The Beginner Basics: Washes, Water Control and Brush Pressure

Washes (aka Painting Without Panic)

• Flat Wash: One even layer of color across your paper. Think painting your bedroom wall, but without the Home Depot regret.
• Graded Wash: Starts dark and fades to light. This is your dramatic Instagram reel moment.
• Variegated Wash: Two colors blending like best friends at a smoothie bar.

Practice these washes until you’re comfortable with them!

Water Control Washes

Too much water = puddles.

Too little = scratchy streaks.

The sweet spot? A brush that’s damp, not dripping. If your paper looks like it’s auditioning for a role as a swimming pool liner, blot your brush.

Brush Pressure

Think of it like a dance:

• Light touch = delicate, fine lines.
• Heavy hand = bold strokes (or accidental paper gouging).

Affiliate Pick: Start with a Beginner Round Brush Set, Affordable, reliable, and perfect for practicing without guilt. https://amzn.to/45VVlpH

The Do’s and Don’ts of Watercolor

Do:

• Use watercolor paper 140lb or higher.
• Start light, then layer darker.
• Keep two jars of water — one for rinsing, one for clean.
• Embrace “happy accidents.”

Don’t:

• Scrub your paper like it’s a burnt pan.
• Mix every color into one sad brown blob.
• Stress over perfection — watercolor loves chaos.

Do You Wet the Paper Before Watercolor?

Answer: Sometimes!

• Wet-on-wet: dreamy blends, great for skies or soft Texas sunsets.
• Wet-on-dry: crisp edges, great for details (and cactus spines).

Try both. Your favorite depends on whether you’re more “float with the tide” or “I need sharp control.”

In What Order Do You Paint Watercolor?

Watercolor is backwards planning:

1. Light colors first.
2. Large shapes before details.
3. Background before foreground.

If you do it the other way around, your poor squirrel might drown in your “oops” sky wash.

Do You Sketch Before Watercolor?

This one sparks debate hotter than pineapple on pizza.

• Yes: Great for buildings, portraits, or precise florals. Use light pencil lines.
• No: Perfect if you love loose, expressive painting.

Affiliate Pick: A simple HB Pencil Set works well for light sketching before paint. https://amzn.to/45XVIjw

The Most Basic Techniques

Just two:

1. Wet-on-wet → soft blends.
2. Wet-on-dry → sharp edges.
3. Everything else is just remixing these two.

The Best Starter Colors

Start small with warm and cool primaries:

• Quinacridone Rose (PV19) (cool red) → https://amzn.to/41t6D3v
• Quinacridone Coral (PR209 (warm red) → https://amzn.to/45YKueI
• Ultramarine Blue (warm blue) → https://amzn.to/3HLC6r5
• Phthalo Blue (cool blue) → https://amzn.to/47Q3PRR
• Hansa Yellow Light (cool yellow) → https://amzn.to/3Vqnm3T
• New Gamboge (warm yellow) → https://amzn.to/4n0In0S

Or try the Grabie 50-Color Travel Set https://amzn.to/45Wqj1b

if you want a budget-friendly, all-in-one palette.

The Secret Sauce of Watercolor: Patience

The most important thing? Let it dry.

If you rush, your painting will bloom in all the wrong ways.

The Best Beginner Brushes

You don’t need 47 brushes. Start with:

• Round #6 or #8 → https://amzn.to/4mGjzvz
• Flat 1/2 inch → https://amzn.to/45O5EvW
• Mop Brush (optional) → https://amzn.to/4g6npvw

Does Watercolor Require Special Paper?

• YES. Please try to avoid printer paper!
• Canson XL Watercolor Pad (student grade) →https://amzn.to/3UTIdfY
• Arches Cold Press 140lb (professional upgrade) → https://amzn.to/4n5TG87

Does Watercolor Require Special Paper?

YES. Please try to avoid printer paper!

• Canson XL Watercolor Pad (student grade) →https://amzn.to/3UTIdfY
• Arches Cold Press 140lb (professional upgrade) → https://amzn.to/4n5TG87

Watercolor isn’t about perfection — it’s about play. Around here, we celebrate messy splatters just as much as polished final pieces.

So grab a brush, dip it in paint, and let’s make some puddles of magic together. Check out my Beginner Watercolor Starter Kit

to grab the exact supplies I use at my desk.