Watercolor Techniques and Information by Watercolor Artist Susie Short

Questions about:
Watercolor Techniques

Questions about:
Watercolor Paper

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How do I loosen up my paintings? -- Marlene

How do you paint waterdrops on flowers - or anything? --Mary Ann

Susie, could you explain "hp" and "cp" to me, please? --Andy

Simply put - the problem is too much water Nancy. Even when your paper has been stretched there is still a limit as to how much water it can hold when you rewet it. If you are wetting it with a sponge or large brush to work wet-in-wet you might be using too much water in this step. Then when you add more water (mixed in your paintbrush when you add the paint) the paper doesn't have room for more water so it puddles. Wrinkles or buckles happen when the paper expands unequally. In other words, it expands more in the center where the water pools than on the outside edges. Try using a heavier paper and/or less water in your paint mixes.

Hi Sally - If I need to transfer a drawing to my watercolor paper I do the drawing (or tracing) on transparency film or tracing paper and when placed under my wcpaper I can see the lines through it when using a lightbox or window. I lightly trace my simple line drawing to my watercolor paper using a mechanical pencil. The drawing is visible through 140# or even 300# paper. For more details on how I do this click here

What method do you prefer to transfer your drawings to the watercolor paper? --SallyG

Susie, when I work wet-in-wet my paper buckles or wrinkles and I end up with big puddles of water. Even stretching doesn't help. What am I doing wrong? --Mary W

Welcome to Watercolor Q and A
Got a watercolor question? Ask Susie!

Marlene - There may be as many answers to this question as there are artists!
One way is to do something different - use a bigger brush or work on larger paper.

Questions about:
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor Brushes
Watercolor Techniques

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I'll try Andy! HP referers to watercolor paper which is “hot pressed” or made under heat and pressure to assure a smooth surface with little or no “tooth” or roughness. It is very slick and smooth.
CP referers to watercolor paper that is “cold pressed” or made by under pressure without heat which allows the surface to retain some degree of roughness or “tooth”. It is also refered to as “NOT” meaning “not made with heat.”
Rough wc paper is made without heat and even less pressure to create even more tooth or rough texture to the papers surface.
For more info click here There are a variety of paper surfaces available to us today by the various paper manufacturers. For me it’s like turning a kid loose in a candy store…..so much paper so little time to paint!

Mary Ann - you are in luck! I have a mini lesson on painting waterdrops/dew drops in my watercolor tips. Click here to see this tip. You are welcome to print it for your personal use too.

This is just the beginning ... there's lots more to come! This page is a new feature under construction and will be expanded and developed each month so be sure to check back to see what's been added. You are welcome to post a question. Just click on the bright colored question marks. (?) I will be sifting through the questions and putting them in easy to find catagories as this project developes.

Questions about:
Watercolor Paint

Ah, Alizarin Crimson. For many, many years it has been a favorite of many artists. I admit I did use alot of it when I first started painting. But now there are so many other pretty cool reds that have a better lightfastness that its not an issue for me. You asked about a substitute - Daniel Smith's Carmine is a good choice if you are looking for a single tube. Quinacridone Rose is another good choice.

Do you use Alizarin Crimson? -Sara
Which color works as the best substitute for Alizarin Crimson? Do you use Permanent Alizarin Crimson or another color? --Nancy P

Are there any color charts out there to help me with colors or is my best bet by mixing and finding out what I come up with? I'd like to work with a limited palette and mix my colors as opposed to having many, many tubes of colors. --Nell

Yes, there are, Nell. Several artists have tips for color mixing on their websites. Some instructors have printed color wheels that offer some good paint mixtures. But hands down your best bet is to mix them yourself! And if you do work with a limited palette you will learn many color nuances that you could never achieve with tube colors.

