To wash watercolor, completely saturate the paper with clean water and then gently drop wet paint into the saturated area. Avoid overworking the paint.
A watercolor wash, specifically a wet-on-wet wash, is a technique used to create soft, blended backgrounds and smooth gradations in watercolor paintings. The principle is simple: apply wet paint to wet paper. This allows the paint to flow and blend freely, resulting in a wash that's less defined and more atmospheric than washes applied to dry paper.
Here's a breakdown of the steps and considerations:
Steps for Creating a Watercolor Wash
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Prepare Your Paper: Use watercolor paper designed for wet media. Thicker paper (140lb or higher) is less likely to buckle. Stretch the paper beforehand to further prevent buckling, especially for larger washes. This involves soaking the paper in water and then taping it to a rigid surface like a board.
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Saturate the Paper: Using a large, clean brush or sponge, evenly wet the area where you want the wash to be. The paper should be glistening, but not pooling with water. You can tilt the board to remove excess water if necessary.
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Mix Your Paint: Prepare your watercolor paint to a watery consistency. It should be fluid enough to flow easily when dropped onto the wet paper.
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Apply the Paint: Gently touch the tip of your brush, loaded with paint, to the wet paper. The paint will spread and blend with the surrounding water. Experiment with different colors and saturation levels to achieve desired effects.
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Let it Flow! Avoid overworking the wash. The beauty of wet-on-wet is its fluidity. The less you touch it, the more organic and interesting the results will be.
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Backwashes (Optional): To create backwashes (cauliflowers), introduce slightly drier paint or clean water into a still-wet area. This creates a textured effect as the water pushes the pigment outwards.
Tips for Success
- Control the Water: The amount of water on your paper is crucial. Too little water and the paint won't flow properly; too much and the colors will become diluted and muddy.
- Use Quality Materials: Good quality watercolor paper and paints will make a noticeable difference in the final result.
- Experiment with Techniques: Try tilting the paper to control the flow of the paint, or using a damp sponge to lift color and create highlights.
- Practice: Like any watercolor technique, mastering the wet-on-wet wash requires practice. Experiment with different colors, paper types, and water ratios to find what works best for you.
By mastering the art of the wet-on-wet watercolor wash, you can create stunning backgrounds, ethereal skies, and beautifully blended effects in your paintings.
