Painting in watercolour is a magical journey of colours, watery embraces and splashes of visual delight. Its luminosity, transparency, and fluidity combine to form a captivating and exhilarating medium. The ability to create soft, luminous, and translucent effects are difficult to replicate with other mediums.

Despite its appeal, watercolour is often considered a difficult medium to use. Interestingly, the qualities that make watercolour so enchanting also contribute to its challenging nature.

In this blog post, I will discuss the reasons some artists might encounter difficulties when using watercolour and I'll offer some tips on how to overcome them.

Have you ever found yourself staring at a blank piece of white watercolour paper and not known how to begin your watercolour painting? That fear of failure creeps in and almost paralyses you. Don't worry, you're not alone. I feel it too. I nearly always feel anxious about starting a painting but once I get started, I begin to let go of the fear and enjoy the process of painting.

Why is watercolour hard to use?

Watercolour is a truly unique artistic medium, possessing a myriad of characteristics that distinguish it from other mediums. Many of the challenges encountered by beginners arise from their unfamiliarity with its unique qualities.

Watercolour's unique qualities:

1. Fluidity

2. Transparency

3. Value shift when dry

4. Muddy colours

5. Timing

1. Watercolour's fluid nature

Unlike oil or acrylic paint, watercolour is fluid, it moves on the paper. This means that you may feel like you are not in control of what the paint is doing.

It can be unpredictable and it can lead to unexpected colour mixes or unwanted blooms where the drying pigment is disturbed. When you first start with watercolour, you may be hesitant and clumsy when you paint but the more you use it, the more confidence you gain and the more successful you become. You will begin to see just how unique watercolour is and how it can do things that no other medium can do.

An additional aspect about the fluidity of watercolour that may confuse beginner artists is that we don’t use white paint to adjust colour tones; instead, water serves this purpose. Water added to the pigment increases its fluidity but decreases its tonal value.

When aiming for a deeper tone, a greater amount of pigment is applied, while for a lighter tone, an increased proportion of water is combined with the mixture.

In contrast, oil and acrylic painting involve the utilisation of white to illuminate tonal values.

How to use watercolour's fluid nature to your advantage.

When working wet on wet, the fluidity of watercolour paint is one of its characteristics that makes it so appealing to use. Some artists say that a watercolour painting often paints itself. This is because of the spontaneous and unpredictable nature of working with watercolour. It captures the idea that watercolour, due to its unique properties, can sometimes lead to unexpected and beautiful results that may seem to emerge organically, almost as if guided by the medium itself.

Skilled watercolour artists bring their expertise, knowledge of techniques, and artistic vision to their work, but they also embrace the element of spontaneity where they allow the medium to play a role in the creative process.

If you are just beginning your watercolour journey, you need to learn about the different degrees of wetness of watercolour paper. Wet paint will spread further on paper that is quite wet. If you wait for the paper to become less wet, the paint won't spread as far.

The only way you can learn about this is to experiment. Wet your paper and paint on it with a fluid mixture of paint and watch how far it spreads.

Wait a few minutes until the sheen on the surface of the paper isn't quite as shiny as it was when you first wet it, and paint on that.

Wait a bit longer and paint on paper that has lost the sheen altogether but is still damp. Take note of what is happening.

Then, try painting on dry paper.

When you work on wet paper, pay attention to the wetness of your brush as well as the amount of water that is on your paper and the amount of water you have in your paint mixture.

If you find the pigment spreads too far on the wet paper you may need to adjust something. Either your paper is too wet, your paint mixture is too watery or perhaps your brush was too wet when you loaded it with paint.

Experiment, make changes and take note of what you did differently. When you understand the different degrees of paper wetness you'll be able to make soft edges or hard edges easily.

To make your paintings more visually interesting, make use of a wet wash by using the charging technique to add some unexpected colour changes through your painting.

Use some ordinary table salt to create texture in a wet wash.

