Watercolour Techniques - Wet to Dry!
Watercolour Techniques for Lazy Artists: Let the Paint Do the Work!
- Water Control (or Lack Thereof): Understanding how water interacts with pigment, remember that watercolour has a mind of its own sometimes.
- Blending Techniques: Wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and dry brush methods explained simply!
- Third Exercise: Paint a rainy sky! I’m English - I’m used to these!
Welcome back fellow watercolour wizards! By now you’ve got your trusty supplies and maybe even a few blobs of colour under your belt (well done!). So, what’s next? Today, we’re diving into some simple, fuss-free watercolour techniques that will make you look like you know exactly what you’re doing without actually trying too hard. Perfect, right?
The beauty of watercolour lies in its unpredictability. The trick is to let the paint work its magic with as little interference as possible. So, grab your brushes and paper, and let’s get into the lazy artist’s guide to watercolour techniques!
- Wet-on-Wet: Embrace the Chaos
This is one of my all-time favourite techniques because it’s basically watercolour’s version of “winging it.” The idea is simple: you wet your paper first, then add your paint, and let it flow. Like when we let the colours merge in the first lesson and perhaps with our blobs in the last lesson. The colours bleed, mix, and do their own thing creating soft, dreamy effects with zero effort on your part. It’s like the paint is doing all the work—because, well, it is.
How to do it:
- Wet your brush and wash over your paper with clean water.
- Load your brush with some watercolour paint and drop it onto the wet surface.
- Sit back, relax, and watch as the paint spread, creating those lovely organic shapes you’d never get with a rigid, controlled approach.
Pro tip: Different papers absorb water differently, so play around to see how wet you can get before your paper turns into a soggy mess. Cold-pressed paper is a good place to start.
2. Wet-on-Dry: Controlled Chaos
Wet-on-dry is the more organised sibling of wet-on-wet. Here you’re applying wet paint onto dry paper. This gives you a little more control but still lets the watercolour’s natural flow come through. It’s perfect for when you want a more defined shape but still want the softness that comes with watercolours.
How to do it:
- Start with dry paper (obviously).
- Load your brush with some juicy pre-moistened paint and start painting directly onto the dry surface.
- The edges will stay sharp, but you’ll still get that beautiful, fluid look.
When to use it: Wet-on-dry is great for things like trees, flowers, or any object where you want to keep the general shape while still enjoying the unpredictable nature of watercolour.
Have a go. Paint a flower using a round brush. Paint squares using a flat brush.
3. Dry Brush: Texture Without the Hassle
If you’re feeling adventurous, the dry brush technique is a fun way to add texture without going too crazy. It’s exactly what it sounds like—you’re using a dry brush (well, almost dry) with very little water to create rough, textured strokes. Think damp brush. It’s perfect for adding a bit of grit or some visual interest to your painting.
How to do it:
- Load your brush with paint but don’t add much water (if any at all). Dip and dry on towel so the brush is barely damp.
- Drag the brush lightly over dry paper.
- The brush will catch on the texture of the paper, leaving behind rough, broken strokes.
What to use it for: Dry brush is great for adding texture to things like tree bark, stone, or just to give your painting a more abstract, gritty feel.
Tree bark is a great way to see this working. Paint a trunk of a tree using the dry brush method or just go across the page and see what textures you make. This can make a great background. A flat brush is great here but try it with a round brush too.
4. Colour Bleeding: The Happy Accident
This technique is a happy accident waiting to happen and it’s super easy. Bleeding happens when one colour blends into another while still wet, creating soft transitions and a bit of magic on the page. It’s one of the reasons I love watercolour so much because it often does things you didn’t plan, and it’s usually better than what you were trying to do!
How to do it:
- Paint one colour onto the paper.
- Before it dries, add a different colour right next to it or slightly overlapping it.
- Watch as the two colours mingle and create something new!
Best for: Backgrounds, skies, or any place where you want a soft, blended look. This technique also works wonders for abstract pieces where the merging of colours is the whole point.
Let the Paint Lead the Way
The best part about watercolour? You don’t have to do all the work. These techniques are designed to help you embrace the medium’s natural fluidity and unpredictability. The more you let the paint flow and do its thing, the more exciting your paintings will be. So, resist the urge to control every little detail and just see where the paint takes you.
Let’s Paint a Watercolour Sky!
Colour bleeding, wet-on-wet techniques, and letting the watercolour drift and do its own thing (much like a rainy sky) is where we are going to start. Use any colours you want to because skies can be quite varied. Yes, I have seen a pale pink, baby blue, and orange sky all in one go! But purples, blues and greys are all good for rainy, moody skies. Have your colours mixed up and ready to use and remember how colours mix from lesson one. A blue and yellow together will make a green which may not be great for sky, although it could be for an aurora or galaxy!
First you need to wet the paper leaving the occasional dry part. Some dry patches help keep white for clouds or shafts of light. Almost zig-zag down in a random fashion until you have a wet page. Not puddly, but wet with a nice sheen.
Now, load up your brush and drop the colour into the water and let it run. Add another colour and let it bleed into it. Tilt the paper vertically so it all runs down and creates a rain storm. If your paint isn’t running enough or you want it to be lighter, spray it with a water spray to get it moving again. Practise with colour melds and tilts until you are confident in playing and you’ll be surprised at the beautiful skies you can create by allowing water and colour to run together just like it does in nature! Make two or three until you feel confident at melding and flowing and allowing the water to do its magical thing.
If you’re feeling painterly once your sky has dried, then you can even add the suggestion of some trees or an abstract silhouette of buildings at the bottom to finish the painting. Or feel free to leave it in its own beautiful glory!
Final Thoughts: Play, Don’t Plan
If there’s one thing to take away from today’s blog, it’s this: watercolour is a game of play, not precision. The techniques above are here to help you loosen up, embrace happy accidents, and let the paint do the heavy lifting. So, go ahead and try them out. Mix and match, experiment, and most importantly, have fun with it.
And remember, the best watercolour paintings often come from unexpected moments where you stop overthinking and start enjoying the process. So, go forth and make a colourful mess! Don’t forget to tag me in your stunning skies!
Thanks for stopping by! If you enjoyed today’s post and want to see how I use these techniques in my own work, be sure to check out my gallery at Jules Smith Art—where you can also purchase some of my watercolour creations. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @julessmithshots for behind-the-scenes peeks and doses of colourful inspiration.
Happy painting! 🎨
Join me next week for tips on suggestive and impressionistic art!