How beautiful to paint with watercolors. Features of the technique of painting with watercolors. Important points for all technicians

V Ancient egypt painted with a sharpened stick with a piece of camel hair at the end with paints from crushed earth. This was the first watercolor technique, which is already about four thousand years old. Since then, watercolor painting has become firmly established in Europe.

The word “watercolor” itself has the Latin root “aqua” - water. Therefore, the main principle of the watercolor painting technique is the moisture content of the paper. It is water that gives the transparency of paints, purity of color and allows you to see the texture of the paper.

For the artist, there is a choice of existing watercolor painting techniques:

• dry watercolors (Italian watercolors);
• wet watercolor (English watercolor);
• combined (mixed) technique;
• watercolor on fragmentarily dampened paper.

Dry watercolor (Italian watercolor)

Acquarello - This word sounds musical to the ear. Layers of paint are applied (one if it is a single-layer watercolor) or several (if it is a glaze) on a dry sheet of paper.

“Watercolor is the gentle promise of oil,” and this technique is a direct confirmation of this.

The tonality of the paint is thicker, the colors are brighter, the strokes are visible as if the drawing was painted in oil. The main difficulty is that if the oil endures everything, the work can be corrected, then it is almost impossible to make mistakes in watercolor. The Italians even have the term “A la Prima”, that is, “in one go”. The picture is painted without stages. With pure, undiluted flowers, one must boldly grasp the essence, draw a sketch from nature.

Artist's steps in dry watercolor technique:

1. contour drawing, shading development;
2. watercolor in one layer, or glaze;
3. opaque, mosaic, precise strokes;
4. avoid dirty slugs, high speed of work.

Who to Learn from the Italian Style: Russian Academic Painting of the 19th Century. For example, "Italian Landscape" by A.A. Ivanov, is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Wet watercolor (English watercolor)

The French call this technique "working on water" (travailler dans l'eau, fr.)

A sheet of paper is abundantly moistened with water. In this technique, the main feature is the unpredictability of the result. Even if the artist has correctly calculated the tone and color, the drawing may change more than once before it is completely dry before taking the final form. The contours of objects in this technique are vague, the lines flow smoothly into each other and are airy. A picture made in this technique is thought out and imagined by the viewer.

In his book How to Understand Watercolors, writer Tom Hoffmann said: “Painting with watercolors is a dialogue between the artist and the viewer, each with its own role. If there is only one to speak, the other will get bored. "

Artist's steps in wet watercolor technique:

1. adding water to paints;
2. mixing paint, no matter where, on a palette or on a sheet;
3. wet the sheet abundantly, then smooth it so that there are no irregularities;
4. remove excess water from the sheet with a piece of cotton wool so that it stops shining;
5. perform drawing, making extremely accurate strokes;
6. drying the drawing from 2 hours;
7. elaboration of foreground elements (if required).

Who to learn from the English style: from the brilliant English painter William Turner. According to the witnesses of his contemporaries, he created four drawings at once in this technique "with amazing, monstrous speed."

From Russian artists an example is the drawing by Maximilian Mesmakher "View of the Cologne Cathedral".

Mixed media watercolor

Many artists combine several drawing techniques in one work.

Combined (mixed) techniques:

1. put the first layer of paint on a wet sheet;
2. elaboration of plans, creation of the required degree of blur;
3. drying the drawing;
4. lay out the next layers of paint in stages;
5. elaboration of middle and close plans.

Basic rule of technique: not all of the paper is wetted, but in the desired area (reserve); the pigment is applied to the surface from top to bottom.

Fragments of paper may be wetted out. The artist himself decides which plan to work out by creating watercolor stains. With the help of a sponge, it is necessary to remove excess water so that water does not seep into those areas that should remain dry as intended by the artist. Examples of the combined technique in the work of the artist Konstantin Kuzema.

The next question for the artist is the creation of the colorful layers. Distinguish between single-layer and multi-layer techniques (glazing).

One-layer watercolor technique

To paraphrase the famous satirist, one careless movement, and at best, you get graphics instead of watercolors. The paint is applied in one layer, no adjustments can be made. The one-coat technique can be applied dry-to-dry and wet-to-dry.

