how to paint watercolor: it's fun and easy!

The basic techniques of how to paint watercolor in a step-by-step tutorial.

Watercolor is often used for delicate, intricate works. This intriguing medium allows the artist to explore the delicate interplay of light and color.

Watercolor is a joy to use and it makes wonderful paintings.

Watercolors are fun!

Watercolors are fun!

how to paint watercolor

This page will equip you with the essential knowledge to start painting watercolor.

the rule of how to paint watercolor

Most watercolor paints are transparent or semi-transparent. The light colors are not able to cover the dark colors. Even opaque colors, when they are mixed with water will not cover the dark colors sufficiently.

Paint watercolor from LIGHT to DARK.

Paint the light colors first. Then, as the painting progresses paint darker.

how to paint watercolor step by step

It's easy to paint watercolor step by step.

Paint the tutorial by following the steps. Then you can confidently paint any subject with the same steps.

We will be painting a colorful, freshwater Koi Angelfish. 

what Watercolor Supplies do we need?

Let's get our materials together and paint this unusual Angelfish.

Have a container of clean water ready for painting and to rinse your brush between colors.

It's good to have paper towels or a sponge to wipe the excess water off your brush.

But I am trying a new thing instead, a wash cloth near the water container.

Using just a few colors creates a harmonious piece of artwork. 

This scheme uses:

• yellow, orange and red-orange 
• with their complements of blue-violet and blue.

How to select a color scheme.

what are we going to paint?

It's a good idea to have reference material of whatever is our subject.

We will be painting the Koi Angelfish, a popular aquarium fish from the Amazon River of South America.

draw your angelfish

Do your drawing on a separate tablet. Erasures on the watercolor paper can damage the paper.

This is for learning to paint watercolor, so don't worry about doing a perfect drawing.

Just have fun!

Transfer your drawing to your painting surface with graphite paper.  If you are good at drawing, do your drawing directly on the watercolor paper.

Use light marks, when you put your drawing on the painting surface. Heavy pencil or graphite marks can show thru into the finished painting.

• Apply masking fluid to protect the highlight on the top of the angelfish and its two long feelers.
  
• Let the masking fluid dry before you do any painting.

Then you may paint right over the dry masking fluid and the paper stays white underneath.

Learn more about how to save the white paper.

tips on painting watercolor

painting a watercolor wash: the background

Remember watercolor is painted from light colors to darker colors.

Let's start painting the background.

So, the background is painted in two layers: First a light wash and then after it is dry, darker colors are painted.

background - step one

Paint the light areas.

Start painting the background in the upper left corner.

The light in this painting is coming from the upper left.

Set the corner of your watercolor tablet up on something to help the paint flow down when you are painting. I used a 2x4 piece of wood.

Mix orange with plenty of water and start painting in the corner.

Continue painting the watercolor wash down the paper.

Paint quickly to prevent hard edges.

Farther down, add a light blue. Paint darker farther from the light.

Mix your orange or orange-red with either blue or blue-violet to get darker colors.

Paint around the angelfish including the top fin.

The light layer of the background

The first wash of the background is finished. Let it dry completely.

You may use a hairdryer to speed up the process. But let some water soak away first. Otherwise, the hairdryer will blow the colors around.

Note, the yellow on the fish is the masking fluid.

background - step two

Paint the darker background areas.

Add some darker colors and texture.

Now that the first layer is dry, you can add some darker colors behind and below the fish.

Dampen the area you are going to paint a little past where you want to paint. Paint your darker colors and stop before you get to the edge of the wet area. The edge will blend out softly, preventing any hard edges.

While the paint is still wet, you may sprinkle on some sea salt for added texture. You may also, splatter some wet paint from your paint brush.

Mix your desired color with water and load it onto the brush. Hold the brush over the painting. Then tap the handle of the brush to make the wet paint splatter onto the painting.

Let the background dry before you start painting the Koi Angelfish. This is painting watercolor step by step.

wet into wet: the angelfish

Now we get to paint the Koi Angelfish.

The angelfish aren't all marked alike. The bright color and where the dark spots are vary from fish to fish.

They all have somethings in common. The colored part is on the front and top of the Koi Angelfish. It varies from yellow to orange.

The dark spots are black. They may appear anywhere on the body or fins.

The point is we don't have to be exact about where we put the color or the spots. Just paint and have fun!

That's what makes this a great fish for learning how to paint watercolor.

Go up to fish photos.

