I'm a long time fan of your style and the soft but bright quality of your watercolor work! Do you have any advice for getting started learning? Or is it a matter of starting and doing?
thank you so much!! that’s very nice of you!! ⁺✧(˶´⚰︎`˵)⁺‧
sure, just starting and doing watercolor is definitely important, because experience is the only way to intuitively know which paint+water ratios give the effects you want. that's also kind of frustrating in the beginning (or at least it was for me) so maybe some tips will make that smoother...
Here's one of my old guides on mixing bright colors. Most watercolor sets at least come with a "split primary" palette, with both a cool and a warm version of each primary color. Getting familiar with the mixing behaviors of your paints will help so much!
Put more water and paint on your brush than you think you need. Watercolors become lighter when dry, and without enough water they dry too quickly on the paper.
Practice the three main techniques: wet paint on wet paper, wet paint on dry paper, and dry paint on dry paper. (I mostly use wet on dry in my art, but the others have their uses, especially in backgrounds!)
The more you rub the paper with your brush, the more it separates the fibers and makes colors less bright and clear. So try to do your layer with as few brush strokes as possible. Working from the lightest/largest areas to the darkest/smallest is recommended.
Let each layer dry completely unless you’re going for a specific effect!! If you add the next layer too soon, the one under it might get wiped away. orz
Maybe plan your colors and shadows in advance (digitally or in thumbnails). It helps me focus on painting without stopping to figure out what to do next!
Put a tissue under your hand or wear a glove while you work to prevent skin oils from repelling the water.
It’s fine if the paper starts warping while you’re painting. It’ll probably dry less warped, and you can flatten it fully once you’re done.
I’m sure you already know this, but there’s a ton of watercolor tutorials and speedpaint videos on Youtube. They’re great for seeing how others mix colors and blend with water, as well as getting an idea for how the paint moves on the paper and what it looks like when dry. Consider looking at copic/alcohol marker artists too, since they also work from lightest-to-darkest and blend colors according to similar rules. I watch videos almost every day; it’s a relaxing way to learn! ^^
Also, here's my process for painting a character, if you haven’t seen that!
Below is mostly about supplies, but it's stuff that I wish I knew in my first years of painting!
To get smooth gradients and soft blending, consider investing in good quality paper most of all. Basically, Paper > Brushes > Paint.
You can do almost anything with student-quality paints. Just check what the manufacturer says about lightfastness. Paints with a low lightfastness score will fade over time.
You only need a few decent brushes ([synthetic] sable or squirrel for large areas of color, and maybe a very small or calligraphy brush with a sharp point for details and lineart, if those are in your style).
If you use "pan" paints, consider using an old spare brush to wet them, because pans will wear out your brushes faster than tube paint.
Your paper absolutely must be watercolor or mixed media paper, because they contain "sizing" that allows the paints to blend smoothly and not stain immediately. “Cold press 300gsm” is probably the most versatile texture and weight. Cotton paper is stronger and more forgiving than cellulose papers but is also more expensive.
Unless you’re working in a watercolor sketchbook, only one side of the paper will have sizing. The "wrong” side can't handle watercolor.
If your finished artwork won’t lay flat, then lightly wet the back of the paper with water, wipe off the excess, and flatten the damp sheet between some heavy books.
I use mixed media paper to practice color mixtures and thumbnails. And I do a ton of color mixing just for fun. 10/10 would recommend filling pages with gradients and stuff!
SO YEAH, watercolor is totally worth the learning curve and is super fun to paint with once you’re more comfortable. I hope you have a great time with your painting! ^^ Let me know if you have any more questions!
