Wash technique

Learn to draw by Tissa Hewavitarane

The first technique a beginner needs to know to get started in watercolour is the wash technique. The principle of watercolour painting is simple: all one needs to do is wet the brush with colour and water and spread it over the paper. Before painting with colours, I recommend you to practise the basics of the wash technique with a single colour.

Once you understand the possibilities that this technique can offer, it will be easier to try out more complex procedures. At present, we will work with one colour, although we can carry out tests with different colours, without mixing any of them together.

Each artist and teacher has his own methods for getting students started in watercolour, which seem to work best for them.

There is no single 'best way' to get going. Teachers have to try several ways and go with the methods that seem to accomplish their purposes during the get-acquainted periods. Jumping directly into wet watercolour can often produce fear and a feeling of helplessness.

If you go on for several days working with wash drawings stressing the value contrasts and wet-in-wet techniques, you can overcome the problems. Line can be included in the process, or not, but the use of limited values of wash tends to create the correct attitude towards the transparent application of colour.

Student models make excellent subject matter for such drawings and for later watercolours. Keep the values limited to three plus one more, colour and work from the lightest areas to the darkest. Notice the effect of wet-into-wet areas, wet over dry, white space left untouched like the painting that I have done. The stream here is a good example of the use of wet-into-wet, reproduced. I used quite a strong paint to get the dark trees on the left while the distant hill was still damp.

The contrasting bank on the left corner and the bank on the background is given a light wash. The stream was then painted over with clear water and the dark reflections dropped in. Notice the sky a uniform blue all over and small hut on one corner to give depth to the whole picture.

Due to the effects of atmospheric perspective it normally appears bright and warm directly overhead becoming increasingly cooler showing how clouds too, obey the laws of perspective, appearing to get smaller as they reach the horizon.

It is a typical wash painting introduced in wash technique.

The paper used is Kent 250 grams or Whatman drawing paper. The paper is thick and absorbs colour quickly. Brushes Nos. 1, 2 and 6 sable hair can be used.