Free watercolor painting lesson!

This is one of my early paintings showing you how I used to paint before I discovered how to paint in watercolor using my Priming Method.

 Take a look at the hard edges, shadows and the raw washed-out colors in this early painting.

Now take a look below at the difference in the next painting (just four paintings beyond this one above).

Free watercolor painting lesson!

Teaching myself how to paint has meant that I learned to understand how to paint in watercolor and how much water to use and how to create fine layers of color, how to mould form using color temperature (warm and cool colors), how to create soft folds in fabric and petals and how to paint leaves using my yellow underwash technique. Can you see how I have created glowing shadow colors? Painting roses or fabric, the sea, the sky, a portrait, still life - all in watercolor - is not difficult - you just need to learn how to observe, and learn how to understand warm and cool color and how to build layers of color to create delicate transitions, rich depths of color and glowing richness - all without creating mud.

Here is your Free watercolor painting lesson. You will find this an invaluable tool that you can adapt to any subject matter you may choose.

It all begins with my Priming Method ©

Here are my instructions so you, too, can enjoy painting using this magical method.

My Priming Method:

In the initial stages of most of my paintings I use my Priming Method to create

luminous glowing transitions of color.

The Magic of my Priming Method:

Step 1

Wet area to be painted and allow it is sink into the inner layers of the paper.

Step 2

When the sheen from the first clear water wash has just disappeared from the surface of the paper – lay in a second clear water wash.

Step 3

Lay your pigmented wash immediately into the second clear water wash.

There you have it! That is all there is to it!

Why is this watercolor lesson so invaluable?

If you use a transparent palette of hues as well as a very finely ground paint such as the ones I use (Schmincke) – you will find your pigment will be absorbed into the inner layers of your paper. Once bone dry you can add as many washes of color (using my Priming Method) as you wish. But do remember to let each pigmented wash become bone dry.

I always build up the first few layers of my color using my Priming Method. Once I have established my initial smooth blending - if the size of area is not large – I will then progress to using a wet-in-wet method. This wet in wet method is exactly as the name suggests: it is simply a matter of dropping wet paint into a wet surface. My final layers are often wet on dry and dry-brush.

You will find by using my Priming Method on the Initial layers of your painting, you will be able to create a reality and a 'substance' in your work. You can then build your subsequent layers using the traditional wet in wet, wet on dry and dry-brush methods. There are many wonderful benefits in this watercolor lesson:

• It is a free watercolor lesson
• My Priming Method allows you to create seamless and gentle gradations of color
• You can easily multilayer your color (to create beautiful luminous depths of the one hue) or a multitude of colors laid on top of each other (once each is bone dry) and this will result in jewel-like final color that glows from within.
• You can easily create soft edged shadow colors using this free watercolor lesson on my Priming Method
• This method will revolutionize how you can paint so many subjects:

1. How to paint a luminous clear sky or sunset where the gentle transitions of color flow seamlessly into each other.
2. How to paint a porcelain bowl
3. How to paint skin
4. How to paint fabric
5. How to paint black, brown and blonde hair
6. How to paint the sea
7. How to paint fruit
8. How to paint water
9. How to paint reflections
10. How to paint animal fur
11. How to paint leaves
12. How to paint roses
13. How to paint flowers
14. How to paint figurative works

You can see the list is endless. The free watercolor painting lesson above can revolutionize your painting skills and lift your painting level if you practice, learn and use it in the early stages of your paintings. You can see how it impacted on mine!

With this method I am able to capture a true sense of being there – a presence - a substance that feels tangible - as if you can reach into the painting and smell the rose or touch the dewdrop on the leaf.

You may like to watch some of the Youtube videos I have created - this one below is the step by step layering of my still life painting for my DVD. You will see how I build soft delicate shades as well as rich deep or vibrant shades of color - all using my Priming Method:

I have created many Youtube videos that may help you on your journey. Search for my name on Youtube to find them.

My DVDs are also jam-packed full with all of the watercolor breakthroughs that have made all the difference to my watercolor journey.

Have fun - watercolor is a magical and exciting medium full of revelations!

I hope you have enjoyed this free watercolor painting lesson.

Susan

"A Rich Picking"
watercolor painting
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

There are many watercolor painting techniques which will help you to create amazing effects. But I find I generally use just five:

1. My Priming Method
2. Wet in Wet
3. Wet on Dry
4. Drybrush
5. Blushing

You can learn about My Priming Method, Wet in Wet, Wet on Dry and Dry brush methods in my  DVDs as they are discussed and demonstrated throughout my watercolor DVDs. You can also read more information on these watercolor techniques here on my website, in the SusanArt Forum and in the free watercolor lessons here on my website.

With these watercolor techniques and methods you can paint anything and everything!

Take the time to learn about them and their many applications. You will be amazed at the skilful work you can achieve with just five fantastic methods!

Take a look at some of my early watercolor paintings that you may not have seen previously - I am about to post a series of early paintings in the next few posts. You will see what is possible: Remember these are early paintings - but because they are early it is easier for you to see the effects I have achieved.

Detail of "A Rich Picking"
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

Take a look at "Rich Pickings". I love this painting. Notice the methods I have used to create these realistic leaves? They have texture don't they? That is because I have used my priming method and then I used Wet in Wet and allowed the water to move the color for me. More about that in the next post.

