Watercolor drawing. Watercolor painting technique: how to get rid of “dirt”? Thin line with pencil

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Watercolor is often called the most naughty, capricious paint. It is difficult to work with, difficult to store, unpredictable and requires maximum concentration from the artist. But those who managed to conquer and tame it know the secret of creating truly amazing works, looking at which you ask the only question: “Who did they sell their soul to in order to paint like that?”

website invites you to the gallery of truly atmospheric, bright and talented works. This is exactly the kind of contemporary art that is not ashamed to confess its love.

The emotional realism of Steve Hanks

The faces of people in most of the artist’s paintings are darkened or turned to the side. This is done to express emotions and to allow the body to “speak.” “I have always tried to show the world only positive moments in life. I hope that my work brings joy, peace and comfort to the viewer's life,” says Hanks.

Rainy watercolor by Lin Ching Che

The talented artist Lin Ching-Che is 27 years old. He is inspired by autumn rain. Cloudy city streets do not make a guy feel melancholy and despondent, but rather make him want to pick up a brush. Lin Ching Che paints in watercolors. With colorful water it glorifies the rainy beauty of megacities.

The boiling fantasy of Arush Votsmush

Under the pseudonym Arush Votsmush hides a talented artist from Sevastopol, Alexander Shumtsov. The artist says about his paintings: “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone with my works. First of all, I enjoy it. This is a pure drug of creativity. Or a clean life - without doping. Just a miracle."

The charm of Paris in the works of Thierry Duval

Paris-born artist Thierry Duval has traveled extensively. Hence the presence of entire series of paintings based on “geographical characteristics.” Nevertheless, Paris was and remains the author’s favorite place. The lion's share of works is dedicated specifically to the city of lovers. He has his own technique of layering watercolors, which allows him to create paintings with almost hyper-realistic detail.

Evening Calm by Joseph Zbukvic

Today, Croatian-born Australian Joseph Zbukvic is considered one of the pillars of watercolor painting throughout the world. The artist fell in love with watercolor literally from the first stroke; he was struck by the untamed nature and individuality of this technique.

Secrets of the East through the eyes of Myo Vin Ong

The artist Myoe Win Aung dedicated all his work to his native Burma, its everyday life and holidays, lay people and monks, towns and cities. This world is calm, dressed in gentle colors, mysterious and slightly thoughtful, like the smile of Buddha.

Incredible watercolor by Joe Francis Dowden

English artist Joe Francis Dowden paints hyper-realistic watercolors. And he believes that everyone can do this, you just need to know the secrets of the technique. The secret of his inspiration is extremely simple: “Throw away your watercolor textbooks and get lost in a real forest.”

The magic of ballet from Liu Yi

The watercolors of this Chinese artist can easily be called art about art. After all, his favorite theme is images of people who are directly related to him - for example, ballerinas or classical musicians. The way they are presented in the paintings is peculiar: people seem to emerge from a thin haze, emotional and very characteristic. To some extent, they echo the images of ballerinas by the French artist Edgar Degas.

In Ancient Egypt they painted with a sharpened stick with a piece of camel hair at the end using paints made from crushed earth. This was the first watercolor technique, which is already about four thousand years old. Since then, watercolor painting has become firmly established in Europe.

The word “watercolor” itself has the Latin root “aqua” - water. Therefore, the main principle of the watercolor painting technique is the degree of hydration of the paper. It is water that gives the transparency of paints, purity of color and allows you to see the texture of the paper.

The artist has a choice of existing watercolor painting techniques:

dry watercolor (Italian watercolor);
wet watercolor (English watercolor);
combined (mixed) technique;
watercolor on fragmentarily moistened paper.

Dry watercolor (Italian watercolor)

Acquarello - this word sounds musical to the ear. Layers of paint are applied (one if it is a single-layer watercolor) or several (if it is glaze) on a dry sheet of paper.

“Watercolor is the tender promise of oil,” and this technique is a direct confirmation of this.

The tonality of the paint is thicker, the colors are brighter, the strokes are visible as if the drawing was painted in oil. The main difficulty is that if the oil endures everything, the work can be corrected, but in watercolor it is almost impossible to make mistakes. The Italians even have the term “A la Prima”, that is, “in one go.” The picture is painted without stages. With pure, undiluted colors, you need to boldly capture the essence, make a sketch from life.

