Let's do some Flower Watercolour Painting!
MATERIALS & TOOLS
Paper : Watercolour paper such as Arches rough watercolour paper, 140lbs or greater is ideal. You could also go for cold or hot press pads. Hot pressed paper is less absorbent, so colours will float on the surface longer. On the other hand, Cold pressed and rough papers absorbs water much faster. Generally, the thicker the paper, the less likely it is to warp.
Brushes: For beginner, we would recommend to use a nice pointed tip for watercolours, they are great for washes, and for finer details.
Watercolour paint: You can buy yourself tubes or cakes of watercolour. They often comes with a palette that can be used to mix colours OR you can also use a white plastic plate.
Jar/Mug: Get a large size of mug to hold water for wetting and rinsing brushes.
TRICKS & TIPS FOR BEGINNER!
1) Painting Small Flowers: Avoid painting small flowers in a cluster together and as it'll end up looking like a bouquet. Focus on it's shape, shadow and colour to create a bold composition.
2) Painting White Flowers: If you are painting a White flower, the key is to keep it really simple. You can use the water from your wash bucket to break up the stark white of the paper; a tint of colour may be all you need to imply the petal’s shape.
3) Watercolouring Effects: The ratio of water VS pigment is crucial to achieve the effect you intend. If you apply a stoke when the paper is wet, colours will spread over the large area of your paper, producing irregular shapes.
If the paint was apply on the paper when they are no longer shiny wet, but your paint/brush is very watery, naturally it spreads significantly as well. For vivid colour effect, you should have thick pigment.
4) Making Corrections: As long as the paper is still wet, you can easily make corrections to your painting. Simply blot the brush thoroughly and lift the paint off your paper. You are recommended to add clean water to the surface before lifting.
It's also possible to do some corrections when the paper is dry, but chances are, your painting will loose vividness and look over-washed.
5) Prepare A Piece Of Scrap Paper: It’s advisable to have a piece of scrap paper to test colours and brush strokes before you paint them onto the actual work!
