Lesson 2 Washes

Having played around with colours it is now time to paint a wash.

This is probably the most important requirement in water-colour painting since everything else stems from being able to apply good even washes whether they be on a large scale or very small.

Washes can be used to tint a whole sheet of paper, or simply used to apply colour to a small area.

They can be a basic even wash (i.e. one tone throughout the wash); graduated - varying in tone (i.e. light to dark): or a graduated colour wash (i.e. blue to yellow). Or even variable, more on this later.

Washes

These next few exercises will introduce you to the most basic of water colour techniques, how to apply different washes.

Preparations for the paper:

Washes are one of the most essential parts of painting and therefore good preparation is essential. The paper should be fixed to a firm surface with either pins, gummed paper (ie stretched) or masking tape. It should then be placed at an angle of about 25°. If the paper is laid flat the colour will settle into small pools leaving unsightly edges of pigment around a wash once it has dried out. On the other hand if you have the angle too steep, the colour is liable to drain to the bottom leaving weak washes. When painting a large area fairly wet, it can help once you have achieved the desired wash and the paper is no longer 'flowing' with pigment to lay the board and paper flat until it has completely dried.

For the following exercises mark out with a pencil three or four rectangles say 12cm x 10cm.

Mixing a Wash: To mix a wash put a few brush fulls of clean water onto your clean flat palette or into a mixing dish (not the sunken areas used for squeezing paint into!), add the colour and mix as required to the correct tone.

Make sure that you mix sufficient to cover the area to be painted.

Note - Water colour paint will always appear lighter once dry.

Exercise 3: The Basic Wash

Materials:

For this exercise you will need:-

French Ultramarine Blue:

Sheet of paper :

Brush size 10 or 12

Mix a blue wash.

Applying a Basic Wash:

1. Load a large brush (round size 10 or 12) with the mix.
2. position the brush at the top left of the paper, point facing upwards, and in a slow, smooth motion sweep the brush along the top of the paper gentle pressing to ensure that the whole length of the brush is used. If the wash runs out load the brush again and continue from a point just before where you left off. Try to keep a small 'bubble' of paint at the bottom of the wash.
3. load the brush again
4. position the loaded brush at the right hand edge of the paper and slightly overlapping painting into the 'bubble' sweep the brush from right to left always ensuring that the point of the brush overlaps the previous brushstroke.
5. continue down the paper alternating the direction of the brush stokes from left to right until all the paper is covered speeding up the brush strokes as you go.

Exercise 4: The Simple Graduated Wash

Materials:

For this exercise you will need:-

French Ultramarine Blue:

Sheet of paper :

Brush size 10 or 12

Mix a blue wash

Applying a Simple Graduated Wash:

1. Load a large brush with the mix.
2. Position the brush at the top left of the paper, point facing upwards, and in a slow, smooth motion sweep the brush along the top of the paper gentle pressing to ensure that the whole length of the brush is used. If the wash runs out load the brush again and continue from a point just before where you left off. Try to keep a small 'bubble' of paint at the bottom of the wash
3. load the brush again
4. Position the loaded brush at the right hand edge of the paper and slightly overlapping painting into the 'bubble' sweep the brush from right to left always ensuring that the point of the brush overlaps the previous brushstroke. Try to gain confidence and speed up as you go.
5. Now load the brush with water and repeat 4) but starting from the left hand side
6. Repeat again with water starting from the right hand side
7. continue down the paper alternating the direction of the brush stokes from left to right until all the paper is covered.

Exercise 5: The Graduated Colour Wash

Materials:

For this exercise you will need:-

French Ultramarine Blue:

Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna:

Sheet of paper :

Brush size 10 or 12

Mix two washes, a blue and a yellow, make the yellow one less strong than the blue one.

Applying a Graduated Wash:

1. Load a large brush with the blue mix.
2. Position the brush at the top left of the paper, point facing upwards, and with a confident smooth motion sweep the brush along the top of the paper gentle pressing to ensure that the whole length of the brush is used. If the wash runs out load the brush again and continue from a point just before where you left off. Try to keep a small 'bubble' of paint at the bottom of the wash
3. Load the brush with water and dip into the blue mix
4. Position the loaded brush at the right hand edge of the paper and slightly overlapping painting into the 'bubble' confidently sweep the brush from right to left always ensuring that the point of the brush overlaps the previous brushstroke.
5. Load the brush with water and repeat 4) but starting from the left hand side
6. Repeat once more with water starting from the right hand side
7. Wash the brush out and whilst loaded with water dip it into the yellow mix
8. Position the brush on the left hand side of the paper and paint over the last brush stroke of water which is probably now a pale blue
9. Wash out the brush again and dry it
10. Load with yellow mix and continue painting to the bottom of the paper painting into the 'bubble' of paint on the paper.

    Note: Notice how the paint gently flows down the paper blending the two hues together providing you with an even wash.

    Tip: If the pigment appears too strong at any time add a little water onto the paper but do apply it above the areas you wish to lighten. Take care that the yellow wash is not too strong.