EASY STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO LEARN HOW TO PAINT

STEP 1-UNDERSTAND YOUR MATERIAL

STEP 2-UNDERSTAND COLOR THEORY

STEP 3-UNDERSTAND HOW TO LAYER WATERCOLOR PAINTS

STEP 4-LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES

STEP 5-LEARN ABOUT PERSPECTIVE

STEP 6.-TIPS FOR FINDING THE INSPIRATION AND INSPIRATIONAL ART QUOTES

MODULE 1.

Watercolor materials

The first and most important step of painting instruction is coming to know your materials. All watercolor painting lessons start with coming to know your materials and how your paints respond, which helps you exploit them to their fullest potential and to avoid any big mistakes.

The NECESSARY materials

-watercolor paints,

-watercolor paper,

- brushes

-palette,

- sketch pad,

- masking tape/ for fixing the paper to the board,

- 2 water containers/ use 2 if possible, one for rinsing your brush a one for clean water for painting

- kitchen cloths/ for cleaning the brushes,

-paper towel/ for lifting the paint,

-hair dryer,

- inspirational background music/ water sounds, classical music, instrumental music

INTRODUCTION TO WATERCOLOR PAINTS

Watercolor paints are available in in two different forms, tubes and pans. Tubes come in different sizes, regular, and large. Always be sure to screw the caps back on after use to prevent the paint from drying out.

If you like to paint often I would recommend you large tubes, because they might be cost effective. Pans can be bought both half and full sizes. When color is used up, you can easily replace it with a new one.

ADVISE FOR BEGINNERS-After a working session always clean the mixed up/mudded colors with a clean wet brush. Repeat the cleaning several times. This can also be a preventive step, after you finish with your painting.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW-WATERCOLOR PRODUCTS BEARING ACMI SEAL AND AP SEAL ARE CERTIFIED NON-TOXIC.

-Suggesting Watercolor Paints-

For beginner and advanced artists, I suggest Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolor tubes-Winsor blue-Winsor Yellow-Winsor Red. But it is up to you to add more colors to your set.

-Watercolor Paper-

There are many different kinds of watercolor paper. For beginner watercolor learners I would recommend Strathmore series 400,Cold Press Watercolor paper pad, size 9­`` x 12``. And for those more dedicated artists, I would suggest Arches watercolor paper, Cold Press,140 lb,22`` x 30 ``.

But you can also try these watercolor papers

-Canson XL Watercolor paper 145 lb

-Fabriano Studio Watercolor paper 140 lb

-Moulin du Roy 300 lb/ Cold Press

-Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor paper 140 lb

-Bright WHITE Arcges 14 lb / Cold Press

WATERCOLOR PAPER/ TEXTURE

Watercolor papers are available in three different textures.Smooth or hot-pressed,medium or cold-pressed,and finally rough.The paper you choose, beside other elements, will mostly affect your paintin process and determine the outcome of your painting.

First type- COLD PRESSED WATERCOLOR PAPER

This type of paper is highly recommended for beginners.This is the best paper for all exercises and demonstrations.It has a rough texture comparing to hot-pressed paper. If you try to glide your brush over this type of paper some of the paint will settle on it while skipping the indentations of the grainy texture and leaving them blank.This helps you create a beautifully textured brushstroke ,perfect for representing all water, oceans.

Second type-HOT-Pressed PAPER

This type of paper has a smooth surface and even texture.It is highly recommened for mixed media work, because you can use ink,for example,or graphite for smoothly touch over the surface.There is almost no texture, so, wet paint will cause puddles.

Third type-ROUGH PAPER

This is a paper with a very textured surface.It creates a very expressive brush strokes and helps you provide more expressive character and emotions.But it is not suitable for any detail work.

What type of paper will you use for your artwork ,well, it is totally up to your artistic needs. But ACID-FREE paper will yellow significantly less with age.

ADVISE-Before you start with your painting, always use a Sketch pad,or a Drawind pad,because it helps you organize your objects in the painting, define and apply the rules of perpective.Sipmly i is good for making a plan,a scetch.

Suggestions for Sketch pad-Canson Sketch pad 65 lb.

RULE TO REMEMBER-ALWAYS STRECH YOUR WATERCOLOR PAPER BEFORE YOU START PAINTING.This is important,because you want to prevent wrapping ,bending or folding.For this you are going to need a masking tape,meaning the pages are glued together,all the way aroun,all 4 sides.You have to make sure that no water slips under the paper. We also do not want any air under the paper.After you finish with your painting,let the paper dry,and carefully remove the tape.Streching helps you to tighten the fibers of your paper .

STEPS FOR STRECHING-

1. Wet the paper in one direction

2. Wet the paper in the opposite direction

3. DO NOT over wet the paper, because over wetting the paper can cause buckling.

4. Blow dry your paper.

5. You will need-a wash brush, watercolor paper, masking tape, hair dryer, water.

ADVISE-All these watercolor papers are pricy,so you can use a cheaper watercolor paints.

