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Water changes paint — Art, 4–6

With watercolour, water helps the paint move across paper. More or less water changes how pale, strong, wet or dry the mark looks.

Water helps the paint travel

Watercolour paint is made to mix with water. A wet brush picks up the colour and lets it slide over the paper; a drier brush leaves a stronger, smaller mark. The paper also matters: it drinks some water and holds the colour in place.

Why artists control the water

Artists need water to make a soft wash, but too much water can make a puddle that runs where it is not wanted. Too little water can make the brush drag and leave gaps. Controlling the water solves the problem of making both broad skies and tiny details with one paint.

Make three blue marks

Put a little blue paint on your brush. For the first mark, dip the brush in water and paint a wide stripe; it should look pale. For the second, use less water and paint another stripe; it should look stronger. For the third, use a nearly dry brush and touch the paper lightly for a small, broken mark.

More water is not always better

You may dip the brush again and again because water makes the paint move easily. That is sensible when the brush feels dry, but too much water can soak the paper and make the colour run. Try touching the brush to the jar's edge first, so you remove some drops.

Where this shows up

You can use this idea when painting a pale sky, a puddle or a dark little window. Watercolour painters use different amounts of water to make quiet backgrounds and sharper marks. The same control helps when you want a picture to look wet, misty or bright.

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