Watercolor painting is extremely old, dating perhaps to the cave paintings found in various civilizations. Painting with watercolor can become a very addictive pastime. Watercolor is not a medium to be mastered or conquered. The accidental effects and unpredictable behavior of different pigments are what make watercolor so interesting.
I have seen people take it up and become so absorbed with it, their life takes on a new direction. There is the unpredictable nature of the medium that has fascinated artists for hundreds of years.
Getting started with watercolor requires very few materials, here is all you need:
Material Required :
- Pencils : HB, 2B
- Eraser : a good quality soft eraser
- Ruler : 12″ plastic ruler
- Colors : a set of 12 poster colors (bottles or tube, whichever you like)
- Brushes : good quality round-sablehair brushes of numbers 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and flat brushes of half-inch and one-inch breadth.
- Palettes : white, large-sized color palette or saucer
- Cloth : a rag-cloth for wiping
- Water Bowl : two bowls for water
Color with Care – Some Watercolor Tips
- Before you begin, see that you have all the materials listed above.
- Use different brushes for different-sized areas of your picture. For large areas, use a thicker, bigger brush.But use a smaller brush for small areas. To give your sheet a wash, use a round-tipped No. 10 or 12 brush or a 1″ broad flat-brush. For the outlines and finer details of the picture, use brush numbers 0 and 1.
- Remember to wipe and clean the metallic stem of the brush every time you dip in the bottle. Otherwise, color left on the metallic stem will be transferred onto your fingers, form where it will find its way to your drawing sheet.
- As far as possible, start coloring your pictures from the top of the page and work your way downwards. Working in the opposite direction, you might get wet paint on your palm which might, in turn, get transferred onto drawing sheet.
- While preparing a mixture of two colors or a shade/tint of any color, prepare a little more than you think you will need. It may not be possible to get the exact shade of mixture or tint the second time, in case you need it.
- When you need to prepare a lot of color, mix it in palette. On the other hand, if you need to prepare just a little, use a saucer or a tile. For thumb-print art take some paint in a saucer or a tile as it is more convenient.
- Wash your brushes after you have finished painting. Dry them carefully. Place all your brushes upside down in a glass (i.e. the tip of the brushes you paint with must face upwards).
- Before you put your poster paints away, pour a few drops of water in the bottles. This keeps the paints damp in the bottle even if they aren’t used over a long period of time.
In our next article we will learn to avoid common mistakes while coloring with water color. So, stay tuned. If you like these articles, subscribe to FREE email updates from MyHobbyClass.com