Steps of an artist using the watercolor-on-dry technique:

drawing a contour drawing, developing shadows;
watercolor in one layer, or glaze;
brush strokes are opaque, mosaic, precise;
avoid dirty deposits, high speed of work.

Who to learn the Italian style from: Russian academic painting of the 19th century. For example, “Italian Landscape” by A.A. Ivanov is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Watercolor on wet (English watercolor)

The French call this technique “working on water” (travailler dans l’eau, French).

A sheet of paper is generously moistened with water. The main feature of this technique is the unpredictability of the result. Even if the artist has correctly calculated the tone and color, the drawing may still change more than once before it takes its final form before it dries completely. The contours of objects in this technique are blurry, the lines smoothly flow into each other and are airy. A painting made using this technique is thought out and imagined by the viewer.

In his book How to Understand Watercolor, writer Tom Hoffmann said: “Painting in watercolor is a dialogue between the artist and the viewer, each with their own role. If only one person talks, the other one will get bored.”

Artist's steps in wet-on-watercolor technique:

adding water to paints;
mixing paint, it doesn’t matter where, on the palette or on the sheet;
wet the sheet generously, then smooth it so that there are no irregularities left;
remove excess water from the sheet with a piece of cotton wool so that it stops shining;
complete the drawing using extremely precise strokes;
drying the pattern for 2 hours;
development of foreground elements (if required).

Who to learn the English style from: the brilliant English painter William Turner. According to contemporaries, he created four drawings at once using this technique “with amazing, monstrous speed.”

An example of Russian artists is the drawing by Maximilian Messmacher “View of Cologne Cathedral”.

Mixed media watercolor

Many artists combine several drawing techniques in one work.

Combined (mixed) technique techniques:

put the first layer of paint on a wet sheet;
elaboration of plans, creation of the required degree of blur;
drying the drawing;
lay out the next layers of paint in stages;
elaboration of the middle and close plans.

Basic rule of technology: the paper is not wetted all over, but in the desired area (reserve); the pigment is applied to the surface from top to bottom.

The paper may become wet in patches. The artist himself decides which plan to work on, creating watercolor stains. Using a sponge, you need to remove excess water so that water does not seep into those areas that should remain dry according to the artist’s plan. Examples of combined techniques in the work of artist Konstantin Kuzema.

The next issue for the artist is to create layers of paint. There are single-layer and multi-layer techniques (glaze).

Single layer watercolor technique

To paraphrase the famous satirist, one careless movement, and at best you will end up with graphics instead of watercolors. The paint is applied in one layer; adjustments cannot be made. The single-layer technique can be applied dry-on-dry or wet-on-dry.

Features of single-layer watercolor “dry on dry”:

execution literally in one or two touches;
it is necessary to outline the contours of the drawing in advance;
select the colors to use for speed;
for colorization, use shades only on a damp layer;
more clarity and graphics, less overflow.

Features of watercolor in one layer “wet on dry”:

more shimmer, less graphics and clarity;
Apply strokes quickly, until dry, one after another;
For colorization, have time to add paint when the smear has not yet dried.

The advantage of the single-layer technique is the creation of picturesque watercolor tints. On a dry sheet it is easier to control the fluidity and outline of the strokes. Contemporary artists often conduct master classes and post videos on Youtube. You can see the technique of single-layer watercolor, for example, from watercolorist Igor Yurchenko.

Those who tirelessly improve their watercolor technique should master the multi-layer technique (glazing), which is used by famous masters.

Multilayer watercolor technique (glaze)

This watercolor technique can give the green light to creating realist paintings. Glaze- multi-layer technique, applying watercolor with transparent strokes from lighter to darker, one layer on top of the other.

Features of multi-layer watercolor technique:

realism of the image: the picture is in bright, rich colors;
the bottom layer of light and transparent strokes must have time to dry before the next application;
the boundaries of the strokes are visible;
the paint does not mix in different layers;
the strokes are done carefully, the plans are airy, the painting is in a soft style;
You can divide the process into several sessions and complete a large canvas.

