What is the best way to paint with watercolors? What beginners can paint with watercolors easily and beautifully. medium grain paper. This paper is used most often. It is suitable for any work. Albums for watercolors are most often made from this paper.

Drawing with paints is not only very interesting, but also educational. Landscape executed in different techniques calms, gives positive emotions and cultivates a sense of beauty in the artist.

From our lesson you will learn how to draw a landscape step by step and what you will need for this.

Landscape

Painting with watercolor or gouache provides a wide choice of landscapes.

For example, one of the most impressive subjects for drawing is mountains. They can be either smooth, like a mountain range, or sharp. By depicting mountains, you have the opportunity to show the contrast between sky and earth, high plains and slopes.

Another significant point is the weather. Very fun to draw winter mountains: you can “play” with shadow and light, with various shades and reflexes on the white snow. Ultramarine, yellowish, turquoise, ocher or burgundy color - all this is quite appropriate on the snow cover. The main thing is to choose the right color scheme.

A summer landscape depicting mountains will be no less interesting for novice artists. Picturesque and beautiful: warm shades of grass or cool colors on pine branches, a riot of greenery and colors. At the same time, you do not need to carefully draw them - the bolder and freer the brush lies in your hand, the easier and more relaxed the picture will be.

Important: landscape is not only nature, but also a certain atmosphere, into the creation of which we invest our mood and emotions.

Where does the landscape begin?

Any drawing must begin with a layout on a sheet of paper. Make the sky less land or vice versa. Please note that these parts do not have to be the same.

If you are drawing mountains, be sure to think about which peak will be higher and which will be lower. You should not depict identical mountains, although this happens in reality. It is best to make them different compositionally, which will add a certain dynamics to your drawing.

Pay special attention to objects located in the foreground - what is closest to the artist, that is, to you. The foreground is always drawn more diligently and in more detail than the background.

Now let's try to draw Mountain landscape gouache.

Landscape in gouache step by step: drawing mountains

Stage 1
Take special A3 drawing paper and make a preliminary sketch by mixing white and blue gouache, paint over the sky. While it is still wet, paint clouds with white gouache, using a circular motion with the brush to create a mixture of colors. Using this technique will make the sky cloudy and a little fantastical.

Stage 2
Let's move on to the image of the mountains. Mix white gouache with blue, add a little purple and completely paint over the mountains. Mix the same color with white and immediately paint over the areas of the mountains that are located in the light. In order not to disturb aerial perspective At the base of the mountains, make the color light.

Now comes the fun part! You want to learn how to draw a landscape step by step for beginners in a variety of options? Then let's draw snow-capped mountains.

Stage 3
Using a palette knife, scoop up some whitewash and, pressing lightly until the paint is dry, use the tip of the palette knife to make slits on the mountain. Paint the shadow areas in the same way, only with a bluish tint of gouache.

Important: do not use a large number of gouache and do not mix it with water - the paint should be thick. Practice first on a separate sheet of paper and only then start drawing.

Stage 4
Mix white with blue gouache, and then use smooth strokes to walk at the foot of the mountains.

Stage 5
Now stir blue paint with green and draw a forest. Add ocher or other shades of yellow and green to depict a forest. Use the same colors to paint the ground.

Stage 6
Paint the lake by mixing white and blue gouache and adding a little green.

Stage 7
The final step. Mix the blue and green paint, and then, making large strokes, paint over the future bushes.

Stage 8
Using light ochres and greens, complete the bushes.

Landscape in watercolors step by step: painting a sunset

Next we will look at how to paint a sunset using watercolors. All you need in this case is watercolor and watercolor paper. Shall we get started?

Stage 1
Without making a preliminary sketch and after moistening the sheet a little with water, start painting the sky. To do this, take blue, purple, pink and Orange color watercolors. You can draw the clouds the way you like, mixing colors and creating unusual transitions.

Stage 2
While the paint is still wet, mark more dark color long shot - it should be different from the sky. And a little closer to you, using a dark purple tint, make the plan even darker. Also draw a small fluffy tree and leave the work until completely dry.