Features of one-layer dry-on-dry watercolors:

• execution literally in one or two touches;
• it is necessary to outline the contours of the drawing in advance;
• choose the colors used for the speed of work;
• for coloring, apply shades only on a wet layer;
• more clarity and graphics, less overflow.

Features of watercolor in one layer "wet on dry":

• more overflow, less graphic and clarity;
• apply strokes quickly, until dry, one by one;
• to colorize, have time to add paint when the smear has not yet dried.

A plus in the single-layer technique is the creation of picturesque watercolor overflows. On a dry sheet, it is easier to control the fluidity and outline of the strokes. Contemporary artists often conduct master classes and upload videos to Youtube. One-layer watercolor technique can be seen, for example, from the watercolorist Igor Yurchenko.

Those who tirelessly improve their watercolor technique should master multilayer technique(glazing), in which famous masters work.

Multilayer watercolor technique (glaze)

This watercolor technique can give the green light to realist paintings. Glaze- multi-layer technique, applying watercolors with transparent strokes from lighter to darker, one layer on top of another.

Features of the multi-layered watercolor technique:

• realism of the image: the picture is in bright, saturated colors;
• the bottom layer of light and transparent strokes should have time to dry before the next application;
• the boundaries of the strokes are visible;
• paint does not mix in different layers;
• strokes are done neatly, plans are airy, painting in a soft style;
• you can divide the process into several sessions, perform a large canvas.

Glazed watercolors become like oil or gouache painting. So that the work does not have such a drawback, one must be able to work with light, apply glazing subtly and accurately.

Sergei Andriyaka is considered an unsurpassed master of multilayer watercolors. In addition to creativity, the artist is actively involved in teaching, his works and his students are constantly exhibited.

“Oil painting is like driving in a limousine, and watercolor painting is like driving a Ferrari. Not that respectability and safety, but it's really cool ”- the Croatian watercolorist Joseph Zbukvich wittily remarked. What is required in order to paint a good watercolor, or “take a ride on a Ferrari with a breeze,” according to the artist? He also answers: "Follow the watercolors, or just paint."

To paint you need brushes, paints, mastery of technique and special effects. You can paint with a dry (wrung out), semi-dry and wet brush (kolinsky or squirrel).

Techniques in multilayer technique are also varied:

1. Smears it is necessary to do according to the principle "the master's work is afraid", to invent your own technique, making point, linear, blurred, curly, solid and intermittent strokes.
2. Fill covers most of the picture with one color, used in order to provide smooth color transitions.
3. Wash- application of no more than three layers of paint, one on top of the other after drying to enhance halftones, prescribe details and shadows. In this way, the overall tone is achieved.
4. Gradient stretch- strokes smoothly merge into each other, each next is lighter than the previous one. This is done with a rainbow color transition.
5. Pulling paint- a clean dry brush makes the tone of the stroke lighter, passes over the paper, collecting excess pigment.
6. Reserve- that part of the sheet that is left white.

Reservation types:

• « bypass"- the name speaks for itself, it is necessary to carefully bypass the necessary places with a brush. In wet watercolors, more space should be left for the reserve due to paint leaks.
• mechanical impact: scratching, masking. Sharp objects and sharp contrasts should be avoided. Additional materials: razor, crayons, etc.
• washout of paint dry cloth or wrung out brush. It is possible to use a palette knife if the paint is dry.

You can create grisaille (monochrome), dichromatic (ocher) and multicolor watercolors.

You can also combine coloring materials and create special effects:

• Mixing watercolors with whitewash, gouache, watercolor pencils, ink, pastel. This is no longer a pure technique, but a mixed one. What does it do? - clarity (pencils), shading (pastel), washing (ink), book illustrations (pen), reserve (whitewash), linear strokes (watercolor pencils).
• Special effect drawing on crumpled paper»Gives an amazing light and shade effect on the folds of the paper.
• Special effect with salt: Salt crystals are applied to the drawing, as a result of friction with the paper, fantastic stains appear. Suitable for painting a starry sky or flood meadow.
• Special effect splashing"- this effect is familiar to all 1-2-year-old toddlers. It turns out that the method of spraying exists in painting, and you will not be scolded for it. The smallest drops of paint are applied with a toothbrush. Suitable for writing elements, storms, storms.
• Watercolor with tea: For an aging effect on paper with a parchment-like texture. The leaf is tinted with tea leaves.
• Special effect with cling film: the film, moistened with paint, abruptly separates from the sheet of paper. The resulting streaks are used as a background.

