WET-ON-DRY

Layering colour washes over dried ones is a classic method for building up a watercolour painting. Overlaying washes in successive layers in this way creates intense areas of colour and detail.

Painting wet-on-dry allows good control over brush strokes because the paint will not flow beyond the edges of the shape you’ve painted, making it ideal for creating detailed and defined shapes. With this technique, you can either paint flat, uniform shapes by applying wet paint onto dry paper; or you can apply wet paint over areas of dry paint; or you can paint shapes of variegated colour that vary in hue, tone, and intensity.

Working wet-on-dry requires patience because previously laid paint can be easily disturbed. Always allow each wash to dry and don’t be too vigorous when adding new layers of paint.

CONTROLLING EDGES

Hard, crisp edges are created when you paint on dry paper or paint, giving the illusion of both nearness and depth. Areas of light and dark are clearly defined, as are the sharp edges, which brings parts of your work into focus.

BLENDING

Working wet-on-dry gives you more control when blending colours. With wet-in-wet, new colour laid into wet paint connects the two as the fresh colour flows into the first wash. With wet-on-dry, you still have the control of flat washes but with added visual interest.

CREATING INTENSITY

When you paint small passages of paint on top of another layer of dry paint, you are in essence using glazing techniques to create new colours. Layering paint in this way is useful for altering the colour and intensity of your painting, and it is ideal for building up flesh tones or layers of foliage.

HIGHLIGHT LAYERS BENEATH

Removing layers of paint is a useful technique to create subtle highlights in watercolour paintings.

• Lifting out

Using a damp brush, tissue, or sponge to lift out areas of paint will form a textured highlight that adds dimension and visual interest.

• Scraping out

You can achieve a sharper highlight by scraping off layers of paint as it dries – scraping out when the wash is still too wet will result in colours running back into the area.

Wet-on-dry is used here to achieve layers of intense colour and defined shapes, giving a sense of movement.

2. Stop colours bleeding into surrounding areas by using only the amount of water on your brush needed for it to glide easily over the surface.

1. To control the edges of your painted shape, wait for the previous layer of paint to dry completely before applying more paint on top.

Paints with staining qualities will leave some colour behind Lifting out when a wash is dry gives harder edges than the diffused effect made when lifting wet paint.

Start with light values and work towards darker layers. Keep overpainting to a minimum so as not to overwork or muddy the painting.

Reveal the lighter areas beneath scraped layers Experiment with different tools to scrape. Try a credit card, plastic spoon, palette knife, and more.

Where each new layer overlaps, the optical mix creates a new colour and adds to the overall tone.