Stage 3
Using a dark purple hue, paint the tree trunk, adding burgundy splashes in some places. Paint the ground with the same color to make it look as much like the roots of a tree as possible.

Then, using a thin brush, slowly draw tree branches of different widths and lengths: thick and thin, long and short. Make the branches a little lighter in the background and darker in the foreground.

Ready! You yourself painted a colorful and very beautiful sunset.

There are many techniques to paint a landscape with paints. But if you are a beginner artist, then step by step drawing It will be easier using gouache. It is easy to use: it has no specific odor, easily mixes with water and washes off. Any brushes are suitable for working with gouache, but it is best to give preference to pony or synthetic brushes.

This technique is also suitable for beginners because if you make a mistake, it can be easily corrected by painting it with another layer of paint. In addition, the next layer applied to the dried pigment will not mix with the previous one. The main difference between gouache and acrylic and oil paints is that you can paint with it more freely, without fear of making a mistake.

It doesn’t matter how you draw parts of the picture - all at once or separately. For example, you can first paint over the earth and sky with gouache, and then write foreground, trees and clouds.

Note: to speed up your work, apply paint to objects immediately, without leaving it “for later.” Agree, it is much easier to do everything in one stage, rather than wait for the painting to “dry”.

This option for painting a landscape is no less interesting and is also quite suitable for beginning artists. You can easily master the watercolor technique if you know some tricks and important rules.

— Painting with watercolors is, first of all, working with layers. The paint is translucent, which means mixing each new layer with the previous one cannot be avoided.
— Errors are excluded - that’s what anyone who picks up watercolors needs to know.
— The key to success is thick paper. Rough special surface perfectly absorbs watercolor paint and guarantees a good effect.
— Nearby objects must be painted with bright colors, everything else must be mixed with water and pale. Unlike oil, acrylic or gouache, watercolors are written “liquidly”.
— When working with watercolors, it is best to use brushes with natural squirrel or pony bristle.

And, of course, do not forget that painting a landscape with paints in several stages is quite difficult task for the beginning artist. Many questions arise here: how to arrange everything on a sheet, how to get a certain color, how to highlight this or that object, etc. Answers come only with experience.

The best advice that can be given to all beginners in painting is to practice more - paint the most ordinary items. Remember that the sooner you understand that realism directly depends on highlighting some details and creating contrast, the sooner everything will work out.

So what is landscape? This good workout for any artist that doesn't allow you to get away from main topic images and at the same time gives freedom of imagination.

Each of us is an artist at heart. Remember the golden moments of childhood, when we enthusiastically painted “scribbles” with paints. The art of painting is the world's greatest secret. With the help of paints and a brush, real miracles appear on canvas. Many people mistakenly believe that they do not have artistic talent. In fact, anyone can learn to paint. How to paint real works of art with watercolors? To do this, you just need to follow simple recommendations.

What do we need?

So, we decided to enter the world of art and become artists. How to paint with watercolors correctly? To do this you will need the following tools:

paints;
brushes;
palette;
sheets of paper.

You should be very careful when choosing accessories. The final result - a work of art - depends on them.

Choosing paints

How to paint with watercolors yourself? First of all, you need to choose the right paints. There is a huge amount of watercolor paints on the shelves of art stores. Which ones are better to choose?

You shouldn't look at the price category here. High cost is not always a guarantee of quality.

It is better to choose paints made from beeswax. The cover should say “honey”. They have the brightest color.

Paint brushes

Brushes have at least important. Which ones are most suitable for watercolors?

The brush should be soft and pick up paint well. Its tip should be pointed. The bristles of the brush should be well secured to the base. The best option brushes made from squirrel wool will become. Their bristles correspond to the stated parameters.

How many brushes will you need? To paint small parts of the picture, you should purchase a thin brush (number 1 or 2). For the main part - greater thickness (numbers 5-6 or 7).

Palette

The palette serves as a kind of “draft”, a place for mixing paints. Several paints of different colors are applied to the palette and mixed. The result is the desired shade.

You can purchase a ready-made plastic palette. You can also make it yourself. For this, a sheet of thick paper is suitable, which should be folded along the edges.