Watercolor works made with glaze become similar to oil or gouache painting. So that the work does not have such a drawback, one must be able to work with light, apply glazes subtly and accurately.

Sergei Andriyaka is considered an unsurpassed master of multi-layer watercolor. In addition to his creativity, the artist is actively involved in teaching; his and his students’ works are constantly exhibited.

“Oil painting is like driving a limousine, and watercolor is like driving a Ferrari.” Not the same respectability and security, but it’s really cool,” Croatian watercolorist Joseph Zbukvich wittily remarked. What does it take to paint a good watercolor, or to “drive a Ferrari like a breeze,” according to the artist? He answers: “Follow watercolors, or just paint.”

To draw you need brushes, paints, mastery of technology and special effects. You can paint with a dry (wrung out), semi-dry and wet brush (kolinor or squirrel brush).

Techniques in multilayer technology are also varied:

Strokes you need to do it according to the principle “the master’s work is afraid”, invent your own technique, making dotted, linear, blurry, curly, solid and intermittent strokes.
Fill covers most of the design with one color, used to provide smooth color transitions.
Washing- applying no more than three layers of paint, one on top of the other after drying, to enhance halftones, add details and shadows. This way the overall tone is achieved.
Gradient stretch- strokes smoothly transition into each other, each next one is lighter than the previous one. This is done with a rainbow transition of colors.
Pulling paint- a clean, dry brush makes the tone of the stroke lighter, passes over the paper, collecting excess pigment.
Reserve- that part of the sheet that is left white.

Types of reservation:

« bypass“- the name speaks for itself, you need to carefully go around the right places with your brush. In wet watercolors, you need to leave more space for the reserve due to paint leakage.
mechanical impact: scratching, masking. Avoid damaging the paper with sharp objects and sharp contrasts. Additional materials: razor, wax crayons, etc.
paint washing out with a dry cloth or wrung-out brush. You can use a palette knife if the paint is dry.

You can create watercolors using the grisaille (monochrome), dichrome (with ocher) and multi-color techniques.

You can also combine coloring materials and create special effects:

Mixing watercolors with whitewash, gouache, watercolor pencils, ink, pastel. This is no longer a pure technique, but a mixed one. What does this give? — clarity (pencils), shading (pastel), wash (ink), book illustrations (pen), reserve (white), linear strokes (watercolor pencils).
Special effect " drawing on crumpled paper"gives an amazing effect of chiaroscuro on the folds of paper.
Special effect with salt: salt crystals are applied to the drawing, and as a result of friction with the paper, fantastic stains appear. Suitable for drawing a starry sky or water meadow.
Special effect " splashing“- this effect is familiar to all 1-2 year old toddlers. It turns out that the technique of splashing exists in painting, and you won’t be scolded for it. Using a toothbrush, apply tiny drops of paint. Suitable for writing the elements, storms, storms.
Watercolor with tea: for the effect of “aging” paper, with a texture reminiscent of parchment. The leaf is tinted with tea leaves.
A special effect with cling film: the film, moistened with paint, is sharply separated from the sheet of paper. The resulting stains are used as a background.

And again about the principle “the master’s work is afraid”: each artist can create his own, original techniques and techniques. Whether or not to share with others is his business, but every artist is responsible for the originality of his work. As the already mentioned watercolorist Joseph Zbukvic said: “Watercolor is the boss. I’m just her young assistant.”

Each of the forms of art is beautiful in its own way and is different from the other: one requires developed physical abilities, another requires good hearing and a sense of rhythm, and the third requires imagination. Now we will talk about painting - a fine art form that contains beauty, flights of fancy, atmosphere and artistic interpretation of various images. In this article I will talk about such a painting technique as watercolor. You will become familiar with what this paint is, where its history originates, and what it consists of. I'll briefly talk about papers and brushes suitable for watercolor, but I'll also give valuable tips for beginning watercolorists and illustrate in detail popular techniques for this airy art form.

About watercolors

The word “watercolor” itself contains the whole principle of this technique: “aqua” - water. So watercolor paints create pictures only when interacting with water. All drawings painted in watercolor have a light and airy effect. The peculiarity of this paint is its fine structure applied to a special sheet. paper. Her strokes have no relief. That is, if we look at an oil painting, we can see the relief and direction of the stroke. In watercolor this is impossible.

