Getting Started With Watercolor
Watercolor is one of the most expressive and rewarding painting mediums — but it can also feel unpredictable if you don't know the fundamentals. The good news is that a handful of core techniques will open up an entire world of creative possibilities. Whether you're picking up a brush for the first time or looking to sharpen your skills, these seven techniques form the foundation of beautiful watercolor work.
What You'll Need to Begin
- Watercolor paper: At least 140lb (300gsm) cold-press paper — thinner paper warps and buckles
- Paints: Student-grade sets are fine to start; look for tubes or pans with pigment-rich colors
- Brushes: A round brush (size 8 or 10), a flat wash brush, and a fine detail brush
- Two jars of water: One for rinsing brushes, one for clean mixing water
- A palette for mixing colors
Technique 1: Wet-on-Wet
Wet your paper with clean water first, then drop in paint while the surface is still damp. The pigment will bloom and bleed softly — perfect for skies, backgrounds, and dreamy atmospheric effects. The wetter the paper, the more the colors spread.
Technique 2: Wet-on-Dry
Apply wet paint directly onto dry paper for clean, crisp edges. This is the go-to technique for detail work, lettering, and defined shapes. You have much more control here than with wet-on-wet.
Technique 3: Flat Wash
A flat wash creates an even, consistent layer of color across an area. Load your brush with a well-diluted mix of paint and water, then make smooth horizontal strokes across the paper, slightly overlapping each stroke while it's still wet. Tilt your paper slightly downward to help the paint flow evenly.
Technique 4: Graded Wash
Similar to a flat wash, but you gradually add more water (or more pigment) as you work down the page, creating a smooth transition from dark to light — or light to dark. This is beautiful for sunsets, ocean gradients, and sky backgrounds.
Technique 5: Dry Brush
Use a brush with very little water and drag it quickly across dry paper. The paint catches only on the raised texture of the paper, creating a rough, scratchy effect. This is ideal for grass, wood grain, sparkling water, and textured surfaces.
Technique 6: Lifting
Remove paint from wet areas by dabbing with a dry brush, a tissue, or a sponge. You can create soft clouds, light reflections on water, or correct small mistakes. Work quickly — once watercolor dries, it's much harder to lift.
Technique 7: Glazing
Once a layer of paint is completely dry, apply a thin, transparent wash of a different color on top. This layering technique builds depth and luminosity. Unlike mixing colors on the palette, glazing allows light to bounce through the layers, creating a glowing effect.
Practice Tips
| Technique | Best For | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Wet-on-Wet | Soft backgrounds, skies | Beginner |
| Wet-on-Dry | Detail, crisp edges | Beginner |
| Flat Wash | Solid color areas | Beginner |
| Graded Wash | Gradients, sunsets | Beginner–Intermediate |
| Dry Brush | Texture, foliage | Intermediate |
| Lifting | Highlights, corrections | Intermediate |
| Glazing | Depth, luminosity | Intermediate |
Watercolor rewards patience and experimentation. Fill sketchbooks with practice swatches, try each technique in isolation before combining them, and remember — happy accidents are part of the magic of this medium.