Choosing paper for watercolors

The process of choosing paper should be treated with special attention. The fact is that watercolor is a translucent paint. It requires a large amount of water during operation. If you draw on plain paper, it can quickly get wet from water. It is better to purchase special paper for watercolors. It is denser and thicker. Its surface is rough. Water particles get stuck on the rough surface of the paper. This prevents spreading.

Let's start drawing

How to paint with watercolors yourself? Having studied the main features of watercolor paint, we know that it requires a large amount of water. The drawing turns out translucent, airy, flying. This effect is formed due to the structure of the paint.

There are 2 main techniques for painting with watercolors:

Dry technique.
Wet paper technique.

Everyone has been familiar with the basics of dry technique since childhood: we put paint on a brush and paint. Depending on the type of drawing, you can first draw its outline using a pencil.

To obtain required color, you need to dip the brush in water, then in the desired paint and apply it to the palette. After this, the brush is washed with water and dipped into paint of a different color. The resulting colors are mixed on the palette. The result will be the desired shade.

What is the difference between the technique of painting with watercolors on wet paper? This technique is quite interesting, because... it allows you to create an unusual effect. To do this, before you start drawing, you should thoroughly moisten a sheet of paper with water. Until it's dry, on wet paper watercolor paint is applied. When mixed with water, it spreads, leaving intricate patterns on the paper.

Let's draw

So, we purchased materials for work. Learned basic drawing techniques. Now you can begin the creative process directly.

How to paint with watercolors for beginners? First, it is recommended to try to study paints. What will it take? Let's look at the main lessons for learning about paints:

Let's study colors. Take a leaf watercolor paper. Load your brush with the color you like. Put it on paper. Look at the effect. Now increase the degree of pressure on the brush. Look how the color has changed (it should darken). Now type on the brush more water and dip it in paint. Run a wet brush over the paper - the design will be translucent.
Mix colors. Try mixing several colors. What shades did you get as a result?
Apply yellow, orange, red colors to the leaf. Study them. What emotions do they evoke? Now apply blue, purple, black colors to the sheet. What sensations arise now?
We draw from life. Now we need to learn how to display the objects around us. Place an apple in front of you. Study it carefully. Look what color it is. Try drawing it.

Practical work

After learning the basic skills of painting, you can move on to independent work.

We learn to paint the objects around us with watercolors. Look around. What do you see? You can draw a still life. To do this, place several pieces of dishes and any fruit in front of you. Try to draw them.

What else can you paint with watercolors? There are no restrictions here. It all depends on the artist’s imagination. We can draw everything that surrounds us. You can depict your own imaginary world.

Learning basic techniques for working with watercolor paints you can start by drawing flowers and trees.

How to draw a flower?

Draw a flower in watercolor yourself:

Think about what kind of flower you should draw.
Study its primary colors.
Using a simple pencil, draw the main outline onto the paper.
Choose a paint for the background and paint over it.
After the background has dried, you can begin painting with watercolors.
Paint the flower with translucent paint.
After the watercolor has dried, paint the outline with darker paint.
After the drawing has dried, place accents on the flower. This will give it volume. To place accents, you need to apply several thick strokes along the contour of the flower with contrasting paint. Our drawing is ready.

Painting with watercolors is an easy and very fun activity. Each of us can feel like a real artist, creating entire works of art. You just have to listen to the advice offered.

If you want to try something new in painting, pay attention to the acrylic painting technique. Canvases created with plastic-based paints have an interesting three-dimensional structure. Painting with acrylic is no more difficult than painting with watercolors. At the same time, the finished painting does not need to be treated with fixing compounds - the paints are highly durable, do not fade and are not afraid of water.

What is acrylic for painting?

Acrylic paints appeared in mass production relatively recently - only 50 years ago. Pigmented acrylic resin quickly gained universal popularity, primarily due to its versatility and durability. It is used not only by canvas painters, but also by interior artists who create paintings on walls, builders and even manicurists.

Acrylic paints come in different varieties. So, to decorate walls or ceilings, it is better to choose special acrylic paint of dense consistency. Volumetric images in the interior they look colorful, realistic and original. Less concentrated paints, usually sold in tubes, are suitable for creating paintings on canvas. The drawing process for beginners is fascinating, it allows you to discover artistic talent fully.

