How to use watercolor tubes like a PRO ARTIST. Plus, the #1 tip to save hundreds of dollars on paint, by Sandy Own Crafts on YouTube. 8 min 2 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 2 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Fill a water jar and lay out a palette with several wells, a round brush and a sheet of watercolor paper. Keep a paper towel nearby for blotting.
Squeeze a small amount of tube paint into one well. A pea-sized blob is enough for several small studies, so start small and add more later.
Leave the squeezed paint to dry in the well for a day or two. Dried tube paint rewets with water, so you can store it and use it again.
When you are ready to paint, drop clean water onto the dried paint and stir gently with your brush until it forms a smooth, creamy puddle.
Mix colors in an empty well rather than on the paper. Start with the lighter color, then add small amounts of the darker one until you get the shade you want.
Test the mix on a scrap of watercolor paper. If the color looks too strong, add water; if it looks weak, pick up more paint from the well.
Paint your first wash with light pressure and a loaded brush. Let it dry before adding a second layer so the paper does not turn muddy.
Rinse and wipe the brush between colors, and clean each well after use. Dry the palette fully before closing it or storing it.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not squeeze a full tube into the palette; tube paint is concentrated and a little goes a long way.
Keep a second jar of clean water for light colors so your washes stay bright.
Put the cap back on each tube right away, because air dries out the paint in the nozzle.
Arrange your wells in the same order every time so mixing becomes faster.
Questions
Do you have to mix watercolor tube paint with water?
Yes. Tube paint is thick and concentrated, so add water until it flows like ink or milk. The exact amount depends on the effect you want.
Can you let tube paint dry in a palette?
Yes. Squeeze it into wells and let it harden. Reactivate it with a drop of water when you next paint, which saves paint and money.
How much paint should you squeeze out?
Start with a pea-sized amount. You can always add more, but leftover paint in a well is easier to use later than paint wasted on the paper.
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.
