Master Watercolor Wet-on-Wet Layering: DIY Autumn Forest Bookmark! 🍂🌲✨, by Watercolor Tips on YouTube. 3 min 51 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 51 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Cut a piece of watercolor paper to about 2 by 6 inches for your bookmark.
Tape the paper to a flat board with masking tape so it stays flat while you paint.
Mix warm autumn colors on your palette: yellow ochre, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson and a little ultramarine.
Wet the top two-thirds of the paper with clean water using a large round brush. Keep the surface damp, not dripping.
Drop the warm colors into the wet paper and let them blend. Tilt the board gently to move the wash.
Leave a lighter area near the middle for mist. Do not scrub the paper while it is wet.
Let the wash dry completely. Wait until the paper feels cool and dry before adding trees.
Mix a dark brown-grey with ultramarine and burnt sienna. Use a fine brush to paint tree trunks and branches.
Paint distant trees with thinner, lighter lines and foreground trees with darker, thicker shapes.
Peel off the tape once the paint is dry. Add a small hole and thread if you want a ribbon.
Tips and common mistakes
Let the background dry fully before you paint silhouettes, or the dark shapes will bleed and turn muddy.
Test your dark mixture on scrap paper first so it is not too black or too watery.
Keep the wash loose and avoid scrubbing, which can damage the paper surface.
Use less water on the brush for crisp tree edges.
Questions
Why did my wet-on-wet wash turn muddy?
Too much paint or too many colors mixed on wet paper can muddy the wash. Use fewer colors and let each area blend without overworking.
Do I have to wait for the paper to dry completely?
Yes. Dark silhouettes painted on damp paper will spread. Let the wash dry fully for crisp edges.
What paper works best for a bookmark?
Use watercolor paper, around 140 lb or 300 gsm, so it stays flat and takes a wet wash without buckling.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
