Getting started with Watercolour - A beginners guide to easy watercolour painting

Watercolours, as the name suggests, are water mixable paints that create soft, transparent and flowing effects on watercolour paper. These are one of the easiest formats of colour to express and paint with for beginners. Typically, you will need to use water to spread, mix or build layers of colour.

Watercolours are act spontaneously when mixed with water and create beautiful and dreamy textures and patterns. Watercolours make painting landscapes, florals and playful abstract easy and enjoyable.

What are the different types of watercolour paints available?

When browsing for watercolours, you will come across three main
types of watercolours: Watercolour Pan Set, Watercolour Tube sets and
Watercolour pencils Sets

Watercolour Pan Sets: These come with dry cakes of watercolours in compact palette. The paints need to be activated with water before using it.

Best suited for: Beginners, portability and painting on the go

Watercolour Tube Sets: These come as thick liquid watercolours stored in tubes that can be used directly or diluted with water for lighter colour applications

Best suited for: Colouring larger areas quickly or for more intense colours easily

Watercolour Pencil Sets: These look like regular colour pencils but turn to paint when water is applied with brush.

Best suited for: Sketching and colouring and painting on the go.

What do you need to get started?

You need very little to get started with watercolour painting – here are the list of all things you need to enjoy watercolour painting in your own way:

  1. Watercolour Paint Set: Based on which you prefer, you can choose between watercolour pan set, watercolour tube set or watercolour pencil set.
  2. Watercolour Brushes: When you are starting off, you want to have an option of a few brushes that will allow you to try different styles - from filling out larger areas to create smaller details. Choose a set of brushes that has different sizes and shapes.
  3. Watercolour Paper Pad: Watercolour paper pads are designed to absorb the paint easily and dryly quick - allowing you to have an enjoyable experience while painting.
  4. Water & Cloth: Water and a waste cloth are essential to wash your brushes and control the paint thickness - for those times when you don’t want the paint super thick.
  5. Optional Palette: If you love mixing colours and making your own colours - get a palette that has multiple rectangular wells.

Tip: We would recommend keeping two separate cups of water - one for washing and the other for mixing the paint.

Experiment with the basics

There are some basic watercolour techniques that don’t require any experience and can be enjoyed by everyone:

  1. Wet on wet application: This is where you apply watercolour on the surface of the paper. Here you have lesser control over the movement of the colour but end up with soft blended colours with unique patterns
  2. Wet on Dry Application: Paint is applied directly on dry watercolour paper - you have more control of the movement of the paint and get more defined lines
  3. Gradient Wash: Here you will start with the darkest form of any colour and slowly create into a lighter shade with water

Handy Hints: the more water you add to the colour, the softer the results. Adding less water allows you to create richer and defined colour strokes.

 

Experiment with layering of colours

The same way you layer up for winters, you can layer your colours too. Watercolours are soft and transparent but that doesn’t mean you can have rich colour finishes. The easiest way to do this is to layer colours.

How to layer easily?

  1. Paint the first layer of paint on your watercolour paper (it could be wet on wet on wet on dry technique).
  2. Add another layer of paint on top of the same layer (could be the same colour or a different colour)
  3. Repeat until you are happy with the results

Play with Abstract art

Abstract watercolour painting is an easy, fun and a stress-free way to experiment with colours and designs. There are no rules in abstract art - so you get to find your own way to express.

Choose your favourite colours and get started - it could be big strokes of colour or geometric patterns or lots of flowers. Simply explore and enjoy.

Find Inspiration in your daily life

Feeling stuck and not sure what to paint? Find inspiration in your daily life - the tree outside your window, your local park’s landscape or a red brick building in your neighbourhood. If none of these inspire - there is always the good old internet!

Why should you choose Watercolour Painting?

Easy to do, expressive and extremely rewarding - painting with watercolours is something most people can enjoy. Here are our top 5 reasons why we think you should give it a try:

  1. Easy to start: Perfect for beginners, you don’t need a lot of materials to start and enjoy
  2. Relaxing and fun: The smooth flow of colours are actually very therapeutic and relaxing for the mind
  3. Easy to Clean and Mess free: Watercolour are extremely easy to clean – lukewarm water and some dish washing liquid that’s all!
  4. Perfect for quick sessions: Pressed for time - not an issue - watercolours are perfect for that quick 20-minute painting
    session.
  5. Travel friendly: With the watercolour pan set, simply pack a brush and watercolour paper pad and you can paint anywhere you life.

Watercolour painting is about embracing the flow of creativity and letting the colours guide you.

Whether you’re painting detailed artwork or just experimenting with washes, there’s no wrong way to enjoy watercolours!