Learn painting with aquarelle

Do you want to learn how to work with watercolors but have no idea where to start? Keep reading! This time, we got down to the painting of a cute owl using aquarelle, and in the process, documented all the steps. So let's begin!

If you are interested in the history of aquarelle, click here.

For the realization of an aquarelle painting, you need a graphite pencil, a set of artists watercolors you can put together by yourself from selected cubes you then place in a practical metal palette, a sketchbook for watercolors, brushes suitable for watercolors, white acrylic paint, and a cup of water.

Take a sketchbook and use a graphite pen to sketch gently the whole motif, in our case, an owl.

Now take larger brushes and a cup of water. Wet the brush and use it to moisten the drawing on the paper.

It is time to use watercolors. Start painting on the moist surface, and don't be afraid of the blur effect. The aquarelle technique is cut out for it!

In our experience, we recommend beginning with lighter tint colors and darkening the painting gradually.

When the surface gets dry a little bit to the touch, you can use a smaller brush to start creating details, such as eyes, beak, claws, and feathers. After that, let the painting dry completely.

Use white acrylic paint or tempera to highlight the lightest places. If you'd find this way of brightening up too distinct, you can leave only a clear surface to show through. It's necessary to decide at the beginning, though, so you wouldn't cover light places with paint, as aquarelle colors are hardly correctable, let alone erased, etc.

Finally, use the thinnest brush to complete the final adjustments, and it's done!

If the work with aquarelle engages your attention, and you'd like to find more about this art technique, take a look at our other articles, where you find several posts devoted to this art medium.