EXPLORING WATERCOLOUR PAINTS – Simple Techniques

1. Tape a single piece of watercolour paper onto a plastic placemat or piece of stiff cardboard.
2. Use masking tape to divide the paper into 4 sections.
3. When the tape is removed it will leave a white border around the paintings.
4. Be sure to use one long strip of tape for each side unless you want a broken border.

WET ON WET

1. Wet the entire paper with clear water.
2. Moisten the watercolour paints by dropping a brush load of water on each colour.

1. Pick up a drop of colour and paint it onto the wet surface of the paper.
2. Drip and blend different colours.
3. Tip the paper in different directions to allow the colours to bleed and blend into each other.
4. Tap a paint filled brush over the paper to splatter some drops.

DRY BRUSH STROKES

1. Do not wet the paper before starting.
2. Squeeze most of the water out of your brush so it is fairly dry.
3. Pick up a brush load of colour.
4. Create a variety of strokes by changing the angle and pressure of the brush.

WET ON DRY

1. Do not wet the paper before starting.
2. Paint a thin, transparent layer of watery paint over the whole surface. This is called a wash.
3. Allow the paint to dry.
4. Paint over the dry paint with a variety of dry brush strokes.

CREATING TEXTURES – BUBBLE WRAP

1. Wet the entire paper with clear water.
2. Pick up a drop of colour and paint into the wet surface of the paper.
3. Experiment with colours.
4. Cover the whole space with colour.
5. Make sure the paint is still wet.
6. Place bubble wrap over the wet paint.
7. Allow the paint to dry.
8. Remove the bubble wrap.

CREATING TEXTURES – PLASTIC WRAP

1. Wet the entire paper with clear water.
2. Pick up a drop of colour and paint into the wet surface of the paper.
3. Experiment with colours.
4. Cover the whole space with colour.
5. Make sure the paint is still wet.
6. Place plastic wrap over the wet paint.
7. Allow the paint to dry.
8. Remove the plastic wrap.

CREATING TEXTURES – SALT

1. Wet the entire paper with clear water.
2. Pick up a drop of colour and paint into the wet surface of the paper.
3. Experiment with colours.
4. Cover the whole space with colour.
5. Make sure the paint is still wet.
6. Sprinkle salt over the wet paint.
7. Allow the paint to dry.
8. Brush away the salt.

CRAYON RESIST AND TAPE

1. Place tape on the paper.
2. Use crayons to draw patterns or details on the paper.
3. Paint over the crayon and tape letting different colours blend together.
4. Remove the tape when the paper is dry.

1. Once you have finished 4 techniques and the paint is dry, gently remove the tape.
2. Label each technique.