Master Watercolor Artist Viktoria Prischedko style, materials and technique
How to Paint like a Master Watercolor artist
If you have always loved watercolor paintings but haven’t figured out how to master the medium, this article is a must-read.
I was recently in a demonstration of a Watercolor artist who seems to be taking the European Art world by storm. The Artists Name is Viktoria Prischedko, a German artist born in Moldova.
Studying her work has been a delightful experience as Viktoria uses the most beautiful clear color palette in a very expressionistic style of a master class watercolorist.
In this article, I’m going to share all the details about her style, materials, and technique that I found interesting as I watched her paint.
I hope you enjoy my notes from the most recent live demonstration. I’ll add to these throughout the month if you have questions… Please connect with me on Instagram as well. www.instagram.com/jacquelinejaxartist
I know alot about her style and I teach watercolor art on skillshare.
Here’s a link to take my classes on skillshare :start for FREE on Me. :) https://skl.sh/3mh0WPp
Tutorials on Youtube: Paint like Viktoria Prischedko
Masterclass Watercolor Skills by Viktoria Prischedko
Watercolor Painting with Master Class skills is not an easy task because water on Cotton paper is in constant motion. Most artists resort to the basic washes left to dry with added shapes glazed on top, and occasionally, you’ll see some out of the box techniques using a palette knife and paint from a tube or splatters.
To paint like a real master of the Watercolor medium, you’ve got to go further. You’ve got to develop your own style using the medium and advanced techniques you pick up along the way.
Viktoria uses alot of more advanced techniques such as:
- Negative painting
- wet paint on wet paper
- wet paint on dry paper
- Glazing over dry areas
- Mixing color on paper
- Dry brushing to create texture
- Wet brushing to blur harder lines
- Advanced Color theory: using 2–3 colors to create depth
- Reflection painting
- Reflecting light with paper
- Adding white space with paint
I have a class coming up on more advanced watercolor skills next month if you are needing to learn more. Skillshare offers tons of great classes you can take to develop your own watercolor style by alot of artists, it’s a great resource: https://skl.sh/35bJGp6
Viktoria’s Technique
- The artist starts with a b6 pencil on paper outlining a rough composition of the subject from her imagination. The shapes are very loose and focus on perspective to establish how the painting will be organized. She seems to focus on just a few details that will be pulled forward in areas once the paper dries in those areas.
- 76cm X 56cm 100% 600 g cold press Watercolor paper by Hahnemuehle prevent waving : LEONARDO or Cornwall: Cheaper alteratives for all level painters would be Paul Rubens 100% cotton papers hot or cold press (it’s smoother but great to use), Arches rough 100% cotton or Canson Heritage rough.
- Wet on Wet technique : Lots of water is added to both sides of the paper to prevent buckling. The paper does not need to be taped down if you wet both sides.
- Wet on Dry technique: After wetting the paper, a paper towel is used to dry the are she works on first in order to establish some details without bleeding. You see this technique when she paints branches on trees, people and building windows or structure details.
- A Royal Blue watercolor is used for her signature light blue. 322 Sennelier ( color paint list below)
- Ultra Marine Blue Watercolor is then used to add depth of color to adjoining areas. This also can make your mix more moody so be careful.
- Complimenting color is mixed to get deeper moody ranges of color : a mix of Ultra Marine Blue + Daniel Smith Alizarin crimson may be used to mix those deeper tones. Perylene Viole is another paint color that I see her use. tThis creates a very moody combination.
- Water on a goat hair hake brush (see material list below) is used to diffuse areas of the painted images to soften the subject at the top of trees and building. Also used to pull paint down into reflections.
- As the paper dries quickly, you have to try to achieve as much as you can in your washes while it’s wet. The Goat hair hake brush can help you add water back onto area. Don’t spray water unless you want to dispurse the color, this is a different effect you don’t see her use often.
- A paper towel is swiped across the paper in small areas to quickly dry areas where trees need to be more defined.
- A rigger brush is used to paint trees and a round brush is used to paint building details. Paint is used in 2 different ways here to achieve different results. You can use watered down lighter paint to create a guide of where tree branches go or use undiluted paint on a rigger brush to drag darker color across dry areas for that defined effect.