Paint from the top of the Angelfish down.

Dampen the top area of the angelfish where you are going to paint color.

Paint the yellow heavier on the top edge of the fish. Paint lighter as you go down.

Where the yellow stops down on the body, feather the color out softly with a clean, damp brush for a soft edge.

Paint orange while the yellow is still damp.

Continue painting your angelfish. While the yellow is still damp, dab orange on the yellow.

Softly dab the orange on with the tip of your brush to simulate the scales of a fish. That's what painting watercolor in steps can do.

The orange will feather out into the damp yellow paint.

Paint around the eye.

paint the eye and start the dark spots

Mix a black out of your complimentary colors, orange and blue.

Paint the eye and shadow on the body.

Paint the black center of the eye. If you leave a little speck of white in the eye, it gives life to the fish.

Paint an orange ring around the eye with a highlight.

Softly paint some lavender or blue shadows on the bottom half of the body. I painted the shadow splotchy to give an indication of scales.

How to mix paint colors.

paint wet on dry: detail and finish

The colored parts, shadow areas and the fins of the angelfish are dry.

Now we can add more paint on top of the dry underpainting. That's how to paint watercolor in steps.

Continue painting the black areas.

Continue painting the black areas of the Koi Angelfish.

Puts black spots on the body where ever you wish.

You may paint some black on the fins and pull out a few veins.

Remove masking and expose the white paper.

Remove the masking fluid. Take the masking fluid off with a dry finger or a rubber cement pickup tool.

This exposes the highlight areas on the top of the body and the white feelers.

paint the feelers and bottom fin

Make the feeler on the far side of the body slightly blue to make it look farther away.

Finish the details of your painting.

Use a damp brush to soften the bottom edge of the body highlight.

Paint the bottom fin over the dry background. The background color can be seen through the transparent fin. That's painting watercolor, one step at a time.

Put some color of the water on the dorsal fin and the tail because they are somewhat transparent and the water would show thru. Indicate the back edge of the tail with a dark color.

Touch up anything you want.

Paintings don't have to be perfect. Just relax and enjoy painting!

what if the paper is wavy?

let's review - how to paint watercolor

1. Paint the background, light to dark.
2. Paint the subject, light to dark.
3. Remove any masking, then detail and finish the painting.

The more we paint, the better we get and the more fun it is!

how do we paint white watercolor?

Many artists use the white of the watercolor paper, integrated into the painting.

The easiest way is to let the white paper show through. That's the beauty of painting watercolor.

The colors literally glow.

Notice the Blue Arrow pointing to the light-colored coral.

There is no white paint on the coral. The white paper is showing through the paint.

This fish painting used several other white watercolor techniques.

See the more techniques of how to get whites in watercolor.

more watercolor tutorials

Start with an easy watercolor tutorial.

This watercolor tutorial is great for beginning watercolor.

It just takes a few items to get started.

Prepare a container of clean water.

A plastic or Styrofoam plate will work for a palette.

Set out three colors; blue, yellow and orange (Burnt Sienna works well for this painting).

Paint the hummingbird and flowers with a #7 or #8 round brush.

Paint the hummer and the flower first and then paint the blue background with a larger flat brush, as desired. 

Watercolor glazing

Glazing is painting an additional color over a dry, previously painted color.

Paint thin paint over dry paint.

Is glazing the same as layering?

It may be referred to as the same because a layer of watercolor is painted over a previous dry layer.

Is glazing the same as a wash?

Technically - Yes and No. Painting watercolor is often called laying down a wash.

So, when we glaze diluted watercolor over a dry layer - it could be called a wash.

Whatever it's called, glazing is an important technique for all watercolor artists.

Visit the tutorial on how to glaze watercolor.

more about how to paint watercolor

Refine your watercolor techniques.

Review the basics of how to use watercolor, what supplies and colors are recommended for watercolor painting.

Draw and paint this feisty Rufous Hummingbird who doesn't mind sitting on such a thorny branch.

Start painting with the light colors. Then when they are dry, glaze on the darker colors and shadows.

This painting uses only three colors, yellow, orange and blue.

Green is not included so you get to practice a bit of mixing colors.

Learn more about painting watercolor with this captivating tutorial.

wrapping it up

Now you have an idea how to paint watercolor. Watercolor is amazing!

With a couple of brushes, a few colors and ideas of what to paint, you are prepared for an exciting adventure. 

Many successful painting to you!