How to prepare the basis for a future painting

Before choosing acrylic paint, take care to prepare the base. You can draw on wooden boards or plywood. You can use a stretcher or regular canvas. The easiest way to paint with acrylic is on paper, so a beginner should first master this canvas.

Choose paper with a dense, rough surface. For you to be able to paint with acrylic properly, the base must be strong. If you choose textured paper, glue a wood backing onto it.

Remove any air bubbles that have formed using a book - the canvas is ready for painting. Canvas for painting with acrylic can be additionally sanded, since the material adheres best to a smooth surface. Beginning painters often wonder whether it is necessary to prime the canvas for acrylic?

If you are working on boards, you will need an acrylic primer, which is sold in art stores. It is a special emulsion with titanium dioxide, which gives whiteness. The primer is applied to the prepared board in several layers and dried for 24 hours.

How to learn to paint with acrylic from scratch

First of all, make sure that the paints are not dry. When applying the first strokes, be sure to moisten the acrylic paint palette with water - you will need a spray bottle for this. There is no need to pour out a lot of acrylic paint at one time. Use absorbent paper, you can put it under the palette.

Observe the transparency of the paint: the more water you add, the more transparent the strokes will be. Paint with large brushes first, starting with large areas. Then move smoothly to the main details. The technique of painting with acrylic on paper or a wooden board requires extreme care and precision. From time to time, look at the drawing in the mirror - this will help you understand whether its proportions are correct.

Many beginners find it difficult to mix acrylic paints with each other. You can use a thinner - it increases the “open” time of the paints, making them easier to compose. You only need to distribute the material with the edge of the brush, and to obtain clear contours of the sketch, you can use regular adhesive tape, which is sold at any hardware store.

Try lightening and darkening shades by adding white or black tones. To clean the palette from acrylic paints, use any product that dissolves plastic - a regular household solvent will do.

Painting with acrylic on paper or wood is a creative process that is a lot of fun. To make it even more enjoyable, follow these guidelines:

Paints become significantly darker when dry. Take this into account when choosing shades for the future canvas. Choose non-toxic materials for work, even if they cost more. Wear an apron while working to avoid getting your clothes dirty.

In addition to professional brushes with long handles, paints and canvas base, stock up on decoupage glue, as well as a convenient spray bottle filled with water.

It is better to use a plastic palette - it is practical and easy to clean. Don't forget about clean water, in which you will rinse your brushes.

Having mastered the technique of painting with acrylic, you will be able to create real masterpieces. A little patience, diligence and the right materials for the job are the key to impressive results.

If you are tired of ordinary watercolors and oils, try painting acrylic paints, which combine the properties of both materials. The peculiarity is that dried paintings are not afraid of water and sun, so they remain forever the way you created them. To master this kind of creativity, use the instructions below.

Drawing with acrylic paints for beginners step by step

Acrylic is often used for arts and crafts. It is universal, and unlike watercolors, it allows you to apply one layer to another without the danger of damaging the already applied drawing. The scope for creativity is expanding - you can create any picture. The main thing is to know how to paint with acrylic paints correctly and take into account all the recommendations for this process.

How to use acrylic paints for painting

For a beginning artist, 6 colors will be enough. Having learned to use acrylic, you can expand your palette to 12 or 18 shades. In addition, you will also need something on which you can paint with acrylic paints. What to use:

A variety of materials are suitable as a basis for paintings - wood, glass, plastic, thick paper or cardboard, canvas and even metals.
Brushes can be natural or synthetic.
It is allowed to use a palette knife. If properly diluted with water, even an airbrush can be used.

You need to dilute acrylic paints for painting on a palette with a special solvent or water, adding them little by little to the acrylic so that the consistency becomes similar to watercolor. When such translucent layers are applied to a painting one after another, the result is very interesting effect. For undiluted acrylic, only synthetic flat and wide brushes are suitable, but you need to paint quickly, because the drying speed of the paint increases.