-WATERCOLOR PALETTE-

Find the one with lots of space for mixing color.Suggestion, 18-Wells Airtight Watercolor Palette.

• WATERCOLOR SKETCHBOOK-

Before you start with your painting, always use a Sketch pad, or a Drawing pad, because it helps you organize your objects in the painting, define and apply the rules of perspective. Sipmly i is good for making a plan, a sketch.It is a necessary item for everyday drawing exercise.

Suggestions for Sketch pad-Canson Sketch pad 65 lb

-WATERCOLOR BRUSHES-

The brushes for painting come in different- shapes, rounds, flats, mops, fans.

FLATS -hold a large amount of paint and are useful for blocking in large areas.

ROUND- have a round full body that holds adequate pigment and taper to a sharp point.

MOPS- have a large quantity of soft hair for moving a large quantity of paint in a loose manner and blending wet areas.

FANS - are flat pie-wedge sharped brushes used for blending in acrylic and oil painting.The bristle fan is good for scrubbing out linear strokes in watercolors.

SPOTTERS - are brushes with a fine point. They are excellent for miniature and detail work.

HAIRTYPES- goat hair, camel hair, sable, squirrel hair, ox hair, bristles, synthetics.

For watercolor painting you will need a flat brush/goat hair 1,5 ``,round brush, fan brush, mop.

CLEANING YOUR BRUSHES

1.Use the moist soap. With your open palm in the running warm water gently dab and swirl the brush in your palm until the water runs clean.

2. Wet your palm one more time and repeat the dabbing using the moist soap. Repeat until until suds stay white and brush is clean.

3. Use paper towels to squeeze water out. Then reform the brushes hair to their original form with your fingers.

4. Never live your brushes to stay in the water container for too long. It will damage the wood and deform the brushes hair.It can permanently affect the functionality and shape of the brush.

Creating depth in a painting is easy to do using graded colors.

MODULE 2.

-UNDERSTANDING COLOR THEORY-

1. PRIMARY COLORS

The fundamental color principle is that there are 3 colors that CAN NOT be made by mixing any other colors together.Those 3 primary colors are

-YELLOW

-RED

-BLUE

2. SECONDARY COLORS-

The secondary colors are created by mixing 2 primary colors.For example,if you mix blue with red color you will create purple color.But if you mix blue with yellow color,the result will be green color.The proportions of used primary colors will effect the hue of the created secondary color.

3. NEUTRAL COLORS-

The neutral colors are black and white,and as the primary colors they can not be made of mixing any other colors.They are exluded from the color theory,because they can not be used to create a new color.White color reduces brightness when you add it to another color,and removes the colors vibrancy,aldough it makes a color lighter.

4.WARM AND COOL COLORS

Red and yellow are warm colors,they remind of sun,fire,and blue is cold color.But there are different tones and intensity of these colors,so those color variations can be warm or cold.

5. OPPOSITE COLORS-

In the color spectrum there are also oposite colors,for example,yellow is opposite to violet,green is opposite to red,orange is opposite to blue,etc.We shall se this in the next video demonstration. 6. pain

6.GRADATION OF COLORS CREATE DEPTH

- Creating depth in a painting is easy to do using graded colors.

7.Create a color reference chart

Paint a color chart where you will record which two colors you mixed and include the approximate proportions of each color.This will provide you a ready reference and help you before you get to the stage when you intuitively know what color will you get.

How to make a color chart?-You will need the colors you normally use,medium size brush,cloth for cleaning the brush,water container,watercolor paper and a pencil to record the name of the colors used.

MODULE 3.

-LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES

1.Watercolor techniques for Beginners

1.FOUNDATIONAL WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUE-Graded wash

2..Technique to lift wet paint

3.Dry brush watercolor technique

4.Techniques to LIFT-Lifting off while WET and Lifting off After DRY

5.Painting a flat watercolor wash

6.Wtercolor technique for testing colors-making a watercolor grid

7.Watercolor techniques for painting with a fan brush

8.abstract dripping watercolor technique

9.Technique-Intensity and Value

10.Technique-WET INTO WET

11.Technique –WET ON DRY

12.Mixing for neutral Dark Color

2.WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES FOR INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

1.Watercolor techniques for painting realistic trees and bushes

2.Dy scratching technique for painting fur

3.Wet-in wet watercolor technique

4.Easy watercolor calligraphy technique

5.Using a salt technique for texture in a watercolor card

6.Tecnique called,,back-wash,, as a technique for painting abstract background texture

7.Splatter and spray watercolor tecnique

3.ADVANCED WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES

1.Tecniques for painting portrait

2.Splattering watercolor

3.scratching woodgrain textures onto wet paint with a knife

4.Tecniques using color and light for ultra-dramatic paintings