It is worth noting that this technique is one of the most elegant in fine art. At the same time, there are many completely different methods of painting with watercolors. Evidence of this is the work of great masters of different eras. It's time to learn the history of this wonderful technology.

From the history

The watercolor technique originated in the Land of the Rising Sun. Its appearance is not spontaneous, but is associated with the invention of paper, which happened in the 2nd century AD. The technique of watercolor painting also came to Europe with the advent of paper, but it began to gain popularity later than other techniques in this art form. The Renaissance artists who preferred watercolors included: Durrer, Anthony Van Dyck, Giovanni Castiglione, Claude Lorrain. However, there were those who considered watercolor painting to be a cross-cutting and insignificant form of art. This was the opinion of Payot de Montaber.

In the 18th century Many people have come to understand that painting is not only beautiful, but also convenient. This technique was used in military expeditions to quickly sketch the terrain, various objects, and other things. In the middle of the same century, painting with water paints was extremely popular among those who had nothing to do with art. They spent their leisure time painting with watercolors. We learned about this entertainment from the travel diaries of William Gillin. Closer to the 19th century. watercolor has become one of the most important art techniques in England.

At the same time, numerous amateur artists supported the popularity of watercolors by creating portrait miniatures with these paints, which was very popular at that time. Watercolor experienced an even greater rise thanks to Thomas Guertin and Joseph Turner, who painted large format watercolor paintings. In other countries, for example in France, the popularity of such painting was supported by Paul Desroches, Eugene Delacroix and others.

The demand for watercolor lasted almost a century, but by the end of the 19th century. It has been discovered that some watercolor paints tend to fade quickly. Despite this drawback, famous artists of France - Paul Signac, Paul Cezanne and the USA - Maurice Prendergast, John Sargent and other artists, for example, Wassily Kandinsky, preferred watercolors. In 2001, Mexican artist Alfredo Guati Rojo proclaimed November 23 as International Watercolor Day.

It is worth noting that the English tradition of watercolor had a great influence on Russian artists. Here it originates in the cultural capital - St. Petersburg. One of the important personalities in the history of Russian watercolor is Pyotr Sokolov. Well-known people were also fond of watercolors: Karl Bryullov, Mikhail Vrubel and many others. Already in 1887, the association “Society of Russian Watercolor Painters” appeared, which existed for 31 years. But in 1998 it was revived under the name “Society of Watercolor Painters of St. Petersburg”.

About paints

It's time to get to know the colors better. Firstly, watercolor paints are considered one of the most ancient, and, secondly, they have a natural composition. There are many occasions when children love to taste watercolor paints. Adult professional artists also sin by licking their brush. Therefore, it is interesting to know what is included in these paints.

Watercolor paints include:

finely ground pigment;
vegetable glue;
honey/sugar/glycerin;
wax;
resins-balsams.

Despite the attractive sweet taste of watercolor, it is better not to try to eat it, because you don’t know how your stomach will react to it.

Watercolors are sold both in small plastic squares and in tubes. Personally, all my life I have used only paint from a Russian manufacturer, namely the “St. Petersburg” series from the Nevskaya Palitra ZK.

What to paint on with watercolors?

Many beginning artists like to experiment with the choice of paper for watercolor. I’ll immediately advise: if you want To achieve a certain effect and color in a watercolor painting, do not use regular Xerox paper, Whatman paper or regular album sheets. Yes, buying specialized rough paper for watercolors will be more expensive, but such paper absorbs moisture and provides ample opportunities for all your watercolor ideas. You can also use canvas. I do not stretch the canvas onto a stretcher myself, but buy it at an art store. Here the quality of the canvas is no longer so important as it is important that it is already prepared by the manufacturer for applying paint.

How to paint with watercolors

Before telling you about various techniques for painting with watercolors, I suggest starting with the basics of this matter, so:

Remember that after applying a wet layer of paint, the drawing will become lighter when it dries.

And this is natural, because while the watercolor is wet, it looks brighter and more contrasting, but as soon as it dries, the colors become pale and dull. That’s why it’s an “airy” watercolor. If you want to make the drawing brighter, then add more paint, but do not forget that the brush should still be wet.

Create colors on a palette.

