How to learn to draw watercolors from scratch?

For the first time , watercolor paintings appeared in ancient China. Here, people were pioneers of elegant drawing and learned how to learn how to paint with watercolors. It was in this country that special paper was produced suitable for working with watercolors. In the western countries of the continent for a long time they did not pay due attention to watercolor painting, and only at the end of the 19th century he was allotted a deserved place in the history of world painting. Using the watercolor technique , you can achieve amazing graceful lines, translucent background, interesting blurry details. All this can give the picture a mystical effect.

What brushes are needed?

Before you begin to study the technique of watercolor drawing, you need to pay attention to the materials for its high-quality performance. Properly selected brushes are the first necessity for those who want to learn how to learn how to draw watercolors from scratch. They should have the following properties: quickly absorb water, have flexibility and the ability to immediately return to their previous shape, and also have smooth, not puffing hairs. The handles of watercolor brushes are always short. A wide flat brush is used to remove excess paint, as its hairs have increased stiffness. The wash brush is used to paint the background. It is large enough and soft, so it easily changes its shape and does not dry out, holding water and paint in the hairs. Brushes for work can be of various sizes, which vary depending on the technique used.

how to learn to draw watercolors

Watercolor paper

The selected paper is also important. Determining its quality is not difficult. If the paper is thick and does not peel, as well as well glued, then you can not doubt its quality. With the right choice of paper for drawing, you can draw in watercolor, without fear that the water will slowly absorb, and the colors will lighten. You need to pay attention to the grain of the paper for drawing. Fine-grained paper is suitable for the accurate transfer of small parts. For ordinary jobs, you can choose medium grain paper. And to perform specific drawings, coarse-grained is needed. It has a rough surface and a distinct texture. This type of paper has a high density and is often made by hand. Paper without graininess is not suitable for watercolor drawing, as it will warp.

how to learn how to draw watercolors for beginners

The right colors are the key to success

Equally important is the choice of the right colors for those who are interested in how to learn how to draw watercolors. Familiar school watercolor paints are also suitable for beginners . But if an immature artist is still aimed at a good result, it is better to give preference to professional ones. To prepare for drawing paint in the baths, some effort will be required. First you need to drip a little water from the brush into the paint so that it softens a little. The convenience of such paints lies in the fact that there is no need to look for additional containers. If the artist has some experience in drawing with watercolors, then paints in tubes are suitable for him. Then you can create the desired palette yourself.

On the other hand, amateurs can also use these colors if they buy a ready-made set with many tubes. Although sets of paints are sold in twelve and thirty-six pieces, not all colors are used. In any case, there is a need to mix different colors to obtain the desired or unusual shade. In principle, a novice artist will need no more than ten commonly used tones.

learn to draw watercolors from scratch

Warm or cold tones

Those who want to learn how to learn how to draw watercolors need to understand warm and cold colors. If the paint is based on red or yellow, then it will be considered warm. A blue and purple shades belong to the cold. It should be noted that green, purple, gray and black color have a unique feature and can relate to both cold type of paint, and to warm. The initial tone may depend on the specificity of the color and the effects of the surrounding shades. The main colors are considered blue, yellow and red. All the rest that can be obtained by mixing are called derivatives.

learn to draw watercolors in stages

Drawing steps

Learning to draw watercolors in stages is not at all as difficult as it might seem at first glance. First you need to purchase a pencil, preferably with a solid rod, so that the lines are visible only slightly. Next, sketch the main details of the picture. After you can immediately take on the watercolor. There is no need to rush here. First you need to think carefully about what colors and shades are desirable for the selected pattern. Having decided on the color scheme, you can begin to apply paint. At the first stage, you should draw with translucent colors. After all, adding a tone is easier than removing it. To do this, dilute the paint with water. After the base is applied, you can add color to the picture turned saturated. To get dark tones, the brush is wet with a napkin after wetting in water. Next, the brush is dipped in paint, and lines are drawn on paper. It is important to remember the shadows that you need to think through before you start drawing. It is important to know for future artists who are interested in how to learn how to draw watercolors for beginners in stages.

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Deleting Borders

In order to get rid of the difference between the shadow and light parts, a smooth transition is required. This means that all colors should be mixed. To do this, the brush is lowered into the water so that all the remaining paint on the hairs is washed off. Next, the brush must be dried and make sure that there is absolutely no paint on it. Then the bristles of the brush must again be immersed in water. After that, the brush is placed on the distinction between the light and dark parts, a line is drawn. Thus, a clear boundary will blur, and it will not be possible to determine exactly where the shadow ends and the light begins.

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Drawing a landscape

Nature lovers who want to learn how to learn how to paint landscapes with watercolors must first outline the main compositional lines on paper. When drawing a sky zone, it must be remembered that this piece of paper is first wetted by water. Further, while the sky zone has not yet had time to dry, a diluted light yellow paint is applied to its lower part. The upper part is painted red or orange. Borders of shades are erased with a wet brush.

how to learn how to draw watercolors for beginners in stages

Green experiments

How to learn how to paint beautifully with watercolors and easily operate with different colors on paper? This is much simpler than it sounds. The only difficulty may arise with green. Very often, artists have problems with the use of this tone in their works. In order not to make a mistake and choose the right shade, you need to know a few rules. You can not lighten green with yellow. To muffle saturated green, adding a drop of basic red is enough. And to give greens a darker shade, a cold blue tone is often used. Knowing these basic rules about how to learn how to draw watercolors, you can immediately draw a great landscape with a mysterious sky in the background and bright green foliage in the front of the picture.

The most important thing in learning the technique of watercolor drawing is not to grab onto everything at once. It is necessary to gradually increase your level of proficiency with the brush, as well as the ability to properly handle the color scheme. Some artists prefer to use only soft and warm tones in their works, others, on the contrary, are cold and rich. It is not so easy to find your way in creating watercolor masterpieces. The main thing is that the drawing touches the feelings, then the hand itself will begin to draw the necessary lines, and the brush will add elegant color shades. Consistency in how to learn how to draw watercolors is very important. You must always go from simple to complex things, at each phase of development to acquire new skills and consolidate knowledge through constant practice.


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