🎨 QUICK START GUIDE TO WATERCOLOR PAINTING – For Absolute Beginners
🧰 What You Need to Begin:
| Item | Tip |
|---|---|
| Watercolor Paints | Start with a basic 12-color pan set or tubes |
| Brushes | 2 round brushes: one small (size 2–4), one medium (6–8) |
| Paper | Use watercolor paper (at least 200 gsm / 90 lb) |
| Water Jars | One for rinsing, one for clean water |
| Palette | Any plastic or ceramic plate for mixing |
| Tissue/Cloth | To dab your brush and fix mistakes |
| Pencil (optional) | For light sketching |
🌈 Watercolor Basics
Watercolor = Pigment + Water
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More water = lighter, softer colors
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Less water = darker, richer colors
✍️ Basic Techniques to Try
| Technique | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Wet-on-Wet | Wet paper first, then add paint → soft blends |
| Wet-on-Dry | Apply wet paint to dry paper → sharp edges |
| Dry Brush | Barely wet brush = textured strokes |
| Layering (Glazing) | Let one layer dry, then paint over it |
| Lifting | Dab with tissue to lighten or fix mistakes |
🖌️ First Simple Exercises
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Color Chart – Try all your colors with different water amounts
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Gradient Practice – Create a fade from dark to light
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Circle & Leaf Shapes – Practice brush control
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Sky & Clouds – Try wet-on-wet background with tissue lifts
🌸 First Easy Painting Ideas
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Sunset sky
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Mountains with layers
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Leaves or floral patterns
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A simple tree or mushroom
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Abstract blobs and shapes
✅ Quick Tips for Success
| Tip | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Tape edges of paper | Prevents warping while painting |
| Let layers dry before reworking | Keeps colors from getting muddy |
| Don’t overwork the paint | Let water do the magic! |
| Experiment freely | Watercolor is about flow and surprises |
🔁 3-Step Painting Flow
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Sketch (optional)
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Background wash – skies, large areas
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Details & layers – build up gradually