So You Want to Watercolour? Let’s Begin the Journey

[Abbie Shores]

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Discover the tools, tips, and simple techniques to turn blank paper into flowing colour.

What You Need to Start Watercolour Painting

1. Paints

• Pan sets: Compact and portable; ideal for beginners.
• Tubes: Offer stronger, more vibrant colour; you can squeeze out only what you need.
• Student vs. artist grade: Student paints are cheaper, but artist grade offers richer pigments and better blending.

2. Paper

• Watercolour paper is essential — it’s thicker, textured, and absorbs water without buckling.
  Look for 300gsm (140lb) or heavier.
  Hot press = smooth surface; cold press (NOT) = lightly textured; rough = very textured.

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3. Brushes

• Round brushes (sizes 6–12) are versatile for most work.
• Flat brushes are great for washes and backgrounds.
• Natural hair (like sable) holds more water; synthetic is cheaper and cruelty-free.

4. Water containers

• One for rinsing your brush, one for clean water.
• Keep them separate so your colours stay fresh.

5. Palette

• Plastic or ceramic with multiple wells.
• If using pan paints, the case lid often doubles as a palette.

6. Other basics

• Pencil & eraser (soft, for light sketching).
• Paper towels or a clean cloth for blotting.
• Masking tape (to secure paper and create clean edges).
• Board (if you need to tape your paper flat).

The Rules (Best Practices) of Watercolour Painting

1. A loose watercolour landscape showing
2. good water control and layering.
3. Work from light to dark
   You can always add darker tones, but lifting light colour back out is tricky.
4. Let layers dry before adding more. This avoids muddy colours and keeps your work crisp.
5. Don’t overwork the paper
   Repeated scrubbing will damage the surface.
6. Water control is everything. Too much water = blooms/cauliflowers (unplanned watery effects). Too little = streaks and harsh edges.
7. Test colours before using them on your piece
   Keep a scrap of watercolour paper nearby for swatches.
8. Plan your whites
   Watercolour doesn’t use white paint in the same way acrylic or oil does — you leave the paper white for highlights.
9. Mix colours on the palette, not the paper (most of the time)
10. For smooth blends, mix before applying; for dramatic effects, allow some on-paper blending.
11. Be patient. Rushing often results in muddy work; watercolour rewards a calm pace.

Beginner’s First Project: “The Three Washes”

This exercise teaches you the three core watercolour techniques: flat wash, gradient wash, and wet-on-wet.

You’ll need:

• Watercolour paper (taped down
• A flat or round brush
• Two or three colours of paint
• Water and palette

Steps:

• Flat Wash
• Load your brush with diluted paint.
• Start at the top of your paper, painting a smooth horizontal line.
• Reload with more paint and work downwards, overlapping slightly each time until the block is evenly coloured.

Gradient Wash

• Load your brush with strong colour at the top.
• Rinse your brush slightly between strokes as you move down, gradually diluting the colour until it fades into white at the bottom.

Wet-on-Wet

• Wet a section of your paper with clean water.
• Drop in two or three colours and let them blend naturally without overworking. This creates soft, dreamy transitions.

Tip: Once dry, label each wash — you’ll be surprised how often you refer back to these practice sheets as you improve.

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