Watercolor Worksheet
     

     Watercolor is a special media with specific rules and guidelines. Several techniques used especially with this media. It is much more difficult to control than some of the other paints. It relies on transparencies. Outlined below are some basic rules and guidelines.
     
    Brushes
     The best brushes for watercolor are the soft bristled, short, black handled brushes. The longer handled variety are much more stiff bristled and work better for acrylic paint. The watercolor brushes should never be cut or trimmed. If you find a brush that you cannot use, do not trim it, just put it back and grab another one.
     These brushes need to be rinsed thoroughly after using. The excess water should be pushed out of them and they should be reshaped and coated with soap. Put them away handle side down. When you select a brush to use, make sure to rinse it thoroughly to get off any soap residue.
     
    Preparing your paper
     After you do your initial drawing, it needs to be traced on to your watercolor paper. This is done on the light table using a light drawing pencil. Since watercolor is a transparent media, the drawing has to be extremely light. When the drawing is transferred on, the paper needs to be stretched. Find a masonite drawing board and soak your paper in a tray full of water for about three minutes. Drain off the excess water and place the paper on the board. Sponge off the surface with a clean sponge. Dampen paper tape and secure paper to the board, absorbing excess water with a sponge or paper towel. This should dry smooth and flat.
     
    Painting
     Always start the painting from the furthest background area to the foreground. Make sure to leave time for areas to dry as wet areas will bleed into wet areas. Use complementary colors to drop colors into the background and for shadowy areas. Do not use black! Do not use colors straight from the palette. Mix your colors. These paints get thicker and more dense as the paint palettes soften up. Do not use white watercolor paint. It’s opaque and makes the paint look chalky and pasty. Use water for white. The thinner you make the paint the more light it will appear.
     To create a highlight or to remove paint from an area, flood the area with water and use either your paint brush or paper towel to remove the paint. You can repeat this several times. If the color is too intense you might not be able to remove all the pigment.
    If you need to create a crisp edged highlight, you may use a stencil knife and scrape it out. This must be done when all of the other painting is finished though as it ruins the surface of the paper.
     
     
     
     
     
     Other textures can be created by pressing paper towels into the wet paint or dropping salt on wet paint. The more intense the color, the more apparent the texture.
    If you need to create a linear texture, you can paint the area then press the pointed end of the brush into the paper and press in the lines. The pigment will pool into the lines and create lines. Don’t press too hard. This technique works well but once you’ve done it, you can’t get rid If you need to create a linear texture, you can paint the area then press the pointed end of the brush into the paper and press in the lines. The pigment will pool into the lines and create lines. Don’t press too hard. This technique works well but once you’ve done it, you can’t get rid of it.
     
     
     

    Color Info
     

    Primary Colors- red, yellow, blue    Secondary Colors- green, orange, violet
    Intermediary or Tertiary Colors – red violet, blue violet, yellow orange, red orange, blue violet,
            Yellow green, blue green
     
    Color Wheel – Red, red orange, orange, yellow orange, yellow, yellow green, green, blue green,
       Blue, blue violet, violet, red violet
     
    Warm colors – red, orange, yellow  Cool Colors – Blue, green
     
    Complementary colors: Opposite from each other on the color wheel. When mixed together they make a muddy color. When juxtaposed, they are dynamic and electric.
    Complementary color combinations include: red & green blue & orange yellow & violet
     
    Neutral colors – black and white
     
    Monochromatic: One color plus black and white
    Tint: One color plus white
    Shade: One color plus black
    Aerial perspective: The use of color, in varying degrees of intensity to suggest 3D space on a 2D        space.
     

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