Watercolor Brush Techniques

Perhaps one of the most difficult techniques to master in brush-applied watercolor is the controlled application of large fields of background color.  Since many works depict landscapes with expansive skies or bodies of water, it becomes imperative that these key scenic elements be applied exactly as intended.  The following brush techniques will show you how to achieve the look you want and help you to explore new avenues of expression.

Flat Wash - this technique will allow you to apply color without variation of tone or density.  This is most useful when painting sky, water, or other large areas of color:

Step 1.  Lightly sketch your basic scene with a no. 2 pencil and then use a synthetic sponge (with tap water) to slightly moisten the area that you want to wash with Draw the sponge back and forth across the board until the area is fairly damp.  It is recommended that you use a Strathmore Hi Plate illustration board (a hot pressed sur-face) for this type of watercolor work.

Step 2.  Mix your watercolor paint so that there will be enough pigment for the entire wash and apply it with a 4" (19mm) chisel-edged brush.  Drag the brush horizontally across the board in a single, fluid motion and then pick up more paint and repeat (slightly overlap the first stroke). Progress down the board until the entire area is filled in.

Step 3.  Move quickly and fluently, and try not to "work" the brush strokes too much.  Keep the board tilted slightly toward you so that each stroke will blend down into the next.

Graduated Wash - This application is useful for a color wash that ranges from a dark to light value. Sunsets, fade-outs, and high-low lighting benefit the most from this technique and add depth to the painting:

Step 1.  As in the flat wash, you must first sketch your scene and then dampen the wash area.

Step 2.  Using the same brush and application method as in the flat wash, begin by applying the paint in the area of greatest color intensity.  With each successive stroke, pick up slightly more water with the brush and diminish the color density as you work from the original stroke.

Step 3.  To portray curved objects, first use the flat wash technique to fill the object and then apply darker color to the edges and gradually blend toward the center.  This will low-light the edges and create a striking 3-D effect.

Wet-in-Wet - This is a wonderful technique for creating special effects of diffused and graduated colors.  This style is most effective when trying to capture turbulent skies or large areas of fluidity or motion:

Step 1.  Once again, sketch the scene and then dip the sponge into clear water and squeeze it slightly as you draw it over the area to be covered.  Be careful to wet only the area you want to paint, and continue until the surface is quite wet.

Step 2.  Mix your color with water on the palette and then brush the highly-diluted mix onto the wetted area.  You may also use a small round sponge to drip the color onto the wet surface.

Step 3.  Lift the board and gently tilt it in various directions to persuade the paint to flow around the wetted area.  Try adding more of the same (or a different) color to the area to create swirling effects.  Keep the area wet to avoid hard edges.  If the area begins to dry, you can re-wet it with more water from the sponge, or by using a pray mister.

Step 4.  Experiment with a variety of colors and degrees of wetness.  This is an excellent way to create images that are very difficult to capture.  If you encounter a build-up of pigment or water, try to float it to the edge of the board and then blot it off with a dry paper towel.

Lifting Out - There are often times when scenic elements (say, a tree) will traverse a background (or foreground) wash.  If the object is intricately detailed, it is not practical to apply a wash around it.  Rather than apply an undercoat to the object, the color can be lifted out with the following technique:

Step 1.  Sketch the scene and apply your washes (as described in above techniques).  Allow the area to dry thoroughly.

Step 2.  Use a 3/4" chisel-edged brush to wet the object outline with clear water.  Carefully work within the lines and use a dry paper towel to lift out the color.  Once the area is white again, it is ready to be painted and will appear silhouetted against the background color.

Surface Color Mixing - This technique will help you create  unique look because colors are mixed on the board itself,instead of on the palette.  Stunning effects can be achieved when this technique is employed for landscapes:

Step 1.  Use a no. 4B pencil and sketch in your scene. Then use the 3/4" chisel-edged brush to apply the basic under-toning color for the area.  It is not necessary to first wet the board and strokes can be quick and non- fluent.

Step 2.  While the board is still wet from the se coat, squeeze different colors (from the tubes) into separate areas of the palette and then pick up some of the undiluted color and start to apply directly to the board. Use a stiff-bristled brush to apply the colors.

Step 3.  Mix the colors with short, choppy strokes into the wet pigment.  The bristle marks will create texture that adds realism to trees, grass, or any naturally-textured surface.  Although the surface-mixing action combines the colors, the colors are not entirely blended together.  A variety of hues and distinct wisps of color are still present (as they occur in nature).

As always, experiment with variations (or combinations) of these techniques, and once you have found the right style, start creating unique works that express the "feel" that you want.

Non-Brush Techniques

Not all watercolor effects are created with the paint brush.  Four non-brush techniques that are commonly used in watercolor painting to develop a variety of effects include splattering, sponging, blocking and printing.

Splattering - The splattering technique, or stippling, is utilized to apply a pattern of dots onto the surface of a painting.  It helps to develop textural areas that denote fabric, rust, coarseness, pointillist or color field effects, etc.