And again about the principle “the work of the master is afraid”: each artist can create his own, author's techniques and techniques. To share or not with others is his business, but each artist is responsible for the originality of his work. As the aforementioned watercolourist Joseph Zbukvich said: “Watercolors are the boss. I am just her young assistant. "

Nevertheless, working with watercolors presents certain difficulties. Not everyone is able to cope with it; if you started your artistic career with tempera, oil or acrylic paints, working with watercolors can be unforeseen.

It is for these reasons that we want to help you with the successful use of watercolor. This article presents several useful tips to work with her.

1. Use quality watercolor

The quality of the paints you use has a lot to do with the final work. Some artists, before shelling out for a more serious product, buy cheaper to see if it suits them. This trick works with certain colors, but not with watercolors - the quality standards are clear here.

Using low-quality material can always ruin the final result, sometimes causing irritation and frustration. It is a wise decision for any artist to spend a little money to ensure that the first experience with watercolor is as clean and honest as possible.

2. Use the correct paper

Which surface you choose for your watercolor painting is of paramount importance. The right paper needs to be able to absorb large volumes of water and withstand many layers of ink, which means it tends to weigh more than regular paper.

The heavier the paper, the more suitable for watercolors. We recommend using paper with a minimum weight of 300 g / m2 - this is usually clearly indicated on the front of the package.

Sheets of paper that can be purchased separately are usually marked as well. By the way, despite numerous disputes about which side of the sheet to draw on, we came to the conclusion that it only depends on the artist's personal preferences - with sufficient skill, you can achieve a good result from either side.

Watercolor paper is produced in three ways: cold pressing, hot pressing and rough pressing. As the names suggest, the first is made under a cold press, the second under a hot press, and the latter is made without using a press at all.

The manufacturing process leaves its mark on the texture of the paper. Hot press paper is smooth enough, while cold press paper has a noticeable roughness. Rough paper, which is logical, has the toughest texture.

If you are using the wrong paper, it will definitely let you know by swelling and bending. Many manufacturers call their paper watercolor, but this does not guarantee that there will be no swelling when painting. Always judge the quality of paper by its weight. The paper in the picture below pretends to be watercolors, but once you apply watercolors to it, it immediately swells and becomes unusable. Which is not surprising at all, because its density is only 160 g / m2.

3. Straighten the paper

Flatten the watercolor paper to help it absorb water better. This will ensure sufficient surface tension. Larger sheets can be soaked in water in a bathtub and attached to a solid wooden surface. You can also use a stapler or wide tape to fix the paper. The paper will shrink as it dries, just applying the tension you need.

Small sheets can be simply attached to the surface with masking tape, and then moistened mute.

4. Draw easily

Most artists make a pencil sketch on a sheet of paper and only then start to paint. However, not all of them like to see traces of graphite on the finished work, so they try to completely paint over the pencil strokes.

Sketch lightly so you don't have any problems with it later. No need to draw shadows with a pencil, just sketch out the outlines of the objects. HB pencils work best for this - soft pencils (like 2B, 4B) can be too dark, while hard pencils (2H, 4H) sometimes leave nasty scratches on the paper.

Pencil marks can be carefully removed with a nag eraser before applying the paint. Remember - once you start painting with watercolors, there is no way you can get the graphite off the sheet.

5. Use a suitable brush

Exists great amount a variety of brushes for every taste and color. As a rule, softer brushes are used for watercolors. We can recommend soft but firm enough synthetic brushes, in particular the Grumbacher Golden Edge.

While you will only find a brush that is right for you with experience, synthetic ones are good for beginners. In addition, they are quite cheap compared to natural counterparts.

Hard brushes (such as bristles) are used primarily for texture work. You should not perform basic forms with them.

6. Don't hold back the paint

The water will spread the watercolor across the paper, creating whimsical silhouettes. Do not hinder this, but make it work for yourself - blurry shapes can also be used to indicate objects.

Unleash the paint in specific areas. This will give your picture its "zest".

