PAINTING A WATERFALL WITH WATERCOLOUR

Discover how to paint a waterfall with watercolour and add white highlights to your wet paint in our video tutorial with artist Ewa Karpinska.

HOW TO PAINT A WATERFALL WITH WATERCOLOUR? add carousel of other blogposts - buttons label 6 doenst work

THE SKETCH AND SUPPORT

Draw the subject with a lead pencil. Wet the support by applying water to both sides of the paper.

MIXING THE COLOUR

Create a dark shade using Burnt Sienna and Payne’s Grey to paint the rocks. The body of water is created with Turquoise Blue, Burnt Umber and undercut with Payne’s Grey.

ADDING THE FEATURES AND LIGHT

Paint the water around the rocks, applying the diluted colours with a synthetic brush. Emphasise the light areas applying lines of clean water with a fine round brush.

HOW TO CREATE RESERVES ?

White is a source of light that brings contrast to the work. Creating a reserve is the process of isolating areas where the white of the paper appears. There are several techniques to bring brightness and create reserves: reserve white areas avoiding painting on them, use drawing gum (see below), remove pigment with a wet brush or overlay using china white or even titanium white (gouache) more opaque in mixed media.

DRAWING GUM

Drawing gum – also known as masking fluid and liquid frisket – is a product that makes it easy to create striking graphic effects. It can be applied to both blank and prepared surface.

Applied to the surface prior to the application of colours, it enables you to mask off areas that you don’t want to be coloured. Left to dry for several minutes, it can be easily rubbed off to reveal the surface below. The drawing gum can be used regardless of technique: gouache, acrylic, watercolour, ink, etc. The new blue-coloured gum makes it easier to see the outline created.

How to use drawing gum?

1. Apply with a quill or a palette knife to the area you want to mask off.

2. Let it dry for 1 to 3 minutes then apply the colour.

3. Remove the gum by rubbing it with your finger once dry to reveal

the media beneath.

See mediums

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