HOW TO USE WATERCOLOR & OTHER THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE WWW
Disclaimer: I’m not an artist, or an art student. I simply enjoy experimenting with new mediums & techniques for fun.
I’ll start with the medium that got me into drawing. Once you understand how it works, everything about it is going to be fun & beautiful.
THINGS YOU’LL NEED
Watercolor Paper — don’t worry about the size, shape, price etc. Just grab any notepad that says it can be used for watercolors. One of the mistakes I did with this medium was dive in without learning about the basics. The most important thing I noticed was the paper. If you use watercolor paper, then you’re good but if you use normal paper, it will create a huge frustrating mess.
Brushes — I used to get cheap-ass brushes that come in sets from tiny bookstores but that was a huge mistake. Cheap brushes can make for interesting textures, effects or if you want to cover large surfaces. My advice is to get a good set of brushes, one that will last long and give you excellent control & results. Make sure you ask your store for aqua brushes, they’re excellent investments.
Small towel — Or basically anything that is dry (dry sponge, tissue paper etc). These come in handy when you want to reduce the water in your brush, or want to properly clean your brush.
Watercolor — My suggestion is to invest in a small slightly expensive set and get one cheap set. The cheap sets usually have a chalky finish that can be interesting to work with, but the slightly expensive set will be your baby. They come in half-pans, and can be replaceable from the place you’re buying them.
PENS — The best pens are microns, but anything that wouldn’t bleed the moment it touches water is excellent.
COLOR PENCILS — Excellent for subtle details.
GOACHE — These are excellent for adding extra textures because they’re not as transparent as watercolor & not as messy as acrylic/oil paint.
TECHNIQUES
Before jumping to techniques, the best thing you can do is try out your brushes. It’s exactly like trying out a new pen, how it feels, what you can do with it, how thick or fine the tip is etc.
BRUSH EXERCISE: CLASSIC The Pinch // Pass the pencil // Screwdriver // Conductor // Sumi-e
BRUSH EXERCISE: BANDS OF COLOR
Thick ‘n’ Thin // Wrist Flick // Painterly Strokes // The Stab // Cutting Edges
For the techniques, a good place to start is here. If the still images aren’t enough, you can always look up that specific technique on youtube.
TECHNIQUES & INSPIRATION
ONE // TWO // THREE
TIPS
• Don’t be scared of filling your paper & brush with water
• It’s a good idea to outline your sketch with pencil but every now and then, dive in without the outlines.
• Experiment with mixing your own colors
