Watercolor Painting Techniques Every Artist Should Know

Many years ago, I was thinking about the best way to explain how watercolor works. Almost all brush painting falls into one of three forms of application. These are: controlled, semi-controlled, and uncontrolled application methods. Understanding control when you apply paint can help you understand how watercolor works. 

I like to relate it to riding a horse. When you jump on the back of a horse, you grab the reins and squeeze your calves to direct the horse. Unless your horse is very stubborn, you have complete control. You control the pace he moves, when he starts and stops, and the direction he follows. In painting, your hand and the brush are the “reins and calves” that control where the paint will go.

Now let’s picture the same horse, but this time placed in a corral without a rider. In this situation, the horse can go wherever it wants to, but only within the confines of the fence. It has freedom, but it’s within defined limits. This is true of semi-controlled painting as well. The artist establishes the boundary (the “corral”) by applying an area of water or paint to the surface. While it’s still wet the artist can drop more paint into the painted area. It can only travel within the wet surface and not beyond, with a few exceptions.

Recommended Learning Platform course

Mastering Brushstrokes – Part 1

Jill Poyerd