5 Essential Techniques for Painting Nature in Watercolor
Written by  Daisie Team
Published on 5 min read

Contents

1. Selecting Your Palette

2. Preparing Your Canvas

3. Mastering Basic Strokes

4. Creating Textures

5. Painting Different Elements of Nature

Looking to bring the outdoors into your art? Painting nature in watercolor is a beautiful, expressive way to capture the world around us. This blog will guide you through five key techniques to create your own stunning landscapes, flora, and skyscapes. It's not as intimidating as it might seem—with the right approach, you'll be creating your own green pastures and blue skies in no time.

1. Selecting Your Palette

When painting nature in watercolor, your palette is your best ally. The right colors can bring your artwork to life, capturing the essence of the natural world. Let's dive into the process of selecting and managing your palette.

Choosing Colors

Start by observing the colors in the nature scene you want to paint. Notice the shades in the sky, the hues of the leaves, and the colors reflected in the water. You might be surprised by the variety! For example, greens in nature range from bright lime to deep forest—each has its place in your painting.

Arranging Colors

Once you've chosen your colors, it's time to arrange them on your palette. Try to group similar colors together: all the greens in one area, blues in another, and so on. This will make it easier for you to find the exact shade you need when you're in the flow of painting.

Mixing Colors

Now, let's move on to mixing colors. This is where the magic happens in watercolor painting. You can create an endless array of shades by combining your chosen colors. For example, adding a touch of blue to your green can create a cooler shade, perfect for painting shadowy foliage. Remember, you're not just limited to the colors directly from the tube—play around and create your own unique shades.

2. Preparing Your Canvas

Just like a well-prepared chef's table, a well-prepared canvas can make the process of painting nature in watercolor smoother and more enjoyable. Let's get your canvas ready for the masterpiece it's about to hold.

Choosing the Canvas

When it comes to watercolor, paper is your canvas. Make sure it's heavy enough to withstand the wetness of watercolor without buckling—140lb paper is a good choice. Rough, cold press paper is great for nature scenes as it has a textured surface that can add depth and interest to your painting.

Priming the Canvas

Before you start painting, it's a good idea to moisten your paper with a clean brush and clear water. This pre-wetting step helps the colors flow smoothly and blend well, which is especially useful when you're painting sky or other large surfaces. Wait for it to dry to a damp state before you start applying color.

Sketching the Outlines

Now, lightly sketch the outlines of your nature scene on the paper using a pencil. This doesn't have to be perfect—it's just a guide to help you place the elements of your painting. Maybe you're painting a tree on the left, a mountain in the distance, or a stream running through the middle. Whatever it is, sketching it out first can help you envision the final piece.

3. Mastering Basic Strokes

Mastering the basic strokes in watercolor is like learning the ABCs before you start reading. It sets the foundation for your painting journey. Let's break it down into three fundamental techniques.

Wet-on-Wet Technique

Don't let the name fool you - the wet-on-wet technique isn't a complex secret of the art world. It's just about applying wet paint onto a wet surface. Why do this? It allows the colors to flow into each other, creating smooth transitions and subtle gradients. This technique is perfect for painting soft, diffused effects like clouds or reflections on water.

Dry Brush Technique

On the flip side, the dry brush technique involves using a brush that is relatively dry but still holds paint. This results in a brush stroke that has a textured, scratchy appearance. It's great for creating the illusion of detail without actually painting every leaf or blade of grass. Imagine the rugged bark of a tree or the rough texture of a rocky mountain—this is where the dry brush technique shines.

Washed-Out Technique

Ever looked at a watercolor painting and wondered how the artist achieved that faded effect? That's the washed-out technique at work. By adding water to the paint after it's applied or by using a very diluted paint, you can achieve a washed-out look. This technique is often used for creating the illusion of distance in landscape paintings or adding a sense of light and airiness to the scene.

4. Creating Textures

Textures add depth and interest to your painting, making your depiction of nature more realistic and engaging. Let's explore some unconventional ways you can create textures in your watercolor paintings.

Using Salt

Yes, you read that right — salt isn't just for seasoning your food. When sprinkled on wet paint, salt absorbs the water and pushes the pigment away, creating a snowflake-like pattern. Imagine using this technique to paint a starry night sky or adding texture to a sandy beach. The size of the salt grains can even affect the result: larger grains like kosher or sea salt create bigger patterns, while table salt gives you smaller, more delicate textures.

Using Alcohol

Just a few drops of rubbing alcohol can work wonders on a wet wash. Alcohol pushes the pigment away, creating areas of light amidst the color. This technique is perfect for painting nature in watercolor, especially when you're depicting something like the dappled light in a forest or bubbles in water.

Using Tissue Paper

Who knew that tissue paper could be an artist's tool? When pressed onto a wet wash and carefully lifted, crumpled tissue paper leaves a beautiful, textured pattern behind. This technique is useful for creating the illusion of foliage or texture in the landscape without painstakingly painting each detail.

5. Painting Different Elements of Nature

Now that you've got the basics down, let's dive into the heart of painting nature in watercolor — tackling different elements of the great outdoors. From the sky above to the water below, we'll cover how to bring these scenes to life.

Painting Trees and Foliage

When painting trees and foliage, think about the overall shape and volume first, not individual leaves. Start with a light wash to define the shape, then add darker tones for depth. Remember, it's not just about green; trees and foliage encompass a wide range of colors. Fall foliage? Think oranges, reds, and yellows. A pine tree in winter? Dark greens and blues might be your go-to.

Painting Water and Reflections

Water can be tricky—it's transparent, reflective, and constantly moving. Start with a light wash for the water, leaving some areas white to indicate light reflecting off the surface. For reflections, paint them as they are—not as a mirror image, but as colors and shapes distorted by the water's surface. Remember, water isn't always blue. Its color changes based on the sky, surrounding landscape, and even the time of day.

Painting Sky and Clouds

For a convincing sky, a smooth, blended wash works best. Start with a light blue at the horizon, gradually deepening the color as you move up. For clouds, remember they're not just white puffs— they have shadows and volume. Add shades of gray and even blue for those shadows, and leave the white of the paper for the brightest parts. This approach can lead to some stunning skyscapes in your journey of painting nature in watercolor.

If you're looking to expand your watercolor painting skills to include natural elements, don't miss the workshop 'How to Paint Water' by Jauni (tofublock). This workshop will teach you essential techniques for painting realistic water, allowing you to capture the beauty of nature more effectively in your artwork.