Blank Canvas Arts and Crafts

Watercolor Painting

What does ‘Light to Dark’ mean?

Simply, it is the way watercolor washes are applied to the surface of watercolor paper. The idea is to lay wash over wash to build color strength and tone… from Light to Dark.

• This is done by first using thin watered down color to reduce the starkness of the white paper
• Once the first light tone wash is dry, the next slightly stronger wash is applied
• After the second wash has dried, a third darker wash can be painted
• And then the next still darker wash is added… and the next…

‘Light to Dark’ is the first and most important rule of watercolor painting. It is a rule that is hard to ignore. Although there are occasions when you can get around it, the principle gives you a cast iron guarantee against unwanted painting errors.

In theory, you can continue to apply as many further washes as you want. However, as you add more washes the transparency of the color reduces. This is not what most artists want to happen. It is the white of the paper shining through the color that gives watercolor paintings their extra life.

Top watercolor painters can do this almost all of the time, often needing no more than 4 washes to get best results…

Another reason for keeping the number of washes to a minimum is that it reduces the disturbance of the lower washes. It keeps the color quality high because earlier washes aren’t dissolved into the newer washes.

If you ignore the ‘Light to Dark’ rule by trying to paint light colors over dark color, your light colors are lost…

• Light washes over dark have no strength because they have less color pigment
• Light washes, with more water, pick up pigment from lower washes and lose their strength to the stronger darker under-wash

Painting light tones before dark tones is what gives watercolor paintings their sparkle and brilliance…

Color luminosity is increased by light reflecting from the white of the paper, back through the color. This is where the vibrancy of watercolor comes from…

• It is the paper that you should be trying to use as your white
• It is the white of the paper reflecting though the transparent watercolor pigment that adds to color quality
• It is the texture of the paper that makes watercolor color sing, with light bouncing back at different angles

When watered down most watercolor pigments are naturally transparent and let light pass through. It does this because…

• For light colors there is less color on the paper surface… pigment particles are widely spread, letting the white of the paper shine between
• For dark colors there is more color covering the paper surface… pigment particles are crammed together to hide the paper surface… the white of the paper cannot reflect through dense color particles

Only when the color pigment is at its strongest (unthinned) does it become opaque and resist light passing through.

Remember, with watercolor painting, water is the solvent… it acts as a ‘Thinner’. By altering the amount of water in the mixing process you can change color strength…

• Use more water for light color tones
• Use less water for stronger darker color tones

Given a choice between looking at paintings that use bright vibrant color and pictures that have dull dead color…

“What would be your choice… Light, bright, clear and refreshing to look at?”

Michael Dale is the author of 1- Color Is Best (the quick and easy way to learn to paint watercolor) and 3- Colors Are All You Need (mix any color you want fast using only 3 colors). Go to http://www.Paint-And-Draw.com to find out more.

What background would be good for a watercolor painting of sunflowers?

I was thinking of using a variegated wash, what color do you think will bring out the yellow sunflower without contrasting with it too much?

Blue is it’s complementary colour, so blue would contrast the best – the brighter the blue the higher the contrast, so if you don’t want it to contrast too much you can use light blue (as everyone else has said).

You could have the light blue wash fading into white, or pale yellow, or pink; all of these colours will make the flower appear to be against the sky, which will give the painting a specific type of feeling. (and be reminiscent of Van Gogh)

If you want your painting to be a little different from average, and more striking, or to have a different mood, then experiment with different colours. You could have sunset colours (oranges, pinks, yellows) as the background for something similar to a blue sky, but with a little twist. You could have greens to make it look like it is in a garden, or in the wilderness. You could use grey, or even black, for a more depressing look (a lot of people associate sunflowers with death) or just to bring out the brightness in the sunflower (which it will do when contrasted with a very unsaturated background.)

Play around with different colours and see which one suits the painting best, and gives it the best mood.

Watercolor Painting Online Demo Ng Woon Lam NWS

NIB! Art 101 86 Piece Art Set Markers, Pencils, Oil Paints, Watercolor 30086TRU $2.99

Yasutomo Sumi-e Asian Watercolor 12 Color Paint Set # WC211 $28.75

LARGE SIZE Sennelier Watercolor Paints- Set 2 , Neutrals & Blues $34.99

LARGE SIZE Sennelier Watercolor Paints-2 Siennas, 2 Greens & Ultramarine Light $34.99

LARGE SIZE Sennelier Watercolor Paints- Set 4, Black, Brown, Gray,Yellow & Sepia $34.99

Vintage Guitar Paint Opaque Water Colour Paints in Original Box! $9.50

Water Color Artist Set Art Supplies Kit Painting Paint Watercolor Nice New $34.99

Marie’s 18 Tube Watercolor Pigment Painting Drawing Set Art Artist Supply P195 $7.15

Watercolor Paint Art Set $30.00

* Maries 18 Piece Watercolor Paint Set Art Supplies * $6.49

PEARLESCENT 16-PC WATERCOLOR PAINT SET w/ FLAT BRUSHES $7.99

Oil Watercolor Painting DVD Anatomy Reed AN2728d NEW $29.95

Pentel Water Colors Paint 12 tubes Lot of 2 New PAW-12 $1.99

Watercolor Oil Painting DVD Color Comps Hal Reed CC0506 $29.95

10 PCS ARTISTS FLAT PAINT BRUSHES SET WATERCOLORS Pro $0.30

CherylsArt Insects – Dragonfly Painting in Watercolor – Mugs Dragonfly Painting in Watercolor Mug is new. Why drink coffee out of an ordinary mug when an imprinted mug is so much cooler? Microwave safe, FDA approved. Image is printed on both sides of the mug. Dishwasher use is not recommended….

CherylsArt Insects – Dragonfly Painting in Watercolor – Tile Napkin Holders Dragonfly Painting in Watercolor Tile Napkin Holder is measuring 6w x 6h x 4d. Made from high quality solid maple wood with satin finish and two 4.25 commercial grade mirror gloss ceramic tiles. Holds napkins, mail, letters or files. In addition, customized engraving, on the face of the item, is available on request….

CherylsArt Insects – Dragonfly Painting in Watercolor – Trivets Dragonfly Painting in Watercolor Trivet is measuring 8w x 8h x .75d. Made of solid wood with padding on back that protects your furniture. Framed trivet comes with 6w x 6h ceramic gloss tile attached to the wood frame….

Frank Clarke’s Simply Painting Deluxe Paint Kit $50.18 …

Painting Barns in Watercolor [VHS] $23.00 …

Brush with Watercolor (Painting the Easy Way) Part 2 $12.95 Brush with Watercolor Painting the Easy Way – Part 2 Teaching Art Videos – The art school in your home….

Kemper Wipe Out Tool $4.60 Use the dual ends of this tool as you would a squeegee to accurately remove paint and excess medium or for shading and detailing. It can be used with oils, acrylic or watercolor….

Krylon 11-Ounce Kamar Varnish Aerosol Spray $4.18 Keeps the fresh-from-the-palette look. Free of the impurities found in natural varnish. Will give total protection to any oil, acrylic or watercolor painting. Will not yellow with age and can be safely removed by conservators for cleaning and restoring….

Yosemite Home Decor YA100223B Watercolor Frenzy II Hand Painted Abstract Wall Art $75.00 …

Wolf Kahn: The Seasons Boxed Notecards, 20 Blank Greeting Cards with 4 Different Styles In the landscapes of Wolf Kahn, vivid, improbable, yet harmonic colors awaken powerful sensory delights. A quartet of KahnÕs landscapes, evoking the four seasons, have been chosen for this notecard collection….