3. Watercolour Washes - An Introduction for Beginners, by Oliver Pyle - Our Landscape on YouTube. 32 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 32 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Tape a sheet of cold-pressed watercolour paper to a board and tilt the board slightly, about 10 to 15 degrees, so water runs down without pooling.
Mix a puddle of paint with clean water in a palette. Load a size 10 or 12 round brush and test the strength on scrap paper before you start.
For a flat wash, load the brush and paint a horizontal band across the top. Paint the next band so it overlaps the bottom edge, keep the same mix, and work down without going back.
For a graded wash, start with your strongest mix at the top. Add a little water to the palette for each new band, overlap the edges, and finish with clear water at the bottom.
For a variegated wash, paint two or three colours side by side while the paper is damp. Tilt the board to let them blend, and stop brushing once the colours meet.
Paint wet-on-dry by applying colour to dry paper for crisp edges and controlled shapes. Use this for buildings, rocks and clear horizon lines.
For wet-on-wet, brush clean water over the paper first. Wait until the shine dulls slightly, then drop in paint and let it spread for soft skies and distant hills.
Let each wash dry flat before adding another layer. Test a small patch first so you know how the colour looks when dry.
Tips and common mistakes
Mix more paint than you think you need for a flat wash, because running out mid-band causes streaks.
Keep the board tilted so the wash flows evenly, but not so steep that it runs off the paper.
Do not scrub a half-dry wash. Let it dry completely before adding another layer.
Test every mix on scrap paper, since watercolour dries lighter than it looks when wet.
Questions
Why does my flat wash have streaks?
The paper may be too dry or you went back over a drying band. Work quickly, keep the same paint mix and overlap each band once.
How wet should the paper be for wet-on-wet?
It should look damp and slightly shiny, not dripping. If water pools, wait a few seconds or blot it with a paper towel.
Which paper is best for washes?
Use cold-pressed watercolour paper around 140 lb (300 gsm). Thin paper buckles and dries too fast.
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.
