Can Anyone Learn How To Paint With Watercolor? (Yes – Find Out How)

When it comes to the best of luminosity and sophistication, there are many reasons for painters and drawing enthusiasts to believe that transparent watercolor could be one of the best choices.

There are many reasons for this. It comes with natural freshness and the next important fact is that it cannot be duplicated easily even if one uses the best of acrylic or oil paints.

This and a few more reasons, obviously make watercolor quite popular. However, on the flip side, it may be a bit tough to master this medium of painting. This is mainly because the errors and mistakes once made cannot be corrected.

Further, the fluid nature of this form of water painting requires some learning and training, failing which it could be hard to control.

While the end product or the final painting made with the help of watercolors can be stunning, it is important to learn the ways and means by which you can make the best use of the obvious advantages that it has to offer.

History of Watercolor Painting

It would be pertinent to mention here that water-based paints have been used for centuries.

But it was not until the late 1700s that water-color painting started gaining popularity and acceptance. It grew in popularity and use because it is a simple medium. It is mostly made with gum Arabic and pigment.

One can start working on it using white paper, brush, water, and of course the colors. You will be able to create pictures and images that are extremely good as far as clarity and purity are concerned.

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There is no doubt that no other color painting alternatives would be able to match watercolor. Despite its simplicity, it can be quite expressive and subtle.

Let us now learn a few tips that could help to find the right answer to the question if somebody can learn how to pain with the help of watercolor.

Start With a Good Watercolor Brush

While the finer points of painting using watercolor can be learned, you must know the importance of choosing a good brush.

It is not only indispensable but also the starting point as far as your watercolor learning process is concerned. If you are a beginner, do not hesitate in investing in high-quality brushes.

These brushes should be considered as an investment. With proper care, they should last for a reasonably long time. On the other hand, if you choose poor-quality brushes, it certainly is frustrating.

As a beginner, brushes can make a big difference when it comes to learning and mastering the various watercolor techniques better. You should look for brushes made from kolinsky sable.

The brushes come with a spring that helps them to be quite responsive to the hands of the artist. You also could go in for synthetic brushes and they are as good as sable brushes and offer good value for budding as well as experienced artists.

Also, make sure that you choose the right shape of brush. You could choose between round and flat brushes. The round ones are good for making broad strokes, while the flat ones could be useful for producing angular strokes.

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Learn Watercoloring on Different Papers

Beginners may not be aware of this but they ought to know it. Watercolor papers come in various textures and thicknesses.

As a beginner, it would be better to look for papers that are made from 100 percent cotton rag. There could be a few others who may be fond of synthetic paper. Thickness is measured by weight and is calculated in grams per square meter.

Understanding the chemistry also helps. As mentioned above, watercolor is mostly made from pigments that are finely ground using gum Arabic.

This is a water-soluble sap that is obtained from the acacia tree. Some watercolors may also have small amounts of glucose, glycerin, and formaldehyde. As the water evaporates the Gum Arabic gets stuck to the paper and the pigments help it to firmly bind with the paper.

You also could use some bit of Gouache if you want your work to look a bit opaque. The good thing about watercolors is that it is highly stable and will not decay, but there could be some differences in permanence as far as the pigments are concerned.

What To Keep In Mind As a Beginner Watercolor Painter?

Instead of using pastel colors, or oil colors, and other such options, children and beginners would be better off using watercolor.

This is because it does not have any synthetic or damaging solvents used.

For example, the main component is Gum Arabic and it is fully non-toxic and safe. It is used in the glue on envelopes that we lick and stick. Some food items also have Gum Arabic as an ingredient. It is easily washable from hands and other parts of the body using mild soap and water.

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However, there could be some watercolor options that make use of some kind of acrylics and even oils.

These are a bit toxic, no doubt and they also may contain harmful substances like barium, lead, cadmium, zinc, and chrome. They should be handled carefully and it is vital to avoid accidental ingestion.

If your children are using these types of watercolor options, adult supervision is a must. You as well as the children should stay away from drinking or eating when using these paints.

A Few Useful Tools That You Must Have

Choosing the right style of palettes is also important for watercolors.

They must be flat, apart from being white and most importantly impervious to water. It would be better to go in for palettes that come with a rectangular shape having wells all over the sides. It should also have a flat area for mixing water with color.

You must teach the beginners the finer points of mixing watercolors of different hues depending on the images or pictures that they are planning. It would be pertinent to mention here that mixing colors is one of the most important lessons and tricks that you should teach your children and beginners.

There is no other coloring agent that gives the users the flexibility and versatility of color mixing as watercolor.

Finally, it is important to look for water containers and they should come preferably with wide mouths.

You must teach your children and the beginners to have at least two water containers, one for diluting the different colors and the other one for washing the brushes when the painting is being done.

Other things to have includes a sponge for soaking up water that might be in excess. You should also start off with a rough watercolor sketch and practice it a few times before allowing the beginners to use it on a big canvas.