To paint a watercolour swatch, start with a concentrated application of paint and gradually lighten it by using clean water to manipulate the pigment across the swatch area.
Here's a breakdown of the process:
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Apply Paint: Load your brush with a sufficient amount of watercolour paint. Begin painting from one end of where you want your swatch to be. This end will be the most concentrated color.
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Clean Your Brush: Thoroughly clean your brush in water.
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Introduce Water: With the clean, damp brush, start from the opposite end of the painted area.
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Manipulate the Paint: Gently pull the clean water across the paint you initially applied. This will dilute the pigment, creating a gradient effect. As you move across the swatch, the color should lighten.
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Clean and Dry Brush as Needed: Throughout the process, clean and lightly dry your brush as needed to maintain control over the dilution. This prevents transferring too much pigment or water.
The goal is to achieve a smooth transition from a dark, concentrated color to a very light or nearly transparent wash, showing the range of values that particular watercolour paint can produce. This allows you to visualize how the colour will appear at different dilutions.
