Drawing & Painting
Name: _______________________
Watercolor Techniques
1. Flat Wash – Apply a pre-mixed, even value color to wet or dry ground.
2. Graded Wash – Applying a color over a wet or dry ground, where a change in value or color or
both takes place.
3. Polychromatic Wash – Flat or graded wash in more than one color; prepare color puddles before
beginning wash technique.
4. Wet-Into-Wet – Apply wet paint into wet surface, another color or ground; when paint & surface
are both very wet, paint spreads & bleeding occurs.
5. Wet-Over-Dry – Wet color applied over dry one, will stay where you put it; start with lightest
colors, first color will show through the second color.
6. Pointillism (Like stippling) – Applying dot of color next to each other for optical color mixing,
for example placing red dots next to yellow dotted area to create orange.
7. White Line – Paints directly, leaving white lines between positive shapes; be aware of back-runs
(paint bleeds uncontrollably into previously painted area) that are hard to correct.
8. Dry Brush – Applying strokes of paint quickly with nearly dry brush over dry ground or color,
leaves previous color showing through; has characteristic ragged look because pigment hits only
the peaks of the paper’s rough surface; good for grass or weathered wood.
9. Lifting – to lighten a color or correct a mistake: blot wet paint with clean tissue/rag or damp
sponge; if paint has dried, rewet area with clean water first.
10. Lifting with your finger – On wet paint, press your finger into the paint and lift; should leave a
fingerprint-like stamp.
11. Lifting with plastic wrap – On wet paint, press crumpled plastic wrap into the paint, allow it to
dry before pulling it off. This technique is used to create texture.
12. Scraping – While paper is damp not wet, scrape off surface with palette knife or then of a brush
handle to create sharp or soft liner effects depending on how damp the paper is; use it for tree
branches, grass or subtle highlights.
13. Sgraffito Dry – Scratching onto dry paint to reveal ground/whites; use razor (edge of scissors)
and/or sand paper.
14. Sgraffito Wet – Scratching wet paint so that it creates indentions on the surface for the wet paint
to seep into; be careful not to rip the paper.
15. Straight Lines/Hatching – Using the straight edge of a torn sheet of paper dipped into a dark wash
puddle; use the edge to “draw” the lines; for tree limbs, etc.; Continue tearing paper for smaller
branches/lines.
Drawing & Painting
Name: _______________________
16. Masking with Fluid – Using masking fluid (rubber cement) to keep areas white; use old brush as
a masking fluid ruins bristles; apply mask to dry ground, allow mask to dry before painting. Once
paint has dried remove fluid.
17. Masking with Tape – Using masking tape (or painters tape) to keep areas protected; apply mask
to dry ground, allow paint to dry before removing tape.
18. Wax Resist – Using white candle wax or a crayon before painting for a mottled effect, rub
candle/crayon over and over an area so that it will not accept the paint; then paint.
19. Splattering Dry – to create texture, splatter paint onto wet or dry ground; use toothbrush, or tap
loaded brush against your finger; drops landing on the dry surface will keep their hard edges.
Protect areas where you do not want splatter.
20. Splattering Wet - to create texture, splatter paint onto wet or dry ground; use toothbrush, or tap
loaded brush against your finger; drops landing on the wet surface will created softer spots.
Protect areas where you do not want splatter.
21. Salting – Sprinkling salt onto wet paint; salt absorbs color while drying.
22. Soaping – for unique effects, rub paint loaded brush into soap and apply.
23. Water spotting – Dropping clean water onto a barely damp area of paint.
24. Alcohol spotting – Dropping bits of rubbing alcohol onto damp paint.
25. Magic Eraser – Use a magic eraser to ‘erase’ already dried paint.
26. Embossing – Using the end of a paint brush, write something onto your dry ground; apply a flat
wash and watch it fill into the embossed grooves.
27. Drizzle – Applying a pre-mixed paint onto the ground, then adding clean water and allowing it to
run down into the paint, creating paint runs; Unique ‘rain’ approach.
28. Sponge – Using a sponge, dip into paint and apply onto ground – like a stamp; using for
background foliage.
Use 29 – 32 to redo any techniques that you need more practice on – BE SURE TO LABEL THEM.