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Tips For Abstract Watercolor Painting Success

By Jayne Rutledge


If you are interested in starting abstract watercolor painting, there are many tips and hints available to you to help you get satisfying results for your efforts. There are many techniques that you can explore to develop your style. By playing around with some of the methods and tips mentioned in this article, you will be well on your way to becoming a watercolor artist.

Watercolors are a simple kind of paint to use since there is not too much technicality attached to mixing the colors or applying them. In order to prepare the liquid, all you need to do is to add a little water to the palette. While the technical aspect is simple, there is a great deal of skill to using them effectively on the canvas.

A key thing to realize when you are working with this medium is that the colors are always lighter when they dry. Becoming accustomed to this early on will help you to get the right depth of color on your artwork. If you do find that your art dries too light, you can experiment with the amount of water you are mixing into the palette and reduce the amount for a darker look.

In addition to being lighter than you might expect, this style remains translucent. This can be challenging for the artist because if you make an error, it is difficult to hide it. When you are working with acrylics or oils, you can simply go over the top of the mistake. If you do make an error using this medium, you will have to be careful. You can sometimes apply more over the top, but it may not work satisfactorily; trial and error is required.

There are a lot of artists who recommend planning out your piece carefully. Often the best way to do this is to produce a sketch of your planned artwork prior to working with the actual medium. This can help you to tweak the design and reduce the chance of errors, which are more difficult to undo when working with this style of painting.

Limiting the range of colors that you use is often recommended by long-time watercolor enthusiasts. When using more than around three hues in a piece, the effect can be busy and appear overcrowded. Limit your palette while you are a beginner and experiment with the effect before branching out further along the line.

When working with watercolors, it is worthwhile ensuring you have quality materials. It is best to invest in high quality brushes, even if that means buying fewer brushes, paper or paints. Brushes that shed bristles can really ruin a piece of artwork and become very frustrating to work with very quickly.

Abstract watercolor painting is an excellent place to begin when you want to master this style of art. Working with this medium can be challenging, and even frustrating at times, but it is also enormously satisfying. When you begin experimenting, you will find it is enormous fun.




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