This is part of a simple series - my Guide: Getting Started With Watercolour
READ Part 1 | Supplies
READ Part 2 | Activation
The wet-on-wet technique is a favourite of mine when creating artwork. When your paper is dry and you place your wet brush on the page, that is wet-on-dry. The paint will only flow where you paint it on the page. But, when your page is still wet, you can use your brush to either add clean water, a more saturated colour or a different one to incorporate this wet-on-wet technique.
The literal beauty with this is that the paint bleeds and blends so beautifully on the page. It is a little nerve-wrecking because you can’t control how it flows or the exact effect to replicate, but to me, that is the fun.
Let go, and have fun, and be surprised at what you can create!
Try this exercise
+ Paint an entire page with clean water, or a colour of your choosing
+ Drop a different / similar colour into the wet area and observe what happens on the page
+ Use a different shape brush to apply the paint to the page
+ Try painting with smooth strokes across the page, or dotting it in at random places on your page
Ideas to use this technique
+ Paint a beautiful background for your illustration
+ Create a lovely sky to add interest to your landscape
+ Add texture to an object like leaves, clothing or hills
The paint dries a little lighter than what you see initially when it’s wet so play around and see the variety of effects you can create with this technique!
DOWNLOAD Getting Started With Watercolour Checklist from The Artful Library
READ this journal post to learn how to activate your watercolour paints