7. Limit your palette

As with anything else, color theory must be considered when working with watercolors. Draw so that you can use matching colors, or reduce the range of needed ones.

When your palette is simple, the painting is harmonious and aesthetically pleasing.

8. Work with layers

Darker or more intense watercolors can be achieved with multiple applications. Let the layer dry before adding a new one on top of it. The lower layers will still be visible, creating a very complex effect.

Add dark colors towards the end of the work. Light ones should not be imposed a lot - White color papers will still ultimately affect them.

Not only can you mix colors on the palette, but you can also use optical mixing. For example, apply a semi-transparent layer of blue to a layer of red - you get purple.

9. Use masking fluid

Masking fluid is a liquid material (usually latex based) that is applied with a brush to areas where paint should never get into. This helps to protect the whiteness of the paper in certain critical areas.

When dry, masking fluid can be easily wiped off with an eraser or finger. Remember, this substance can easily ruin your brush, so use one you don't mind.

10. Try to create a full range of brightness

Brightness is indicated by a dark or light shade of a color. It provides the observer with information about the lighting, shape and texture of the objects depicted in the painting.

To fully convey brightness in a watercolor painting, you need to use all shades of color. Make sure to use both light and dark ones.

A common mistake made by beginner watercolorists is that they paint too lightly and lightly. Do not be afraid of dark shades, because they are necessary for accurate reproduction of brightness and contrast.

11. Know When to Stop

It can be very difficult for an artist to determine the very moment when it is time to finish. Sometimes inspiration draws him in so much that he cannot and does not want to stop. But if you overdo it, you can ruin the result.

When working with watercolors, you need to be extremely careful in this regard. Of course, it is difficult to answer the question of when to finish the work, but thoughts from the category of "what else can I add?" often serve as a signal of its readiness. When you paint with watercolors, don't try to mark everything down to the smallest detail.

12. Practice, practice and practice again

A skill cannot be developed without practice. Anyone can learn to paint with enough commitment and time. Talking not only about watercolors, but any other artistic creation, only practice will help you gain self-confidence, without which no artist will ever be successful.

Lately, there are more and more special paints and pencils so that it is convenient for children to embody on paper fantastic images... But for beginners, acquaintance with the visual arts turns out to be most successful in the process of drawing with watercolors. Let's consider step by step some of the nuances of this process.

The union of water and color

Watercolors appeared in Europe in the 15th century, while in China an aqueous suspension of coloring pigment was used in painting as early as the 2nd century. Even then, painters valued paint for its ability to create stunningly subtle color transitions on canvas or paper. It is this property of watercolor that made it so popular not only in the professional, but also in the amateur fine arts... Painting with watercolors is recommended for practice for very young creators. For children 2-5 years old and older, this paint is ideal, because:

• does not require special skills to get started - you only need to prepare water, brushes and paint;
• mixes well and allows you to achieve a wide palette of colors;
• easily washed off the body and washed off clothes, which is especially important in the case of babies;
• affordable, because usually young artists consume material very uneconomically.

Types of paints and watercolor techniques

Before you start drawing, you need to decide on the idea and choose a watercolor. There are 5 types of paints:

• tiled solid;
• semi-solid;
• liquid;
• pencils, crayons;
• mother-of-pearl watercolor.

The first type is suitable for posters and drawings, but not suitable for children's creativity... But the rest of the types can be used depending on which texture is easier for a person to cope with. In addition, the combination of liquid form and pencils or crayons adds to finished work the originality of the combination of painting and drawing.

After choosing colors, you need to decide on the technique of execution:

• on a dry sheet (the drawing is bright, with clear contour lines);
• on a wet canvas (makes all transitions blurry, revealing a wealth of shades).

V the latter case you can use either special paper for watercolor, or put a damp cloth - flannel under the sheet.

What do you need to work with this type of paint?

To make working with paints enjoyable, you need to prepare everything you need for work in advance. In addition to watercolors and paper, which were mentioned above, you will need:

• shallow container with wide sides for mixing paints;
• paint brushes in sizes from 0000 to 6 of mixed fibers (for beginners, it is most convenient to mix paints with a brush No. 3);
• a glass of water to graduate washes;
• paper napkins to remove excess water or paint;
• hard and hard-soft simple pencils for sketching the outline of the drawing.