If you don’t have a large set of paints, you can always create the color yourself by mixing paints on a palette. Before applying, test the mixed color on another piece of paper, because the color of the paint on the palette and on the paper may differ.

Dried watercolor can be washed off or diluted with water.

Even if the paint is completely dry, you can still wet the brush well with clean water and highlight the desired elements of the design. But here you need to rub so that the top texture of the sheet does not peel off and lumps do not appear in your drawing.

Watercolor is a transparent paint.

That is why you should not apply thick layers of paint, this contradicts all the laws of watercolor. And you won’t be able to paint over anything either.

Start with light.

Start drawing the light elements of the picture and gradually move to the darkest ones.

It is better to purchase three quality brushes: thick, medium and fine, rather than a set of cheap synthetic brushes. A high-quality brush holds its shape and applies watercolor well. I recommend using squirrel. A cheaper option is a pony.

Don't add a lot of water.

If you use an excessive amount of water with your brush, you will not get the expected shade and color saturation, and you also risk getting blurry contours and details in your composition.
Watercolor painting techniques

And now, when you are already sufficiently familiar with what watercolor is, it is time to consider several good techniques for painting with this airy paint. It is worth noting that each of them requires a special approach, rhythm and time of painting. In one of the techniques you will need to apply several layers and wait until the paint dries, and in the other you have time to apply colors while the drawing is wet.

On our website you could already familiarize yourself with others. However, this lesson will be many times larger and this is justified by its benefits. For an easy example, I solved it using different techniques. This is what the initial pencil drawing will look like in all techniques:

Watercolor with graphics

Watercolor painting techniques for beginners

Mosaic in watercolor

Now we'll move on to other non-traditional watercolor painting techniques. There are two more wonderful techniques that are suitable for children and adults. They will not require such painstaking work as the previous one. To implement the following methods in watercolor, you need a faster pace of work, and you will understand why. To do this, among other things, you will need to stock up on a thick brush for greater ease of use. And so, let's start with the first, easy technique, which will be very interesting for children.

Techniques for drawing with wax crayons and watercolors

Watercolor gradient

I will also show this technique using the example of an apple. Why not?

For even greater effect, I recorded two combined watercolor painting techniques for you on video. Watch a short example, I hope it will be useful for you, and then you will learn about another interesting technique, which will be partially covered in the video.

Technique of painting with watercolors on wet

This is one of the easiest and most interesting techniques in which you need to have time to mix paints again. In this case, we will again need a thick brush and clean water. Let's get started:

But I want to show another equally interesting subtype of this technique.

Conclusion

In this article, I decided not to confuse readers who are novice artists and write the names of paints with commonly used adjectives: “red”, “dark red”, “scarlet”. They do not correspond to the professional names of the paints that are indicated on the White Nights packaging, but they give a clear idea of the color to those who use other watercolors. I think professionals will recognize the correct name of the paint by its color in the picture.

Watercolor paints are one of the most loved by artists. Firstly, watercolor has a lot of different techniques, and secondly, with its help you can create a beautiful drawing, even if you don’t know how to draw at all.

These techniques will help beginners learn how to draw, and professionals will refresh their memory and find inspiration and ideas.

1. Painting with a flat brush

Step 1

Draw a square or rectangle to mark the start and end of the layer.

Select a darker shade (it's easier to see) and starting in the top left corner, touch your brush to the paper and gently draw a straight line all the way to the top right corner.

But: Left-handers should draw from the right corner to the left.

Step 2

Fill your brush with paint again.

Start the next stroke from the bottom edge of the first, trying to cover the accumulation of paint that has formed at the bottom of the first stroke.

Hint 1: If the buildup of paint in the first stroke does not flow completely into the second, then increase the angle of your easel to help the paint flow freely.

Hint 2: By increasing the angle of inclination, you also increase the chances of getting uncontrollable paint flows. So try to work faster or have something like a rag or sponge on hand to quickly clean up spills.

Step 3

Repeat the previous step, also trying to cover the accumulation of paint in the top stroke.

Hint 3: You can use the flat edge of the brush to “cut” the beginning of the layer and make it even.

Hint 4: If you want to smooth out the end edge of a layer, then at the end of the stroke, pause and move the brush up and then down as you would with the beginning edge.