Have fun exploring all the free lessons on my website. You will also find a watercolor techniques section in the menu on my website. Take a few minutes to look there too!

Susan

I have only just realized that subscribers to my blog receive notification and the text of each blog via email as well. How clever this program and my webmaster Doris is! But we have also only just realised that this text is sent on a white background. So when the text is yellow (as it was in my previous posts) it is hard to read against the white background. The yellow text looks excellent against the black background of my blog page!

All the colours are now altered in the previous text that was sent via email. So that they are good to read - in your mailbox and on my website.

If you would like to read the previous articles again please visit these links:

Article 1: What Transparent pigments does Susan Harrison-Tustain use?

Article 2 - How to compensate for too much red in skin tone

Here comes the next article to the  series of notes on Susan's Watercolor palette.

Article 3 - How to paint shadow areas in Watercolor

Using my Priming Method I lay in at least one underwash of yellow.

My shadow mix is often warm in color temperature. So I will sometimes use

• Alizarin Crimson
• Aureolin
• and a touch of Thalo Blue.

I let this mix favor the Alizarin Crimson. But if I want a warmer mix - I will sometimes add a touch of Scarlet Red.

I use Schmincke watercolors exclusively for the reasons mentioned in my previous posts.
When working in shadowed areas that I want to glow with warmth - I find I am often adding more red and more yellow in subsequent washes. Blue is ideal to use to help describe shadows. But blue dulls my beautiful glow down so much more than I imagine it will. So use it cautiously - in fine washes initially.

The trick is to have your yellow underwash glowing in a multiple fine washes of yellow. The darker your shadow - the more saturated you will need your yellow hue. Remember to keep your washes fine. If you use thick layers of paint - the paint will lift when you lay in your subsequent washes (shadow washes).

This will give you a fabulous glow from underneath which looks incredible. Check out the gallery in my website and you will see what I mean. Click on the image below.

Some of these paintings are available as Giclee Fine Art Prints. Visit the Fine Art Prints Page to see close ups of these images.

Watch this space for Article 4? - Shadow color mixes --- Shall I use Blue and Yellow or should I use sap green?

To mix or to Layer? Which is best?

You will have seen in my Watercolor DVDs or read in books or magazines or in the articles on my website that I often begin my paintings with a ‘tonal map’ using underwashes of yellow. This allows my colors to glow and also gives a realistic ‘substance’ to my work.

Now let’s discuss mixing and layering:

My Schmincke limited palette of colors can be mixed transparently allowing us an endless array of clean luscious hues.  Another way of creating beautiful color is layering color in washes. Or you can do both of course.

Layering:

I use either wet in wet or my Priming Method to create my layering.

Imagine layers of stained glass – one on top of the other. The preceding transparent layers influence the final hue. Each color glows through and gives me a jewel-like final color – beginning with my yellow layer first.

As with everything there are exceptions:
If my final color is to be blue or purple, I use only a tiny amount of yellow underwash. There are many times when I don’t use yellow at all under these colors. Why?

Imagine a blue sky. We want it to look blue don’t we? If we lay yellow underneath blue what do you think will happen? Of course – the yellow can overpower the blue and result in a green hue. So if I need to use some yellow – to take away the rawness of the white paper – I will lay in a very very fine wash of yellow; an almost unperceivable amount. Once the yellow has dried completely I will then lay in my blue wash. If I want a pure blue, I do not use any yellow underwash at all. (This is rare).  Click images to enlarge.

Yellow underneath purple will skew the final impression of the color too. Take at look at this example:

There will be many times when you want to create a blue or purple that is influenced by a stronger yellow underwash. But if you want your hue to remain purple or pure blue, you will need to keep your yellow underwash very pale as you can see.

In the following examples I have used three colors:

- Aureolin Yellow
- Alizarin Crimson
- Pthalo Blue

This first example is a mix of the three colors.

The next 2 examples show layering of the three colors:

The first shows layering in the order of Aureolin Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Thalo Blue.
The second example shows layering in the order of Aureolin Yellow, Thalo Blue, Alizarin Crimson.

Can you see the huge difference the order of layering the colors can have on the final hue?

You can now see how you can create luminous transparent glowing colors as well as perfect subordinate hues.

Remember the browns, greys and dulled colors are essential in a painting too. They allow our luminous colors to really glow. Imagine a painting full of bright sumptuous color. Each hue would compete for adoration! But by juxtaposing grey, brown or natural dulled down colors next to our brilliant hues, we can make our leading colors really sing even more. These more dull hues are a fantastic foil for the stunning colors you wish to highlight.

Now let’s take this one step further: In the above examples you can see that with the use of layering we can fine-tune our final color to make it favor whatever color we want.
Of course we can use mixes in layers as well. I do this often. I mix my hues on my palette and use layering to create the hue I require.

The amount of water you use will determine how smooth your layering will be. My website is an excellent resource for articles I have written on watercolor painting. Go to the ‘Art Lessons’ section on my website to find out details on my Priming Method

All of my watercolors are created using these invaluable methods and my Schmincke transparent watercolor hues.

Have fun!