Be prepared that over time, a slightly tilted drawing board can come in handy, as well as masking fluid for areas of the painting that should not be paint.
How to draw flowers?

Acquaintance with drawing with watercolors for beginners should occur in stages. And flowers with semi-solid paint on a dry sheet in this case are a very convenient object for the image. It allows you to demonstrate all the richness of shades of color, but does not contain too small elements, which will be quite difficult for a beginner to cope with. And, since watercolor painting involves drawing from life, it is advisable to put a vase or a separate flower in front of your eyes. It is better to choose tulips, irises, pansies, that is, rather large representatives of the flora.

Instructions:

1. We set the nature so that the light is concentrated on it. It is better if it is daytime and not artificial.
2. We sketch the contours using a simple pencil.
3. Show parts of the shadow.
4. Draw the back petals with paints.
5. We make a shadow. For this we use two shades of the main color - dark and light.
6. We proceed to the center of the composition, alternating with leaves and stem.
7. We tint the background with a translucent shade.

Landscape paintings are most effective in liquid paints, as they allow you to convey all the details of color. For landscapes, it is better to use the watercolor painting technique on a wet sheet. However, for beginners, this image method can be slightly simplified by gradually wetting the desired areas of the paper.

Instructions:

1. Making a sketch. On objects with a shadow, we make the pressure a little harder.
2. We moisten a section of paper under the sky, apply paint and let it flow.
3. For the bulk of the foliage, we also slightly saturate the paper with water and, mixing the colors you want, apply the paint so that the white areas of the paper remain.
4. We draw large details of the image (mountains, cliffs, etc.).
5. We proceed to the foreground of the picture. We paint the grass, adding tones from dark to light.
6. Add shadows. Please note that the further from the foreground, the deeper, that is, darker, the shadow.
7. We draw the trunk of trees and branches.
8. Refine the outlines of the foreground objects.
9. Remove paint stains, if any. To do this, press a paper napkin to the area of ​​the drawing, then drip water and blot again. Repeat until the stain disappears.
10. If necessary, add details. The drawing is ready.

V modern world more and more beginners are trying themselves in new things to find their calling. Many stop at drawing, namely the creation of paintings with watercolor paint. It seems to many that drawing is a very complex process that requires special knowledge and skills. But everything is much easier, because anyone can paint with watercolors from scratch.
To learn more about watercolors and become a real artist after a couple of lessons, we recommend that you contact a drawing school http://arhangelsk.videoforme.ru/designschool/drawing, there you can understand in more detail all the subtleties and nuances.

The very process of creating a drawing using watercolor paint appeared a long time ago, it happened in China. Subsequently, it was this country that became the first manufacturer of a special canvas, on which it was best to paint with watercolors. Although drawing was difficult then, but now it is a very easy and interesting process. It is enough to open a search engine and independently study the materials and see examples.

What do you need to get started?

Before learning how to paint with watercolors for beginners, you need to stock up on certain tools and consumables:
- brushes;
- paper;
- paints.

Brushes are perhaps the main tool that will help you create masterpieces of art, more about the history of brushes follow the link https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C_(%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82% D1% 80% D1% 83% D0% BC% D0% B5% D0% BD% D1% 82)... They must be flexible, that is, after exposure, take the same shape, they must perfectly absorb water, and when drawing, the hairs should not be lost on paper. Remember that real watercolor paint brushes have a shorter handle than regular brushes.

Quality paper is a guarantee beautiful drawing... No wonder they say that bad paper spoils the image. V watercolor painting the same situation. Therefore, it is extremely important to approach the choice of canvas very carefully. The main characteristic density is considered. It should be above average, that is, the higher the density, the better. The paper should not delaminate, this indicates poor quality... A medium-grained and dense canvas is best, because you can draw anything on it.

Paints should be special - watercolors. Before starting work, it is definitely recommended to drop a little water on them to make it easier to draw with them. For beginners, paint in trays is suitable, and for those who are more confident in their abilities - in tubes.

Watercolor painting technique for beginners

There are many ways and all kinds of techniques for beginners, but I would like to note four of the most effective and useful:

Drawing with a flat brush;

Gradient;

Watercolor glaze;

"Wet" technique.

