Watercolor Painting: Basics

Short: Watercolor painting uses water-soluble pigments that are diluted with water and applied to paper. The technique thrives on transparency, lightness, and the deliberate interplay of water and pigment.

In more detail: Unlike opaque paints, watercolors can hardly be fully corrected, which requires a planned approach.

In detail

• Watercolor paper: Thicker, textured paper absorbs water better and warps less than regular drawing paper.
• Wet-on-wet technique: Paint is applied to already-damp paper, creating soft, flowing transitions.
• Wet-on-dry technique: Paint is applied to dry paper, allowing sharper edges and more control.
• Glazing: Several thin, transparent layers of color on top of each other create depth and complex tones.
• Reserves: Light areas are usually created by deliberately leaving the paper blank, since white can barely be applied.
• Masking fluid: A washable liquid protects certain areas from paint, allowing precise white shapes.
• Drying behavior: Watercolors often look more intense wet than after drying, which should be factored in when applying color (kalligrafie-grundlagen, sprichwoerter-und-redewendungen-verstehen).