Take a wet brush and drop some water into a drying wash to create some deliberate blooms.

There are lots of things you can do to take advantage of the fluid nature of watercolour paint.

Should you control watercolour or let it run freely?

The answer to that question depends on your unique voice. What look do you want for your paintings? Are you trying to convey a message or capture a mood or moment?

In regard to my own painting style, I like to depict the subject in a realistic way but I also like to embody the unique fluid characteristics of watercolour in my paintings. In other words, I like my watercolour paintings to look like watercolour paintings.

I try not to control the fluid nature of watercolour paint too much, because I don't want my painting to lack spontaneity. I want it to be visually appealing. On the other hand, I try to have some control because I don't want my painting to devolve into a chaotic, muddy mishmash. For me, it's a balancing act where I try to create a dance between spontaneity and control.

Learning how to blend both spontaneity with control can help you to create exciting and dynamic watercolour paintings. Understanding the unique qualities of watercolour is how you begin to move towards creating successful paintings.

2. The transparent nature of watercolour

Watercolour's transparency is its most attractive characteristic because a watercolour painting can glow with light. With watercolour, you can create luminous, delicate, and layered effects that are not easily achievable with other painting mediums.

The transparent nature of watercolour allows artists to layer washes of colour to create depth and complexity. As each layer is applied, the underlying colours remain visible, resulting in a sense of depth and richness that is difficult to replicate with opaque mediums.

However, this one trait that makes watercolour so appealing can also make it a challenging medium to use.

Layering colour

Although watercolour's capacity to blend colours in layers is a notable advantage, it can also present challenges in terms of control.

Each layer deepens tonal value

Because watercolour pigment is transparent when thinned with water, every preceding layer remains visible. Beginners might struggle with unintentionally darkening the tonal values of the painted areas as they add successive layers. Too many layers will take away the transparency and luminosity is lost.

Master artists possess the ability to apply watercolour paint confidently, achieving their desired effect with minimal brushwork and layers. They appear to instinctively grasp the necessary tonal value right at the start and can effortlessly apply it using just a few swift brush strokes. Regrettably, I do not fall within this category of artists. My approach tends to begin with a lighter touch, progressively layering details in my paintings to gradually develop the desired outcome

Watercolour paint lifts easily

Underlying layers can be disturbed if they are not completely dry so it's crucial to wait until each layer is fully dry before applying another. If the layer underneath is disturbed, it can muddy and alter the subsequent layer.

Some watercolour pigments are staining and when they are applied to the paper they penetrate into the fibres leaving intense colour that is difficult to lift. Staining pigments can be helpful when layering colours because they will remain vibrant and distinct even when additional layers of paint are applied on top.

When you are learning to paint in watercolour, I think it’s best to begin with a light layer to establish your composition and reserve the white areas. Then apply the mid tones and when they are dry, start to add your darks. Leave the dark areas of the painting until the end because dark colours will lift more easily than light colours.

Watercolour is an unforgiving medium

When you use oil or acrylic if you make a mistake you can cover it because the paint is opaque. Due to the transparency of watercolour however, you can't paint over your errors. If you make a mistake and allow the paper to dry, it becomes quite difficult to 'fix' the mistake.

This is why it's important to make sure your drawing skills are well refined to avoid any compositional errors.

Plan your colour palette before you start painting. Mix the colours you have chosen together, and test them on paper to avoid any nasty surprises.

It's also important to plan out the order of your washes before you begin. Think about where you want soft edges and where your hard edges need to be. I often do the painting in my head before I begin painting. That way, I feel I have an understanding of where I am headed.

Sometimes, if I am unsure of my subject, I'll do some studies before I begin my main painting.

Correcting mistakes

Some mistakes can be corrected by lifting out when the paint is wet. Other mistakes can be wiped away with a wet sponge once everything is dry. You could also try adding some gouache to your painting. Gouache is opaque and it can also be used to 'cover' some mistakes. So too can coloured pencils.