Drawing with watercolors step by step for beginners, starts from theoretical knowledge:

Drawing with a flat brush allows the novice artist to depict any shape with exactly the same and even color tone. To do this, you need to outline the desired shape. simple pencil Then take a brush, dip it in paint and draw a straight line along the drawing. Next, it is worth repeating these steps, but at the same time overlapping the previous end of the stroke, so that there are no accumulations of paint in the form of lines. Try to stick to the same paint tone throughout the procedure.

V art there is such a thing as a gradient. This is a special painting technique in which you can get a smooth transition between darker and lighter tones, which makes it possible to depict beautiful background or iridescent objects. To begin with, you should take a suitable brush and dip it in the color that suits you, but always in the darkest shade. Next, draw lines like the technique with a flat brush. With each subsequent drawing of new lines, you need to select lighter and lighter tones, and it is also necessary to overlap the lower border of the previous line.

A technique like watercolor glaze requires a little creativity and imagination from the author. This technique allows you to depict landscape differences in different colors... It is always worth starting from the sky, because it requires light colors. Then we start drawing mountains and slopes, for this we take a yellow shade of paint and outline the contours of the mountains, successively sketching them. Higher mountains can be painted in green. You can also depict a river or waterfall by mixing a couple of blue shades, such as cobalt and ultramarine.

The next, "Wet" technique, makes it possible to obtain beautiful and extraordinary landscapes and backgrounds. To do this, using a spray bottle, you need to slightly wet the paper and remove excess drops with a rag or napkins. Then, as is customary, we draw the sky, for this we take a blue tint and apply it on paper as your imagination and imagination requires. It is recommended to paint the subsequent objects with bright and neutral colors, since this technique makes it possible to obtain unique images. The main thing is to use a little imagination and be creative. After completing the drawing, give it the opportunity to dry out, and then you can safely show it to your friends.

Tips for Beginners

The first thing to remember is to use only quality materials. This refers to quality brushes, paints and paper. It is not necessary to buy expensive brushes and equipment, it is enough to find good ones, even for a low price. The main thing to remember is that the best drawings are always those in which the soul is invested. Therefore, create with pleasure.

In contact with

In this article, I would like to tell you about the materials that a novice watercolor artist will need. Now in art stores there is a huge selection of paints, brushes, paper and "accessories" for watercolor painting... How not to get lost in all this variety and choose truly worthy materials for yourself? I will share my own experience, maybe it will be useful to someone.

Paints

Let's start with paints. Watercolors are sold in two forms:

1. Cuvettes (these are small rectangular candies sealed in foil);

2. Tubes (also looks like oil paints).

What to choose? It all depends on your preferences, you can try both types and then decide what is more convenient for you to draw. Personally, I use cuvettes, it is much more convenient and economical.

As for the brand of paints, there are also a huge number of them. And of course, throw away your baby honey water color right away. It doesn't suit us. It's best to start using good materials right away. I advise everyone to take their favorite paints from the "Nevskaya Palitra" - these are "White Nights" or "Leningrad". You can take both in sets and piece by piece. You shouldn't take a sonnet (from the same manufacturer), the quality of the pigments is lame, the paints of the "Gamma" company are also very mediocre.

Paper

Another essential material is paper. You can't save here! We never draw on paper less than 280 g / m2. And no paper for printers. You can try gluing Palazzo "Autumn Dream" - a very good and budget option. This grade of paper has both cellulose paper and paper with 20%, 50% cotton content. But it is better to use French Arches 300 g / m2 and above. This paper is handcrafted and the highest quality... No waves, pellets, etc. The pictures are very bright and vivid. (the only drawback is the very high price.) It is sold in rolls, glued and single sheets.

Brushes

Another item is brushes. There are four basic brushes you can buy to get started:

1. Zero brush (brush # 0) - for working out small details. It is best to use synthetics.

2. Medium natural brush (sizes can be from No. 4 to No. 7 for different manufacturers in different ways).

3. Large brush. It should be natural (protein, columns), well-stuffed and with a thin tip, so that you can cover both large surfaces and, with the tip, work out smaller details.

4. Flat large brush. I use it to wet large sheet sizes.