Hint 5: If the stroke turns out to be intermittent, then immediately fill the brush with paint and re-stroke it.

Step 4

Repeat the previous steps until the very end. Try to stick to the same paint tone.

Hint 6: You won't believe how different the behavior of brushes, paints and paper can be between different brands. Typically, more expensive and popular brands make your job easier by providing high quality products.

Hint 7: If your strokes are choppy even when your brush is full of paint, you are using paper that is too thick or the paper is too rough in texture. If you come across such paper, spray it with water, blot it with a clean sponge and let it dry. This will make the surface more receptive to your paint.

Step 5

Rinse the brush and squeeze out all remaining water from it. Gently pick up any clumps of paint left from the bottom of the final stroke with your brush, but don't pick up too much paint or you will discolor your drawing.

To create more texture in your design, let it dry at an angle. This will give the paint a more interesting look.

Gradient

Step 1

Draw a square or rectangle. Then dip your brush into a darker shade of paint (mix on your palette) and carefully brush over the stroke.

Step 2

Dry your brush with a sponge or paper towel and dip it again in a lighter shade.

Then draw a new stroke, overlapping the bottom of the previous one. Notice that the left side of the layer has already merged with the previous stroke. Let gravity do its thing.

Step 3

Rinse the brush again and dry it. And then refill the brush with paint and make another stroke. Repeat this process until the very end.

Hint 1: If your stroke breaks or doesn't go on as smoothly as you'd like, quickly refill your brush with paint and repeat the coat.

Step 4

Rinse the brush with clean water, dry it and pick up any remaining paint.

Hint 2: Try this technique by working with different colors and creating interesting transitions.

Watercolor glaze

Step 1

This technique requires improvisation and imagination. Using the example, we will draw an improvised landscape.

First we paint the sky and river with blue paint. We will separate the paint with a small amount of water, this will be a waterfall.

Step 2

Draw the clouds in dark pink and start drawing the mountain in yellow. We will also mark the bottom part of the picture in yellow.

The example uses light and transparent tones so you can see how the layers interact.

Step 3

By mixing cobalt blue and ultramarine blue, we will paint the horizon of the mountain and shade the small yellow slope.

Hint 1: allow each layer to dry. You can use a hair dryer to speed up this process. Keep it at least 25-30 cm away, turn on the cool setting and set the hair dryer to the lightest air flow. No steam or hot air!

Step 4

To shade and add interesting colors, we use orange. With its help we will create the shores in the foreground and shade the sky.

Hint 2: If you get droplets of excess paint, rinse and dry your brush as you did in the previous techniques, and pick up the droplets with it.

Step 5

Please note that the images show different paint brushes. You can use the ones you have on hand.

Take a dark blue color and use it to highlight the top of the mountain, varying the pressure on the brush and turning it to create an interesting texture.

Step 6

Using the same blue color, let's play with the waterfall by drawing some circles. Sometimes visual clichés become your friends.

Let's rinse the brush and pick up yellow, we will use it to add visual details to our shores.

Step 7

After the paint has dried, shade the bubbles in the waterfall with a shade of purple. This way we will make them more interesting.

Step 8

We need to link some elements and add trees. In the example, we used round templates for the crowns, but you can draw as you like.

Step 9

We will use brown color to depict tree trunks. We will also use blue to shade the water and sky a little more. Then, using pink, blue and green, we will paint the grass in the foreground.

Step 10

Use a mixture of pink and red to add the final details. Our trees are now bearing fruit, and several fruits lie under them.

If you look closely, you can see how each layer interacts with each other. A darker shade has more power, but when the colors overlap each other, they create an interesting and beautiful combination.

“Wet” technique

Step 1

Wet the paper with water

Step 2

Blot the paper with a clean sponge, removing excess water. Try to achieve an even distribution of moisture throughout the paper, you should get a satin effect.

If the paper is shiny, it is too wet, blot it again.

Step 3

We will draw the landscape again. Let's start, of course, from the sky. Using this technique, it is easier to draw the background first, then moving on to the foreground objects.

Step 4

We continue to draw the sky until we start to like it. The strokes will blur, creating an interesting effect.

Step 5

Now let's move on to the grass in the foreground. Using green, we will make several broad strokes, leaving space for the stones.