Visit Viktoria’s website to see her paintings: <here>
- White paint is used to add back in some light areas into the washes. White Guache, white watercolor or even white calligraphy ink can be used to add back light areas after the original wash was painted. Viktoria used white watercolor and occasionally mixes in a yellow or other tone to make the white less stark.
- People are painted as loose shapes in 2 colors using the dark and one accent color on dry areas. Preserve those areas by penciling in before you paint or dry them with a paper towel before painting the people.
- As the paper dries, more details are added to branches on trees in the foreground and the building with a mix of concentrated paint or by pulling wet paint up over dry areas. This depends on your brush. Natural hair will act differently than synthetic so try both.
- Goat hair Chinese calligraphy brushes are good for details because they are snappy. This is a great brush for white paint accents. I use a Princeton Elite small round or a rigger that has structure but this is a personal choice.
- A dagger brush or angular shader can be used for this kind of glazing once the area is completely dry. It’s a great way to add details and get that negative painting effect.The artist waits for the area to dry then glazes in shapes to add that negative painting effect. (see below)
Overview of method:
It’s important to train yourself to become reactive to what you are painting. During any painting session, the unpredictability of watercolor comes into play especially with a wet on wet technique. This is where you have to become spontanious in your reactions to the circumstances at the time. Watercolor is fascinating because of the unexpected reactions the painter is observing during the process.
Don’t get frustrated if another artists style doesn’t work for you. There are so many different ways of achieving similar results. Research things like ‘Negative painting’, Wet on wet techniques, Wet on dry techniques, color mixing and loose painting techniques.
Start with your paint and your brushes and use a sketchbook to experiment with colors you like and painting shapes. These colors might not even be for you. We all have our own palettes developed over time.
Keep your painting loose and add details in sparingly to see what appeals to you. Your eye is going to judge things differently so let your vision lead you intuitively instead of only pursuing what another artist finds appealing.
Learning a new style of painting takes time, experimentation and intuition. No two artists will ever paint alike and that changes the results so let your mistakes be happy accidents that help you to find your way.
Come take my classes, I would love to help you develop and give you tips along the way.
Here’s a link to take my classes on skillshare :start for FREE on Me. :) https://skl.sh/3mh0WPp
Tutorials on Youtube: In the art studio: https://youtu.be/RYq-09HlbGo
Viktoria’s Materials
- A wood board sitting slightly tilted is used as a surface for the paper. The board is similar to plexiglass.
- 76cm X 56cm 100% 600 g Watercolor paper by Hanni tp prevent waving.
- Watercolor: Daniel Smith Alizarin crimson, Daniel Smith Ultramarine blue, Holbein Artists Watercolor Royal Blue, A Royal Blue watercolor is used for her signature light blue. 322 Sennelier, Daniel Smith Carbazole Violet, Perylene Violet, Daniel Smith or Schmincke Horadam Aquarell Transparent Lemon yellow, White Gauche or Titanium White.
- Flat brushes that don’t need too much water since the paper already has plenty of water: A great flat brush that doesn’t need alot of water is by Princeton Elite line. Also Windsor Newton has a clear handle flat that’s great for this technique.
- A rigger brush is used for defining trees.Natural hair will act differently than synthetic so try both. A rigger is a long skinny brush. I use a sable rigger. Invest in a good rigger that fits you. They come in snappy or very soft loose styles. If you buy Kandinsky, it can be very floppy so make sure thats what you like before spending the money on it. Princeton has great riggers that are more controlable.
- A Shading brush and a small snappy round brush is used to paint details.
- A goat hair HAKE Chinese flat brush is used to rewet areas that have dried.
- A dagger brush or angular shader is used to obtain unusual shapes in brighter colors to achieve added interest in her glazed details.
- Chinese Calligraphy / Sumi Drawing is used for adding white details. This is firm brush usually in goat hair.
I hope you enjoyed my notes from the live demonstration today. I’ll add to these, please connect with me on Instagram as well. www.instagram.com/jacquelinejaxartist
