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The Process of Fixing Mistakes in Watercolor Painting
Problems aren’t always bad — especially when it comes to watercolor painting. Sometimes, the mistakes you make in your creations can guide you to a journey of discovery that can lead to more valuable outcomes — if you know how to fix them, that is. In watercolor painting, some common mistakes can be avoided and fixed, while alongside improving your techniques and skills.
The Art of Reactivating Watercolor
In watercolors, you have the advantage of reactivating the colors with water, and this is where our journey of fixing mistakes begins.
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Lightening and Lifting: One advantage of watercolor paints is their ability to be lifted off the paper. If you find that you have added a color that is too intense or have painted outside the line, gently brush clean water over the dried watercolor wash, then blot it with a dry cloth or paper towel. This method can rescue areas that have become too dark or intense. It’s important not to rub your cloth or paper towel over the wet area, but rather to press it lightly, as scrubbing can damage the paper surface.
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Washing Out: If you wish to tone down a color or minimize a mistake over a large area, consider washing it out. Rinely wet the area with a large brush until the water begins to puddle. Then tip your work surface so that the water runs off, carrying some of the color with it. Blot the area dry, and then repaint it carefully.
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Scrubbing or Sanding: For some hard-to-erase mistakes, gentle scrubbing with a stiff brush or lightly sanding with very fine sandpaper can work. However, beware! These techniques can damage the surface of your paper, making it difficult for further painting. Use these methods sparingly and only when necessary.
Correcting Common Mistakes
Watercolors can be unforgiving, but they can also be tamed with the right techniques.
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Fix blooming: When a puddle of watercolor is left on the paper, it often dries in a blossom or cauliflower shape, leading to unwelcome textures. To fix this, re-wet the entire area uniformly so that the whole wash becomes fluid again, then absorb the excessive water and reload the brush with more color if necessary. Paint the wash again with a single sweep.
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Undoing backruns: Backruns or “watermarks” are caused when a wet wash comes into contact with a damp wash. The wet paint pushes the damp paint away, creating unwanted hard edges. To fix backruns, use a dry brush to soften the hard edges while the paint is still wet. If the paint has dried, scrub the hard edge gently with a damp, stiff brush, then apply a new wash over the whole area.
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Muting overly bright colors: Overly bright colors can sometimes make a painting look garish. To neutralize a color, mix it with its complementary color and apply it over the too-bright area, softening the edges with a clean, moist brush.
Skill Enhancement Techniques
Understanding these common mistakes can also aid you in enhancing your technique, pushing your watercolor painting skills into new territories of improvement and refinement.
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Mastering water control: The water is the life-blood of the watercolor. Balancing the ratio of water to pigment can have different effects, and mastering this balance is crucial. Using a palette to mix your colors before applying them to the paper can give you much better control over the water to paint ratio.
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Working light to dark: Unlike acrylics or oils where you can easily paint light colors over dark, watercolor is transparent. This means that you have to work from light to dark. By leaving the white of the paper to serve as the lightest light in your painting, you can gradually build up to your darkest darks.
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Building up layers: With watercolor, you can reach your desired intensity by building up thin layers, or ‘washes’, of paint. This technique, known as glazing, can lead to a more vibrant, luminous effect than simply applying a thick, heavy wash. Layering your washes can also help you to achieve a wider range of tones and shades.
Overall, if you can understand that mistakes are common and that everyone makes them, you will not be disheartened as you get to know this medium. But you need a roadmap to navigate away from these mistakes, and this article has provided you with a solid start in a most vibrant and exciting medium. Happy painting!