Questions about:
Watercolor Brushes

Brushes are a personal choice. If you are totally new to watercolor you may want to go with your instructor(s) recommendations.
The more you paint you will find yourself favoring one or two brushes.
Quite honestly, I have a drawer full of expensive brushes. I could use them at anytime I wanted to. It’s not that I dislike any of the pricey ones, as a matter of fact I love the feel of them in my hand and like the way they glide when they dance across the paper. But when I’m in the middle of a crucial part of a painting and timing is critical I inevitably reach for the brush I know the best and trust the most to do what I need to be done correctly. Right now that’s the Daniel Smith Platinum Series 23-2 #10 round synthetic. I also like the DS Aquarelle 22-50. Another favorite is the Richeson Series 9000 #8 round brushes (also synthetic). I still like this brush and would use it more if they were more readily available to me locally.
So to answer your question, for me where I am right now, and having tried both, if I had $100 to spend on brushes, I’d rather have a handful of 23-2s than a single $99 Kolinsky.
I was listening to a Tom Lynch videotape the other day and he said absolutely DO NOT buy a synthetic brush…period. So you see it really is a personal choice based on how you paint.

I have a question about brushes. Do I need to invest in a good sable or Kolinsky? If so what size and what brand do you recommend. Do you feel the cost is worth it or do you think that the synthetic Aquarelle brushes work just as well? Nancy P

Most of the time watercolor brushes have shorter handles than brushes made for oils and acrylics. Ask the art store clerk for help in making your selections. Often they will allow you to wet the brush with water and give it a test drive before you buy.
Sometimes brushes made for other purposes will create some interesting textures for you.

Brushes.. How does one tell the difference between a water color brush and those made for oil and acrylics? --Jeanette

Updated -- July 2007

The question i have that i guess most new painters have is how do you keep the white, "WHITE" while painting around it with other darker colors. bleeding in color ..is there a easy trick? Thanks -- Dave

Dave -- For many the answer is to use Masking Fluid (also called Misket and Drawing Gum). A piece of drafting tape cut to fit the area will also save the whites while painting darker colors around it. Many artists work from light to dark and put in the darkest darks last to keep them from bleeding.
One tip I appreciated when I was just starting out was to reserve my darker true reds until the last few finishing strokes of the painting. Most red pigments bleed easily and are hard to clean up.

Dear Susie,
I have been using several watercolor workshop books. I put paint in my palette that I need, and then mix the colors as indicated on the flat mixing area. I am confused about what artists do once they finish a painting and move on to another. If I try to wash the paint off, the water gets in the wells and wastes the good paint. What do most artists do with the leftover paint in the mixing areas of their palette? Thank you. Catherine

Catherine - There are several different answers to your question. Many artists squeeze out fresh paint for each new painting and simply discard unused and polluted colors. Others squeeze a generous amount of paint into the wells and carefully wipe the mixing area with a sponge or paper towel being careful not to get extra water in the wells when cleaning their palette.
I prefer to paint with dry paint (paint squeezed into the wells and allowed to dry hard) and I rejuvinate the colors with a wet brush as I need them. By allowing the paint to dry I have far less wasted and polluted paint washing down the drain.
My painting methods and techniques do differ from many of the watercolor books and instructors.
You will find that there is not a right or wrong method, but you should find what works best for you and your painting style... it just takes practice and LOTS of it!

I am REALLY a beginner, but I have always been mystified by this: How do you know what colors to start with on a painting, such as the sky, or water, or something else? Also, do you paint the darker colors first, or the light colors? Thank you.

Many of us start with the lightest parts of the painting and paint from light to dark. It's easy to glaze or paint over a light color to darken the value, but not as easy to lighten an area that has been painted too dark. Not saying that it can't be done but as a beginning watercolorist its generally a good "rule of thumb" to work from light to dark. There may be exceptions to this "rule of thumb" depending on the composition and subject.
Again, I'll repeat what I said in the previous answer, you will find that there is not a right or wrong method, but you should find what works best for you and your painting style... it just takes practice and the more you paint the easier it will become.