Drawing techniques

Before painting with acrylic paints, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the techniques in which paintings are made. Among the main methods of creating canvases are:

Wet technique. It involves applying diluted paints onto a canvas moistened with warm water.
The “dry” method. To paint a picture using this technique, it is recommended to use several brushes at once, which can be used to edit the composition on a dry canvas.
"Glassing in layers." A thick acrylic layer is applied with a brush, on which a picture is then drawn.
"Impasto." The paintings resemble oil paintings, the strokes are voluminous and clearly distinguishable.

How to paint with acrylic paints

You can paint with acrylic paints on different surfaces, but it’s suitable for every occasion. general instructions, following which it is easy to create a real masterpiece:

Choose a surface that will serve as the basis for the future painting. Depending on its structure, select certain paints - the manufacturer gives recommendations on this matter on the jars or tubes.
Decide on your drawing technique. For a watercolor effect, arm yourself with water or thinner and prepare your palette.
Stock up on brushes - synthetics are suitable for undiluted acrylic, and with watercolor technique It is easier to deal with natural bristles made from ox hair or sable.
Complete the picture with additional touches using felt-tip pen, ink, markers, gel pens or pencil.

On fabric

Painting with acrylic paints on fabric can be a little more difficult for beginners, so it's worth practicing. Silk or cotton surfaces are more suitable for materials - the pattern will fit better on them and will stick well. Before you begin the creative process, the fabric needs to be prepared - washed, ironed, stretched onto a special frame or laid out on a flat and hard surface. Don't forget to separate the front and back side things, otherwise paint can only spoil its appearance - put cardboard or oilcloth. Then use the following instructions:

Buy a special felt-tip pen that is used for drawing on fabric, and apply the selected design to the fabric. When using a simple pencil for this, keep in mind that you will need to draw slightly beyond the contours so that they are not visible.
Use artistic brushes to paint the fabric, using thinner if necessary.
After completing the work, leave it to dry for a day and then iron it.
Wash the item only 2 days after ironing in a gentle cycle at a temperature of about 30 degrees.

On canvas

For the first time, it is better to choose a smaller canvas. In addition, you will need a sketch made in a simple pencil. For the basis of the future painting, use finished photos drawings or rely on your imagination. On a separate sheet of paper, sketch out the options and transfer it to the canvas. Then prepare your brushes, a spray bottle with water, a palette and a cloth. Start drawing from the background and large details, thinking through the combination of shades. To prevent the paint from drying out, use a spray bottle - this will make the transitions between colors smoother.

On paper

It is better to take thicker paper, for example, intended for watercolors. Of all the materials, it is more economical and suitable for beginners, as it has shallow embossing, which is easy to apply strokes to. You can buy either an album or a folder with individual sheets of any format. You need to prepare a palette, a set of several brushes and water if you need to dilute the paint.

The simplest acrylic paints are suitable for painting. If you have already decided on a drawing, then start with a sketch too. Then start working on the background part, using a wide rectangular brush - movements should be fast so that the paint does not have time to dry. For watercolor techniques, dilute it with water or draw on damp paper, and for oil painting, use it in pure form using a brush with uneven bristles.

On glass

The most original is acrylic painting on glass. To do this you will need:

toothpicks or cotton buds to correct the drawing;
acrylic paints and varnish;
brushes;
diluent;
contours to complete the basis of the drawing;
palette.

The technique of drawing on glass is as follows:

Clean the surface of the glass by leaving it for 20 minutes. in hot water and then degreased with alcohol.
Use a thin marker to draw a design, placing the sketch under the glass.
Draw a special outline around the lines.
Apply paint to the glass in layers, waiting for the previous layer to dry. Apply more paint to the brush and lightly touch the surface to distribute the acrylic evenly.
When finished, rinse the brushes with water and coat the painting with acrylic varnish.

Learning to create smudges

If you apply a stroke of one color to the paper and, without allowing it to dry, put a second stroke of a different color on top, they will begin to leak and mix, creating a colored spot.

Not every paper is suitable for such an experiment. On paper with greater absorbency, the paint will simply be absorbed before mixing, and on paper with minimal ability to absorb moisture, the paint will spread as much as possible. With practice, you will find it easier to use this technique and control the flow of paint.