These effects can be achieved in several ways.  The most common is to use a stiff brush, such as a toothbrush.  Load the bristles with paint and then drag an object across them as they return to their original position, they will fling off small droplets of paint.  Depending on the type of implement used, various size dots can be produced.  A toothbrush will give a rather course dot pattern, which will be both very evident and random in appearance.  Other tools that can be used to achieve this effect are a comb, a hairbrush and a stiff bristle brush.  For a more controlled dot pattern and for the rendering of dots that are finer and more sensual, the artist can use an airbrush.  The external mix airbrush, such as the Badger Model 350, is used extensively for splattering technique.

Sponging - The sponge has been used as an artist's tool  for centuries.  By dabbing a soft sponge dipped into heavily reduced watercolor onto the surface of watercolor paper, you can create a variety of effects such as leaves, foliage, grass, etc.  Dab it once and get an imprint of the sponge but normally you dab it repeatedly, each time picking up and laying down more paint.  Since the paint is transparent, you begin to develop a glazing effect by laying one area and shape of transparent paint over another.  With this technique, it is important to remember when to stop it's easy to end up with "mud."

Blotting - Blotting is an extension of sponging technique, but with a different material:  paper.  It's done by simply putting wet watercolor on the work surface and then using a slightly damp piece of paper to blot the painted area before it dries, thus lifting various areas of the paint and smoothing out edges.  Some factors to consider are the texture of the paper you are blotting onto, plus the texture of the paper you are blotting with.  This technique works extremely well when painting on hot press or smooth surfaces and using a rough-surfaced paper for the blotting.  Experiment with it.  Take a look at the Strathmore 500 Series hot press paper and illustration board it's an ideal surface on which to work watercolor techniques.

Printing - There's no reason whatsoever why you can't go back into a watercolor painting and print images into it.  For example, a regular household sponge, when printed, will give you a pattern of high and low areas that resemble stone or brick.  Using the sponge dry, dab it into watercolor and then press it onto the watercolor paper or board, leaving an imprint of the sponge surface.  Taking this into consideration, you could press various  objects into your artwork to attain particular images or effects.  These might include linoleum or block that has been carved, commercially made rubber stamps, lace and fabric, etc.  Use your imagination.

Drybrush Techniques

The look of drybrush depends on the texture of the paper, how much the paint has been diluted with water and how much paint is on the brush.  Drybrush will work on smooth papers, but it's best on papers with tooth, so that the paint touches only the high points of the paper surface.

It's not a difficult technique to master.  In fact, because only a minimal amount of water is used, it's one of the easiest to control.  However, it does take a little practice to get a feel for how much paint to have on the brush too much paint will just create a blotchy wash, and too little paint won't cover.  Also, the paint should not be too liquid.  When using gouache or acrylics, very little, if any, water may need to be added.  A bristle brush, instead of sable or synthetic, will stand up better to rough treatment and give more of a textured look.  After loading the brush, remove most of the paint with a rag or paper towel, leaving just a residue of color.  Experiment on scraps of paper to get a feel for what amount of paint on the brush gives the desired effect.

As you experiment, you'll see that many different textural effects are possible depending on how the brush is held and the pressure and direction of the stroke.  Hold the brush parallel to the stroke and skim lightly over the paper surface.  Don't let the brush linger, or the paint will flow into the paper's recesses.  Try using a square-ended brush and fanning the bristles with your thumb and forefinger to get separate, parallel strokes.

TIP:  Drybrush may look monotonous if overused in a work.  As with most other texture techniques, it is most effective when used as an accent, in contrast with other watercolor methods such as flat or broken washes.

Masking Fluids

To keep areas of a watercolor, such as highlights, free of paint, try using a masking fluid.  Masking fluid is a rubber latex solution which prevents the paper from absorbing paint wherever it has been applied.  Once the paint has dried thoroughly, the mask is rubbed off with an eraser.

Some artists have disdain for using masks, thinking of it as "cheating," or too mechanical--and this can be true if the technique is overused.  But masks can also allow for effects that are impossible by other means for instance, the look of negative brush strokes.  They also allow you to paint with greater freedom.  Aside from reserving the white of the paper for highlights, masks allow you to work freely on a background and later return to paint in detailed foreground areas, without worrying about paint spilling over or losing sharp edges.  You can use a masking fluid to paint out intricate shapes.  Simply outline the area lightly in pencil and paint the mask just over the pencil line when the mask is removed, the pencil will be erased at the same time.

When using masking fluid, it's important to choose the right kind of paper.  If the paper surface is too rough or too smooth, the mask will be impossible to remove and you may ruin the paper by trying.  Use a medium surface, such  as cold pressed paper (also called "Not" paper).  Also, the paper should be surface-sized so that it does not permanently absorb the mask.  Masking fluid should always be removed within a few hours otherwise, it may become permanent.

Masking fluid comes in two forms--clear and yellow tinted.  The tinted form is better in that you can see exactly where it is applied.  Clear mask is more hit or miss, but it can also give a false sense of color values, and the yellow may stain paper that is too absorbent.

TIPS:  It's almost impossible to remove masking fluid from brushes once it has dried.  Apply with an old synthetic filament brush and rinse in warm, soapy water immediately after use or during use if it looks like it is starting to harden.

Also, while painting, blot the paint on the masked area with a tissue.  A build-up of dried pigment may stain the paper when the mask is rubbed away.