However, if you do make a mistake, more often than not, it's best to leave it alone and accept what it has given you rather than try to correct it.

When I painted this Magpie I accidentally created a small back run on the top of the wing. I didn't try to correct it though and it's now my favourite part of the painting.

Remember, every mistake is a stepping stone to understanding this medium better, and sometimes, it leads to unexpectedly beautiful results.

3. Watercolour values shift when dry

There's a saying among watercolour artists: "If it looks right when it's wet, it's wrong."

This saying highlights the fact that watercolour paint often appears darker and more intense when it's wet compared to its dried state. Watercolour artists use this mantra as a reminder to anticipate the drying lighter effect that occurs as the paint dries and to adjust their application of colour and values accordingly. It encourages artists to consider how the paint will look once it dries rather than relying solely on its wet appearance.

When you are painting you need to account for the eventual drying back of watercolour pigments and make adjustments where you need to. While you can paint over an area that isn't dark enough, it's such a shame to have painted a beautiful, fresh wash of colour somewhere only to find that it's not dark enough.

I struggle with this and to me, it contradicts the concept of painting light to dark. The way I use this knowledge now is when I am painting areas of the subject where they will stand on their own with very little further work needed - I try to make those areas dark enough with one wash of colour.

With this Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo watercolour painting I made sure the initial wash of colour over the wing area was dark enough. I didn't want to have to layer another wash over the top when it was dry because the first wash is always the freshest. I added some dark feather detail work on top of the initial wash when it was dry but I didn't layer a second wash all over it.

4. Opaque watercolour paints can muddy paint mixtures

There are transparent watercolour pigments and there are opaque watercolour pigments. Understanding this can have an impact on the colours you mix. Opaque pigments, when used in mixtures, may make the mixture appear dull, muddy and lifeless on the paper.

When all colours are diluted they are transparent but when you start to layer with them, opaque colours can become quite flat looking.

Opaque colours do have their uses, they can cover areas that need restoring. They can also be used adjacent to areas of transparency to create more contrast and impact.

5. Timing is everything

Most watercolour artists know that success comes with understanding timing.

Timing is a crucial aspect of watercolour painting, and mastering it can significantly impact the outcome of your artwork. As I mentioned, painting in watercolour requires a balance between control and spontaneity, and understanding how timing affects various stages of the painting process is essential for achieving the desired results.

When working on wet paper, success depends on the moisture level of the paper. If you apply the paint while the paper is too wet it will flow uncontrollably. If you wait too long it will be difficult to blend. Understanding the different levels of wetness is crucial.

You can lift paint with your brush or with paper towel to create highlights on wet paper but if you try to do it too early, while the paper is quite wet, it will flow back into the area and the highlight will be lost. If you try to lift paint when it is starting to dry, you may not get the desired result.

Timing is also crucial when you want to create special effects such as blooms, salt texture or splattering. If you apply salt while the wash is quite wet, no results will occur and the same thing happens if the wash is too dry.

Developing a sense of timing in watercolour painting requires patience and keen observation. By paying attention to how your paint interacts with the paper at different stages of wetness, you can make informed decisions about when to apply it, when to blend, and when to let the paper dry.

Watercolour is undoubtedly a challenging medium to use. It demands a trifecta of virtues: patience, persistence, and experimentation. If you learn to master its techniques, put in the brush mileage, and embrace the lessons learned from your mistakes, your journey will inevitably yield triumphant results.

But the path to proficiency is not without its share of initial hurdles. Becoming proficient in watercolour is a long journey. It will come about if you make mistakes, if you experiment, and if you take risks and learn from them.

Be sure to have fun while you do it.

If you are interested in learning to paint in watercolour, I have over 170 online, voiced over watercolour tutorials for all skill levels.

The Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo is available to purchase as a print in the shop.

Further reading: 9 Watercolour Texture Techniques

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