All of these techniques are new and will be very useful for adding texture and realism to my sketches. I realized that watercolor doesn't have to be used a certain way and can be manipulated into an array of different brushes and techniques. I could use wet on dry for the beak on a bird or its small field marks. I could use dry on dry for the coarse feather patterns on a wing. Although wet on wet is another wonderful asset im sure what I'd use it for. It will definitely be a life-changer to add some color to my drab sketches and bring some life to them! I still love the contrast of the black pencil lead and the white paper! Thanks, Liz!

From my experience with other types of paints, the only thing that came naturally at first was the wet on dry technique. I appreciate the introduction of the wet on wet technique, especially for filling in large areas or capturing things with a lot of softness. I'd like to get more practice with layering to add depth and shade as well. I can see this in watercolour paintings that I've seen, but am not quite sure how to achieve it. I'm not sure if it's actual additional applications/layers of paint, or a brush technique. Something to experiment with!

I was challenged by the Wet on Wet and the Dry Brush.  The Wet on Dry still needs practice, but I felt it was the easiest technique.   I suspect, like some other students my Dry Brush is still too wet - typically after 1-2 strokes it looks better, so I'll work on learning to get it dryer from the start.  With the Wet on Wet I just can't seem to keep the sheet wet while I work.  I will keep practicing as I like the look of it.



I do really enjoy what I am learning and am happy to see progress.  This is a great class.

I liked the look of wet on wet the best, but I think it would be a gamble to use. Maybe you use that technique first for a sky or something and then draw over it? Wet on dry I found very flat and uninspiring. Dry brush not sure if I got that right, I think I had my paint too wet. But good to learn the possibilities!

Finding Dry Brush technique extremely challenging with a water brush! 😵‍💫

1. I tried all three. I found out that wet on wet is awesome :) And that dry on dry is promising yet challenging - I either dry my paintbrush too much or too little, at this point. I tried using a dry brush (i.e. without a water tank) and worked better.

2. I can test them on smaller sample areas, to learn how to combine them while painting sky(ies), mountain rock shadows and close tree trunks, on the same paper (I guess I'll need extra time, to allow for the wet paper to dry!).

I tried wet on wet technique. I found out some of the light colors will 'expel' other colors (eg. yellow). Also, wet on wet technique is really helpful when drawing fluffy feathers.

I practiced all three techniques in this practice painting (everyone else’s are so good!) — it’s from a random picture i had taken of some really beautiful clouds, and I’m not sure if it does it justice. Anyway, I didn’t spend a ton of time on it, but it was a fun practice. I found the dry brushing technique to be the most difficult, especially with mixed colors rather than ones straight from the pan, because the mixes always seemed to end up juust a bit too watery. Though when it does work, it creates a very nice texture ( i used it for the trees).
The wet on wet worked really well for the clouds. However, when it comes to adding the shadows underneath them, I figured out that it’s best to wait until the paper is nearly dry — not shiny, but damp to the touch — so that the dark color only goes more or less where you want it to. :)

I tried the wet on wet and the wet on dry.

I tried all of the techniques for this and I really enjoyed doing them. I figured out how to spread color more evenly with the wet on wet technique in large paintings or objects that I’m painting. I think that it’s better to begin with the wet on dry (not only cause it’s the traditional way) but because it’s better for your brushes and paper because using too much water on non-watercolor paper can make things messy and bleed through and when you use a dry brush on dry paper it ruins the point of using watercolor in the first place because you might as well use acrylics or oil paints but if you don’t have them handy then it makes sense but the traditional way is the most simple and effective way to use watercolors. I could use the wet on wet technique to add some uniqueness to “play around” with some paintings but generally I would stick with the wet on dry.