As the paper dries, the strokes blur less and less.

Step 6

Let's add forms. To do this, we use different shades of green and draw trees on the horizon.

Step 7

Having added the trees, let's try to add texture to them. To do this, use a darker shade of green to create accents.

Step 8

Add stones using gray color. We filled in the gaps in the foreground with this color, leaving some gaps.

Try to use either dark or cool shades. Using both dark and cool shades will create visual dissonance.

Step 9

Let's place accents to diversify the design. Using a crimson tint, we will depict several floral elements in the foreground. Let the crimson flow as it pleases. Then, using a dry brush, remove the color from the middle of the spots.

Step 10

Then drop clean water into the center of these spots to allow them to blend into the grass.

The hardest part about this technique is knowing when to stop. Overdoing it with blurs and colors will result in a messy drawing.

This technique gives a slightly strange but interesting result. A drawing made using this technique has a hypnotizing effect.

Dry brush painting

Step 1

We think the name of the technique speaks for itself. We will need to put paint on the brush, blot it from excess liquid with a paper towel or sponge, and then paint.

First, let's make a pencil sketch. After this, we roughly outline the sky by moving the brush over the surface of the paper.

Step 2

Let's paint the trees on the horizon line in green, outlining what will later become our lake.

Then, mixing purple and blue, we will draw the first layer of the tree trunk.

Step 3

Let the drawing dry and add some elements: the reflection of a tree in the lake and the flow of water.

Mixing green and blue, shade the shore in the background of the image and let the drawing dry again.

Step 4

Mix an intense blue with ultramarine and paint a layer on the tree trunk to create shadows and bark texture.

Step 5

Then, using shades of orange, we will depict an autumn landscape by painting over the background trees.

Step 6

Having finished with the previous step, use a light orange tint to depict the reflection of the trees in the water.

Also, mixing gray with blue, we will place dark accents on the trees.

We will also add trees on the other side of the horizon. Let's denote the tree shapes in orange.

Step 7

Let's take care of the water. Use dark green and brown to achieve the desired color. And with wave-like movements we will draw the water in the lake.

Step 8

When painting a lake, change the pressure on your brush to add texture.

Clue: if the brush is too wet, the paint will look flat. Dry the brush to intensify the colors.

Step 9

Let's add some grass under the tree, using the same color as for the grass in the background.

Step 10

Let's add some details to the foreground.

We will also darken the lake a little by adding a blue tint. We’ll also shade the sky with the same color.

Removing moisture

This technique will require several sponges. It is suitable for depicting clouds and soft light. It can also control the behavior of paints.

Sponges

Makeup sponges are best. They absorb well and give an interesting effect.

Try not to rub the sponge on the paper, and if you do, do it very carefully so as not to damage the paper.

Paper towels

With their help you can create sharper highlights. But paper towels absorb huge amounts of paint very quickly. Therefore, they can completely absorb fresh paint.

Paper towels can come in handy if you make a mistake. Then you can quickly remove the paint.

Dry brush

You can use a dry brush to create a design using this technique. To do this, rinse thoroughly and squeeze out the brush. With its help you can create clear lines.

Other methods:

You can spray water where you want to remove the paint and then soak it up with a sponge.
Use different fabrics to add texture
You can use your fingers or other body parts. Skin can also absorb moisture.

Discoloration of dried paint

Watercolor brushes

Use clean water and a cloth, wet the desired areas, gently rub the drawing and remove the moisture with a dry brush. This method allows you to control the areas you lighten.

Brushes for oil or acrylic paint

Stiff bristles allow you to quickly scrape paint off the desired area. But it is worth noting that this method can damage the paper, so control yourself.

Here, just like in the first method, you first need to wet the area and then brush it on.

Spray and towel

Take a spray bottle and spray the desired area, and then apply a paper towel to it. This method leaves large light spots and gives an interesting effect.

Sandpaper

It is very rarely used, as it can damage the paper. It's best used at the end to add texture. You don't need water for this method, just rub the design where you want it.

Blades and knives

Can be used to highlight small areas and create crisp lines. This method is also very risky as it can damage the paper.

Sponges

You can also use sponges. Wet the desired area and dry it with a sponge.