber

Other colours will be required later.

Brushes 1inch Flat. 8 round. 4 round. Long rigger.

Watercolour palette for mixing paint. Water container. Sponge. Tissues. Board to attach paper to. Masking tape or gum tape.

FLAT WASH

This is the least used of the washes, but is essential to have some degree of proficiency with it.

In the demonstration it shows the entire sheet be covered but in can be used within a small irregular area to glaze or modify a colour.

Make sure you mix enough paint to complete the wash.

With your paper taped to the board which is tilted about 15Degrees so that gravity will cause the paint to bead at the bottom of the stroke

With your brush full of paint start at the top make one stroke from left to right ,

Notice is will have a bead of paint at the bottom of it.

In the picture on the left you can see the bead of paint.

Recharge the brush with paint and place the top edge of the brush on that bead and make a second stroke.

Repeat the procedure until you reach the bottom of the paper.

Lay the board flat and take of the surplus paint at the bottom with a dry brush which is known as a thirsty brush as it will suck up the paint. Clean of the paint around the edges with a sponge.Allow to dry.

The picture on the left is a good example of a flat wash.It takes time to reach this standard.However you can use this wash long before you reach this level.

The following demonstration shows one of the many ways you can use a flat wash

FAR LEFT

A flat wash can be used to tint the paper in a mid tone. This can unify and create harmony in a painting

A flat wash of Cerulean blue was applied to 300gsm cold press watercolour paper.

And while wet some of the edges was slightly blotted with a tissue to lift of some of the wash and then allowed to dry.

I lightly drew some tree trunks.

Cerulean blue is a pigment that will lift when wetted then dabbed with a tissue.

I lifted the paint from the trunks.

NEAR LEFT

I painted the foliage working from light to dark,

Starting with a Cadmium yellow I painted all of the foliage and town into the water, carefully leaving behindBlue patches through the trees. and avoiding the trunk’s.

Then making a green with Cadmium yellow and Ultramarine blue I repainted foliage leaving some of the yellow showing through.I then painted the tree trunks Raw sienna and Burnt umber

Finally the darks were painted with a mix of ultra blue and Burnt sienna.

This page contains basic watercolour instruction, for further study go to Gordon's Gallery

This site was last updated 06/21/09