Watercolor Techniques

As in all of art, the art of watercoloring has amassed a collection of techniques that have been painstakingly discovered over the years. Artists have tried a myriad different ways to create the desired effect on canvas and paper. The most useful techniques have survived the test of time becoming part of the artist’s technical tool chest and are in use today.

The following are some methods in vogue today in the beautiful art of watercolor painting.

Washes

The first technique on the list is the most basic of them all, washes… For example, the flat wash. One way of doing it is wetting the area on the paper and mixing enough pigment to fill it up.

The graded wash requires that the pigment is slightly diluted with water with each stroke. The resultant wash fades out gradually and evenly.

Glazing

This is almost the same technique as a wash, except that it uses a thin, transparent pigment applied over dry existing washes. This is mainly to adjust the color and tone of the underlying wash.

The trick to success is to make sure the first wash to be painted over is dry.

Wet in Wet

Wet in wet is applying the pigment to a wet paper. Depending on the wetness of the paper, the resulting strokes can vary even from each other. It can leave soft undefined shapes or some slightly blurred marks.

This technique is applied over existing washes. You just have to make sure the laid-on washes are dry.

Simply wet the paper with a large brush and paint into the dampness. Those marks made by, wet in wet, make very subtle background regions in the painting.

Dry Brush

This is almost the opposite of the wet and wet technique. The brush filled with a pigment and then slightly dipped in water is dragged on a dry paper.

The marks produced by the strokes tend to come forward and are crisp and hard-edged. They are best applied around the focus of interest in the painting.

Lifting Off

To lift off color and pigment from the artwork, wet the area with a brush and clean water and blot the pigment away with a tissue. Masking some areas of pigment with strips of paper in the lifting process will bring out some interesting hard-edged lines and shapes.

(Some pigments are difficult to remove and should be avoided in this technique – Prussian blue, Windsor red, yellow and blue.)

Dropping in Color

For some surprising effects, try this technique. The process is simple. Introduce a color into a wet region and let it bleed, blend, and feather without interruption.

The resulting shapes and forms are unpredictable and interesting, and can be astonishing, at times. This is one color gradation that cannot be achieved by mixing the pigment on the palette.

Splattering

For certain needs of the painting, splattering paint can be done to achieve what you want.

First, dip a brush (or a toothbrush, depending on the size of spatter you want) into the paint. Scrape the bristles with a finger from your other hand and aim the spatter onto your painting.

Tissue Paper Texture

The paint on the surface should not be so wet. Use a crumpled tissue to pick up the paint. The image left behind can approximate rocks, foliage or treetops.

With a curious mind and some creativity, you can discover some techniques of your own. Watercolor painting is a fluid art.

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Involving children with art helps them explore their creativity, imagination, artistic skills and kill boredom. And for the value created it is very inexpensive. Art is great way for children to express themselves and understand the world in new ways. There are different kinds of artistic expressions they can explore and watercolor painting is one of them.

Watercolors are easy to clean, so children can easily use them. There are also different watercolor exercises that children can do. For example, the wet on wet technique. Let the children apply watercolor on a dry and wet piece of paper. Let them describe how applying paint on dry and wet surfaces are different and where they can be used.

• With color blending, let children mix different colors and draw different images that they see around them.
• Black and white watercolor painting is another great activity. Color the entire paper in black and then let it dry. After drying, draw on the black paper using white watercolor with their own design. It could also be done the other way around, with the paper white and the watercolor designs in black.
• Thread painting uses thread which is dipped in paint. Arrange the thread on the paper in whatever way you want. Then press and pull the thread creating designs on the paper.
• Use watercolor in coloring decorative items that the children have made like paper maches.
• Watercolor painting is also a great activity for parents and their kids. Everything nowadays is so fast-paced that we forget to spend more time with family and children. Watercolor painting is a great way to slow down and enjoy life with our family.

When teaching children with art, it is important to understand that what the children see is different from what adults see. They may color animals which are far from their actual colors. Let the children express themselves in this creative experience. It is important to keep in mind that children have potential for artistic expression. Parents, guardians and teachers have the responsibility to let children express their artistry.

There are different studies showing that involving children in art helps them reduce their stress. They are able to develop self-confidence, since they have created something which is appreciated by other people. Aside from improving their confidence, they are also able to improve the senses like vision and sense of touch.

Teaching art to kids helps in their cognitive growth, improve their memory, increases understanding and encourages compentency. Art also improves their symbolic communication skills since children are able to translate what they see around them into their own symbols and reflections of reality.

For older children, parents may still interest them in painting. Art materials and art books may pique their interest and eventually involve them in art and craft making. Watercolor painting is just one of many art media which can be maximized by the kids. Adolescents and young teens can explore other media like comic strips. Parents should keep in mind that children’s involvement in art should never be forced, instead the children should be provided with opportunities where they can make their own decision.

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