PaintBox Tip #​46, 15 Handy tips & tricks for beginners

With a new term of watercolour classes starting soon, here are a few simple tips to help you start your watercolour journey!!

​Always ...

1. Have plenty of drawing paper handy for practicing.
2. Take notes in class, always carry a notebook or sketchbook.
3. Squeeze out new tube paint at least weekly so that you don’t have to scrub at dry paint (aka bird-poo) and damage your brushes.
4. A white porcelain dinner plate is the best palette ever, use cling film to cover when you have finished.
5. OR use a palette with a lid to avoid dust and stray animal hairs in your pigment (my Bertie loves sitting in blue!!).
6. Prepare your brushes with a quick swill in water so they’re ready to load with paint.
7. Use a kitchen sponge or old tea towel to moderate the water content in your brush.
8. Keep a hand towel close-by to control stray drips of water from your hands.
9. Paint standing up for as long as possible.
10. Sit for more control when adding calligraphy and detailed strokes.
11. For tubes proving difficult to open, run the cap under hot water and then use pliers gently.
12. Practice drawing; if your shapes aren’t quite right your picture won’t look right.
13. Keep spare sheets of watercolour paper handy to practice washes, colour dropping, shapes and investigate new pigment before you venture onto your painting.
14. Make colour charts with your pigments – colour wheels, value scales, practice mixing greys and greens, opaque, staining and transparent pigments and brands.
15. Wash out and dry your brushes gently, lay them flat to dry.

 
 ciao bei pittori!!

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