I tried all of them for the sake of it, which was very interesting, I didn’t know there were so many options. Then I tried a full-page sketch off one of my photos. It was super fun and interesting. The more I practise watercolours the more I understand that the way I use them is complementary to my coloured pencils technique. With coloured pencils I’m very precise and try to render each minute detail of my subject, be it a plant or a bird. With watercolours I like to be less detailed, but prefer to ‘play’ around with hues more in order to highlight the overall ‘feel’ of the subject. I’m not very curious to see how I will be using watercolours on bird subjects, i.e. whether I’ll adjust my technique or still privilege broader areas of colour. Maybe I will also adjust the type of bird subject to the colour medium I’ll be using.

Watercolor #fail#?

I have found that three different watercolor half-pan sets I've bought all #fail here in Panama. Does anyone else have this problem?

After i bought them (Windsor Newton, Van Gogh & Koi) I unwrap the half pans in their paper or just open box. After a few days all the watercolors melt and get stuck to the cover ofmtye container, pulled out of their respective wells.

It makes a gosh darn mess! Is this a paint/company fail? Or is this weather? Anyone else?

Where I live in rural Panamá is about 85-90° and 90-95% humidity. My guess is weather is the factor?

Imagine the half pans kinda turning viscous, sticky and like molasses. As I close the lids on any one of my field/sketch watercolor kits the paints get stuck ok top cover, pull out most of the paint and i have to scoop it up and kinda press it back into half pan with a small knife. But I loose a ton of material.

 

A bit frustrating. Suggestions?

 

Ezekiel

I tried wet-on-wet. Wet on dry and dry. Just a quick sketch in backyard and simple colors.

I have primarily worked with acrylics.  I have learned a great deal about watercolor from this class.  I love how you can use a simple brush with water and change your color to something unexpected or, ... expected.

This was the first time I worked with watercolor and it was very frustrating to try to get the effects I wanted.  I tried using all three techniques in the picture of my cat but wasn't happy with the results.  It definitely is going to take a lot of practice.  I would use this medium in the field, but probably not on a finished painting .

I tried all three with the picture presented. Delicate balance of use of water…need just right amount.

Still unable to figure out how to enter any picture/image into this area. Any suggestions.

I tried all of the techniques.  I like the wet on wet for a blurred out background effect.  When I did the dry brush, which I have used with acrylic paint effective on models, my brush was too wet.  I will have to keep working on it.  I mainly worked on wet on dry, and did better than I thought I would.  I will have to admit that going in I was worried about how well I would do with watercolor.  I have only worked with it for two days, but I am thinking right now that I will probably use it only for special projects.    I found that I like sketching and adding the details which at this point, I am not convinced I can do as well with watercolor.

Tried using all three techniques with my female cardinal. Required lots of patience between layers. The color mixing tips were helpful to get a range of colors.

Tried all 3 techniques. Dry on dry was a discovery for me and achieved great textures, which will come in handy for wood. Discovered that each brus or watermen size gave a different texture effect.

Also, the exercise gave me plenty of new ideas for wet on wet, for skies and blurry objects in the distance for depth (trees, bushes)

Wet on dry was my "go to" most of the time. Will expand my techniques from now on. Thanks!

It was fun to create the watercolor palette study, and to try out techniques.



In one place or another, I experimented with all of the watercolor techniques Liz modeled in this unit’s lessons. The one I had never tried was glazing. It surprised me that colors can be layered, to some degree, in the application of watercolor pigments. My prior experiences did not include the glazing technique.



I don’t see watercolor as a “go to” medium in my nature journal. The waterless media are more appealing to me, as is incorporation of photographs. As a nature photographer, I will likely have my “in the field” immersion and “lost in Nature” moments with my camera… followed by the addition of art media exploration to record musings, data, and factual information.

I just did the practice painting today because I need to order new watercolors, but I can already see how the techniques can help with images. I will try the idea of creating rough textures with the dry-on-dry technique with trees. The wet-on-dry will be fun to experiment with when painting some birds with deep and vibrant colors, such as cardinals and goldfinches. Looking at other people's journal entries makes me excited to get started. I added a picture of my faulty paint set and my practice:(