# water colours



## Hottigress (Apr 28, 2009)

i have just gotten my first real water colours today. if anyone has any tips, please tell me. i only know how to draw and sketch, etc.


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## Ratte (Apr 28, 2009)

Don't use white for anything except highlights.  That's what water is for.

What are you planning to do with them exactly?  Try to work out some test sheets or dummy pics before you go ahead and work on something that you'll really regret fucking up.


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## Hottigress (Apr 28, 2009)

Ratte said:


> Don't use white for anything except highlights. That's what water is for.
> 
> What are you planning to do with them exactly? Try to work out some test sheets or dummy pics before you go ahead and work on something that you'll really regret fucking up.


 

i was actually just free handing. i made a pic... its really cool! different, but unique. i think im gonna stick to drawing my anthros though...


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## Arshes Nei (Apr 30, 2009)

One of the more fun books I saw on watercolors were the ones by Charles Reid. You may find him at your local library. 

I would have pointed out Craig Mullins at http://www.goodbrush.com but quite a few are gone. Another artist to look at is John Singer Sargent. They may not be furry but you can still look at their techniques to learn. 

You can use masking agents like sand, bleach to create effects too. The trick is to not overwork your painting.


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## pkingsora (May 8, 2009)

have lots and lots of patience.. using a blow dryer may mess up yer piece if yer not working on water colour paper  xx


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## Havayosunu (May 9, 2009)

my mom is a watercolor artist and I know that watercolor is a hard techique.
-do not use whites
-let the colors spread
-keep it blurry. I mean, watercolor pics are some kind of blurry in a good way, that s what watercolor is for.


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## Loken (May 10, 2009)

I find it easier to think in terms of shapes of colour that you layer.  And also work light, you can always make things darker but you cant make them lighter... well not easily anyway.


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## ElizabethAlexandraMary (May 13, 2009)

Try not to do much of the same thing when you are a beginner, or do all similar parts of the picture at once, bit by bit, ideally without reloading on water/paint too much.

Else this can become a pain if you aren't used to predicting how it'll end up. Unlike oil, watercolours change when drying, and I find it very hard to replicate exactly a specific texture/colour.

As an example, I had a winter scene with three trees, when I went to do the shading on one of the trees I took too much time and couldn't replicate the effects I used on the second and third.

Also, as pretty much everybody said, you can't erase, and can hardly paint over, unless you add loads of water to dilute the paint then take it away with a sponge or something, but eventually this will ruin the paper. (Even if you use this special watercolour paper.)


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## pac (May 14, 2009)

this site, while vast and technical, can answer a lot of questions about watercolor:
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/

off the top of my head: take advantage of the white of the paper. i learned that in school, and it really does make a difference.


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