watercolor Washes: Discover the 3 Types You Can master

Watercolor washes are fun and easy to create. They make beautiful skies for your landscapes as well as creating abstract art.

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Understanding Watercolor Washes

Once you know how to create a variety of washes, your compositions will bring out a whole new look with each style you choose.

What is a Watercolor Wash?

A watercolor wash is a technique where a thin layer of watercolor paint is applied to the paper to create a background or base layer. It’s one of the most basic and essential skills for any watercolor artist.

Washes are Important to learn because they allow you to create smooth transitions, which are great for building depth and interest in your paintings.

Types Of Washes

Flat Wash: A uniform wash with an even tone.

Graded Wash: A wash that transitions smoothly from dark to light.

Variegated Wash: A wash that blends two or more colors together.

Flat Watercolor Washes

When painting a flat wash, you will be using one color with the value being the same.

This technique is ideal for creating smooth backgrounds or large areas of consistent color. By maintaining consistent brush strokes and paint saturation, you achieve a seamless wash without streaks or blotches. Flat washes are important for setting the base of your watercolor compositions.

Step By Step Guide

1. Mix Paint: Prepare a generous amount of paint in your palette. Consistency is key, so make sure the mixture is completely mixed together so the water-to-paint ratio is blended evenly.

2. Wet Paper: Lightly wet your paper with clean water if you’re using the wet-on-wet technique. Skip this step for the wet-on-dry technique.

3. Load Brush: Load your brush with paint and start at the top of the paper.

4. Apply Paint: Make a horizontal stroke across the paper. Reload your brush and make another stroke just below the first, slightly overlapping it.

5. Continue: Continue this process until you cover the desired area. Work quickly to prevent edges from drying.

Tips

1. If you tilt your paper, gravity will help you with spreading your paint down your watercolor paper.
2. Keep your strokes consistent and smooth. This will help keep everything uniform and line free
3. Use a larger brush if doing large areas to avoid streaks on your composition

The end goal is to have a smooth and even wash across your paper.

Suggested Practice

Paint a simple sky background using a flat wash. Experiment with different colors to see what sky tones you like best.

Graded Watercolor Washes

A graded wash transitions smoothly from a darker, more saturated color to a lighter, less saturated one.

This technique is perfect for depicting skies, and sunsets, or creating depth in a painting. By gradually adding water to your brush as you move down the paper, you create a smooth gradient that gives a sense of light and shadow. Mastering graded washes helps you add dimension to your artwork.

Step By Step Guide

1. Mix Paint: Start with a generous amount of paint.
2. Wet Paper: Optionally wet your paper for a smoother gradient.
3. Apply Paint: Begin at the top with a fully loaded brush. Make a horizontal stroke.
4. Add Water: Dip your brush in clean water, and make the next stroke below the first, overlapping slightly.
5. Continue: Continue adding water to your brush with each stroke to lighten the color gradually.

Tips

1. Work quickly to keep the edges wet. If the paint dries too quickly, you may have unwanted blooms.
2. Practice on small sections before attempting a full sheet. I always recommend having 1/4 sheets of 9×12 cold-pressed watercolor paper to practice with. It saves you on paper and money.

Suggested Practice

Create a gradient from blue to white, mimicking a sunset sky. Practice controlling the amount of water you add to achieve a smooth transition.

The more water you add to the brush with each stroke, the lighter the value.

Variegated Watercolor Washes

.A variegated wash blends two or more colors, creating a visually interesting background.

This technique is great for adding complexity and richness to your paintings, as the colors flow and merge naturally. By applying different colors side by side and allowing them to blend, you achieve beautiful, organic transitions. Variegated washes are particularly useful for creating gorgeous skies, abstract backgrounds, or textured landscapes.

Step By Step Guide

1. Mix Paints: Prepare several colors on your palette.
2. Wet Paper: Wet your paper if you want a smoother blend.
3. Apply Paint: Start with one color and make a few strokes.
4. Blend Colors: Quickly switch to another color and blend it into the first.
5. Continue: Add and blend colors as desired

Tips

1. Work wet-on-wet for smoother transitions.
2. Experiment with colors that blend well together to avoid muddy mixes. Create your palette before you begin

Suggested Practice

Blend two or more colors in a single wash. Try creating an abstract background with a mix of your favorite colors

Avoiding Common Watercolor Washes Mistakes

Here are three ways to avoid common mishaps with your watercolor washes and ways to correct them

Common Mistakes

1. Uneven Drying: Work quickly and keep edges wet to avoid hard lines.
2. Streaks: Use enough paint and maintain consistent brush pressure.
3. Muddy Colors: Clean your brush between colors to keep them fresh.

Techniques for Correcting Mistakes

To lift the color, use a damp, clean brush or paper towel to lift off excess paint. If you paint like me, I always have a paper towel at the ready or in my left hand.

To rework certain areas, rewet and blend edges to smooth out any harsh lines.

Practice patience and repetition. Mastery comes with time and experimentation.

I hope this guide helps you master the basic techniques of watercolor washes. Remember to practice and experiment.

More Resources On Watercolor Washes:

Check out Jean Haines. I admire her watercolor art technique, particularly the way she incorporates washes. Her style and the application of washes in her paintings create eye catching and gorgeous compositions.

Andy Evansen showcases stunning landscapes through his unique watercolor wash technique, where he skillfully transforms skies into surreal yet incredibly realistic scenes.