If you fail, you can always wash off the paint and start over. This technique is used not only by novice artists, but is also widespread in the professional environment for drawing large objects such as water and sky, as well as for local areas on the canvas.

The effects of paint smudges are almost impossible to replicate with a brush. This is what makes them unique. They can create the effect of a water surface by applying heavily diluted paint onto already dried paint; the fresh paint will spread, forming a semblance of ripples on the water. True, the ability to determine whether the paint on the first layer has dried sufficiently comes with experience.

Drawing materials

Brushes

Tools for painting with watercolors must meet the following requirements:

Be able to absorb water well
Be flexible
Resume the same form
When drawing, hairs should not bristle

It should be remembered that watercolor brushes, unlike other brushes, have short handles.

Wide flat brush serves to remove excess paint or wipe it off due to its rigidity.

Blur brush quite soft, large, used for background processing. The best others change shape and hold water with paint without drying out.

Working brushes can be of any size, varying depending on the technology.

Paper

1. The drawing paper must be thick and not delaminate, otherwise, when removing excess water and paint, it may warp.
2. The paper must be white. The colors of the paints are most clearly visible on it.
3. The paper should be thick and well glued. Well-glued paper absorbs water more slowly and does not allow the colors to lighten. Papers sold in packs of A3 sheets are most often poorly sized and suffer from excessive yellowness.
4. Grain (smoothness of paper)

Fine-grain paper is suitable for fine detail rendering. On it, the stroke encounters almost no obstacles.
Medium-grain paper is the most common and is suitable for all types of work.
The coarse-grained surface of the paper is slightly rough and has a distinct texture. It is used in very specific jobs. It is often made by hand and is famous for its high density.

5. Thin or non-grained paper cannot be used; it will warp during use.

Paints

It is always better to prefer professional watercolors to ordinary school watercolors if you are committed to results.

Paints in trays require a little more effort to prepare them for drawing than all the others. To use them, you need to drip water from the brush into the tray so that the paints get a little wet. These paints are convenient because you don’t need to look for additional containers for them.

Paints in tubes Suitable for more experienced artists. The master himself can create a palette in accordance with his needs, although ready set with a dozen tubes it can be recommended to amateurs.

Number of colors in the set There can be either twelve or thirty-six pieces, but not all of them are used. It will still be useful to mix different colors to find out which of them give unusual combinations. To work, you will need no more than ten commonly used paints.

In general, paints are divided into two types: warm and cool. Warm colors include yellow, orange and other colors based on red or yellow. Cool colors include colors with a predominant blue or violet tint. Green, purple, gray and black colors can be either cold or warm, depending on the characteristics of the color and the influence of the environment. The colors blue, yellow, red are basic, the rest, obtained by mixing, are considered derivatives.

Let's draw a poppy

Painting with watercolors is more difficult than oil paints or gouache, but you can always try to create works full of tenderness and lightness. At the same time, see how much easier it is to paint with watercolors after practice.

He adds transparency to watercolor strokes. White color paper. To correct watercolor works It’s almost impossible, so try to act without mistakes.

Start by mixing a few colors. To do this, wet a piece of paper with water and brush it with paint over the wet paper. Excess paint can be removed with a glass of water.

You should paint with the tip of the watercolor. Do not press on it, let the paint spread, make a couple of strokes on top of the already applied paint. You should not mix more than three colors in one place, otherwise you will get dirty stains. Now let's get down to drawing.

Do pencil sketch and let's move on to the background. Trying not to dry the paints, draw the background. The strokes should flow into each other, hiding the traces of the pencil on the paper. Use ocher, light green and yellow paints.

Wait for the background to dry and grab the petals. Using dampened paper, paint the light parts with yellow paint. Without waiting for it to dry, apply red paint to the petals. Do not paint the entire petal, the paint will spread on its own. Don't make the color too thick.
All that remains is to draw the leaves and green stems, add dark green shadows and the drawing is ready. You can also draw a frame on it.

Watercolor, flowers. Artists' works