The main difference between using a watercolor pencil from using a watercolor with brushes is the degree of control. Watercolor pencils are usually encased in wood and are used in much the same manner as ordinary pencils are used. Since all of us have used pencils more often than brushes, the natural result is the comfort that we hold the pencil and the facility at which we make lines with it. As the skill at painting improves though, the differences diminish. In fact most skilled painters are quite comfortable at using brushes and would prefer them to pencils anytime. Watercolor pencils though are excellent painting aids to both newbie and pro. It is applied technology in the true sense of the word and its applications are still developing.
Watercolor pencils are similar to the effects made with watercolor in tubes except for minor differences in effects.
Line definition
The finest line that you could define using watercolor pencil is applying a sharp point on a dry paper. Then you could control the lines by using the brush to redirect the lines according to the design, effects, and images that you have in mind. This is also where you get the most intense color. In comparison, the watercolor dry technique is the most intense color and lines that you will get out from tubes and pans although because of the thickness of the resulting lines, bronzing results.
When you dampen the watercolor paper before applying the watercolor pencil, the lines that results will be broader and softer. The wetter the surface that you paint the watercolor pencil on, the broader lines become.
Techniques at application
Scraping – You could scrape the color off the pencil mix it with water, adjust for temperaments, and use it as you would a regular watercolor. To create textures, you could scrape the color off the pencil directly into the paper and paint the scrapings over with water for textured effects.
Dry painting – watercolor pencils could produce rich detail. Use the pencils, as you would color pencils. Draw the details and shadings and leave other parts of the drawing untouched or touched barely by water. This could produce interesting variations in textures and colors that could not be produced by other watercolor painting techniques. If you do the painting on a moist surface, paint over a dry pencil to create other textures and details.
Color layering
Typically, you could layer as much color as you desire. The danger only lies in muddying up the color that would result to poor color definition. If you should layer and would want to touch only the color that is in the topmost layer, brush very gently. Brushing the layers over and over would tend to mix all the colors layered over creating the same muddied effect.
Finally, keep the tips of the watercolor pencil clean and dry. Wipe the tip of the pencil after using to keep the colors pure. Before starting on another work, scribble the pencils first on a scrap of paper to remove whatever color left on its tip during the previous painting to insure that you get the color desired.
Watercolor washes are some of the basic watercolor techniques that all watercolor painters has to execute very well before building on more complex and painting techniques using the medium. Before a watercolor wash is done well, it will be good to try out first and practice how the brush is held. Most beginners hold the paint brush much like a pencil, that is near the ferrule without variation on the grip.
To get the most out of the brush and execute washes and details, it will be well to practice and notice how paints and strokes behave differently when other points in the handle of the brush is used. Varying the grip from the base of the ferrule to the tip of the handle creates different strokes. The farther away from the handle one goes, the smoother and finer lines are produced. That said, the following are watercolor washes that watercolor artist applies in their work in varying degrees and that no effective watercolorist cannot do without.
Flat Wash – There are three basic variations of a flat wash, the flat and even wash where the color is applied entirely without variation in shade, a light to dark wash and a dark to light wash. To do this, charge the flat brush with a liberal amount of paint starting in a corner (no matter which, work for conveninece as this depends on whether you are left handed or right handed), touch the paper gently with the brush and pull the paint to the other corner. Execute the brush stroke so that the paint flow as even as possible. The next brush strokes must overlap near the edge of the preceding stroke. If the paint does not flow evenly, increase the angle of your board.
Always keep a blotting paper near to control the flow and when there is too much dripping, work faster and blot the drips away. Refill the brush as needed and keep the tone even. Repeat the process until you have achieved the wash desired. To "cut" the edges, use the flat edge of the brush. If beads run downwards, pick this using the wick action of the brush. Every color in your palette has their own drying properties so try different washes using different colors. Try also drying out the paper at an angle as this technique tends to settle out the pigment with the paper texture.
Graded Wash – The aim here is to achieve a wash where the value of the color changes smoothly from dark to light. Graded washes often used in landscape painting to paint an open sky, although there are lots of other applications for this technique. The process is very similar to the flat wash except that in creating a graded wash you could either start by painting the paper with a darker value working yourself to the bottom with lighter paint (or water) to decrease the intensity of the color.
Glazed Wash – This technique uses another color as wash over another color to arrive at a glazed over effect. Basically glazing is painting a transparent color on top of another that produces different effects and values to the color underneath.
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