Watercolor Techniques

Seven watercolor techniques to explore

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Watercolor techniques give you freedom to explore and mix, to watch and join in, as well as to dream and create.

Last week, we talked about giving ourselves permission to play. These seven watercolor techniques are the playground of learning to paint with watercolors.

Are you ready to play?

Today, I want to show you several of my favorite techniques to get your creative juices flowing but beyond that, you can build your own set of monkey bars.

We’ll start with the wettest of the wet techniques then move into some less sloppy ones but no less fun. Finally, we’ll end with a classic wash or two. You can practice these with me on a sheet of Canson Watercolor paper taped to an art board. (Canson Watercolor paper is prone to warping if it isn’t taped, especially when we use as much water as we will today. Actually, it will still warp a little bit, but that’s okay for what we learn today and taping it will help it dry flatter.)

Wet on Wet Watercolor Technique

• Drip a little water onto your paper. Let it bubble up off of the paper. I like to use a pipette to do this, but you can just use your brush.
• Move the water around your paper to make a shape or leave it in one round bubble. Just keep the area wet.
• Dip your brush into your favorite color (I like to use Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolor paints for practice.). Then, touch your brush tip to the water moving your brush around as you do. Experiment with leaving white space or blending evenly in different areas.
• Let it dry and watch what happens to the paint.

Try this technique with these tutorials:

Draw a unicorn with a Pink Watercolor Background or Lilac Drawing with a Loose Watercolor Background.

Multi-colored Splot Watercolor Technique

• Start with the wet on wet technique by adding plain water to your paper in a shape you like.
• Add one color to the beginning of the shape.
• Dab a second color into the middle of the shape, blend a little bit between the colors.
• Now, add a third color at the end of your shape, blend a little again.
• The color will continue to spread as it dries.

Blow it with a Straw Watercolor Technique

• Start the same as the wet on wet technique, a bubble of water on the paper.
• Now, add some color.
• Blow the colored water around your page. Try using a straw to blow the watercolor blob. It might help you direct the splatted edges.
• Let it dry and leave it alone or add another color.

Practice this effect with these tutorials: Butterfly Drawing – Blow Painting Technique or Flamingo Drawing with a Splash.

Let it Drip Watercolor Technique

• Start with the wet on wet technique.
• Add some color.
• Tilt your work surface until the paint drips down the page. If it refuses to drip, add more water or give it a light tap until the drop rolls.
• Add a few more color drips.
• As you work with drips, you will learn how to control how far they drip and how much water you need for a drip.

Try this method when you make a Rose Drawing with a Watercolor Background.

Lazy Stippling Watercolor Technique

• Stippling is when you paint with a lot of small dots. It can produce beautiful results, but I find it a bit tedious and prefer my lazy method of stippling.
• Load your brush with wet color. I prefer my brush to be wet but not dripping. Begin making dots on the paper, but instead of lifting your brush completely, drag the dots together. Leave lots of white areas mingling with lots of color.
• You can do this with one color or change colors along the way, blending slightly in between, just like the multi-colored splot technique.

Lazy stippling is used as part of these tutorials: Draw with Words – Turtle Lettering or Easy Drawings for Plant Labels.

Splatter Watercolor Technique

• I like to use this technique when I’ve finished with a painting that has a white background.
• Load a brush with wet color.
• Hold the brush over your paper and tap it on another brush, letting the it splatter on your page at random.
• I referenced Anna Mason Art for the tulip (though I rarely paint as realistic as she does!)

This technique adds dimension to any piece. Try it with Beach Quote, Beach Words, Beach Background or a Sand Castle Drawing with a Loose Watercolor Background.

Watercolor Wash Techniques

• I use a simple monochrome wash for backgrounds most of the time.
• Start with a flat brush loaded with color and water.
• Next, brush across the top of your paper. You might want to do this on an easel or prop up one side of your board so gravity helps to pull the color down your paper.
• If you want the color to slowly fade, dip your brush in water without adding more paint, and brush it across your paper so it just touches the bottom of the first stroke.
• Continue down your paper like this.
• If you want your wash to have multi-colors, just add another color in part way down the wash. Blend a little if necessary.
• If you want to read more about washes, check out this post.

Try one of these watercolor techniques or try them all! In the comment section below, tell me which one you have the most fun with. If you have a different technique that you love, add that to the comments too!

Happy Creating!