Watercolor For Beginners - Basic Brush Techniques

One of the most important things to learn in watercolor painting is how to control your brush. If you don't control the brush properly you will have a hard time creating whatever you have in mind. In the following paragraphs you will learn a few basic techniques for brush control which will help you get started on your way to creating some beautiful works of art.The first technique we shall go over is called "bands of color" which is quite simple. First, pick a color and draw some type of line with your brush. It's better to make it curved or wavy. Now choose a different color and paint another line right below the first one. Try to make it as identical in shape as possible to the first line. You're going to repeat this a few times using a variety of colors. The important thing is to leave just enough space between each line to prevent the colors from washing together. If you do this right, you will see quite an interesting image on the canvas.The next technique which is quite cool is called "thick and thin." As the name implies, you will be painting a line with alternating thicknesses. Begin with creating the thick part by applying a bit of pressure then easing up to create the thin part, and back to thick again and so on until you have reached the end of the line. This brush technique is quite simple yet effective.The third technique is called the "wrist flick" which is commonly used to paint objects like grass. You want to start at the bottom of the canvas then flick the brush upward. This would create the effect of grass growing out of the ground. You may need to practice a bit but it will certainly pay off. Mastering this technique and choosing the right color, you will create blades of grass that look quite real.Learn more free techniques in watercolor painting and a great resource in watercolor lessons.