Watercolor paint is primarily applied using brushes suitable for the medium.
Watercolor paint is typically applied with a soft pointed brush or flat profile brush. These brushes are chosen for their ability to hold a significant amount of water and paint, and to create a variety of marks. Using these tools, watercolor is distinguished by the diversity of its strokes and the many ways that the dry and wet paint can be manipulated to form a broad array of effects on the paper surface.
Applying watercolor involves:
- Loading the Brush: Wetting the brush and picking up pigment from pans or tubes.
- Transferring to Surface: Applying the paint to the paper or other painting surface using various brush strokes.
- Manipulating Wetness: Working with the paint while it is wet (wet-on-wet) or after it has dried (dry brush) to achieve different textures and blends.
The technique chosen dictates the final appearance, allowing for effects ranging from transparent washes and soft gradients to sharp lines and textured details.
