Author: Carinek

The watercolor painting has a great advantage: it quickly leads to the final images. Unlike many other artistic techniques, it does not require much to get started. In addition, the drying process is very short. Therefore, many artists have used watercolors for sketches and studies.

Adding colors in wet areas, obviously the control resides only in wet areas where you want to cause color mixing.

We gonna talk about six techniques learned so far,  in which two special painting techniques bring the watercolor paint to particular advantage: varnishing and maneuvering. Both techniques work with the properties of water. On one hand, it takes some time to dry. So you have about one to three minutes to paint wet-on-wet . On the other hand it dries so quickly that you can paint over the already dried paint layers (glazing). In general, both methods are the watercolor paint to use.

• Glaze: Also called colored layering. When glazing the rapid drying of the water plays a role. Under glazing means the application of paint, in which the underlying color layer or the image cause remains to be seen. The water color gets a special appeal (color fastness) if it is semi-transparent coated on the white image background. By superimposing a plurality of color layers are formed light-dark shades or mixing color values. By the volatility of water watercolor paint dries relatively quickly. After a short time, it can be old over the underlying surfaces as new “watercolor glazes”. What is important is that the underlying layers are thoroughly dried. In addition, the glaze should be quickly painted. Otherwise, the lower color layer could dissolve. The controlled layering of color surfaces is an essential feature of watercolor paintings.
• In contrast, the maneuvering is based on the property that the water diluted watercolor paint remains for some time moist. During this time, can be painted in a different color in this area. This process is also called wet-on-wet painting. In this melt and washes out the colors.

1. Basically melt not the color, but water that carries the colors in it. It tries thereby to distribute as evenly as possible. Areas with more fluid flow toward the more dried surfaces. The water but does not exceed the “wet border”. It dissolves only in the area which was previously wet targeted by brush. The result consists of color structures and areas of color, in which “melt” the different (or same) Watercolors
2. One of the methods is to do watercolor painting “wet on wet”. The base which allow moisture is merging colors. It is used in areas that do not require definition or details, such as clouds. Paint is applied to a layer without drying is achieved with practice, allows to get diluted interaction of colors contours. Depends on the role and amount of paint, and humidity, there is generally to wait until the brightness decreases.

• Wet on dry:  At the beginning of the working watercolor wet on dry. The color depth was achieved by successive layers. With this technique sharp contours are produced and used on water, bright light and shadows.. this method in which each layer must be dried before painting the next. It is the typical situation of use of the hair dryer to speed drying. In addition with the dry brush technique will allow us to create textures and details in the first place.
•  Dry brush: This is a technique in detail, it is to use very little water in the brush, apply the color with an almost dry brush. It has a little more control with this method, and you have to use it for textures and details. For example, you can not paint a sky with a dry brush..
• Masking fluid: It is applied to the dry paper and allowed to dry completely before applying paint over it . It
  is used to keep the paper white, so you can paint freely without destroying the target. The color masking helps identify you to remove it at the end.
  The watercolor is spontaneity, so that the use of masking must be made creatively, to go to step purists watercolor.
  The most common applications are: development a picture by parties, including highlight, and painted in negative. As the liquid mask is permanent when dry, it is recommended to use an old paintbrush to apply petroleum jelly or cover it before dip it in the mask.
•  Lift paint: Its first function was to correct errors. However it is used to produce highlights, blurring contours, produce motion when used with a wash. The key to control of this technique lies in the paper and color to extract. As tools can be used: a sponge, a brush, a cotton swab, Cleanex … and not forgetting the rubber cement.

To make straight lines you can use a paper towel folded into the desired thickness.
In wet paint can be done with a rigid object; cane knife … if it is too wet will make a dark to make a channel for the pigment, otherwise the line will have a clear tone.