Week 1 of Gentle Beginnings
- May 8
- 2 min read
Our first class together was such a lovely start. We spent time getting comfortable with the way watercolor moves, blends, and softens on the page. Rather than focusing on perfection, we focused on observation—watching how water and pigment work together.
This week we explored:
- Wet-on-wet
-feathering and feeding color
- Lifting
Below is a simple review of each technique so you can continue practicing at home.
Wet-on-Wet
Wet-on-wet is one of the most beautiful and forgiving watercolor techniques. This is when we apply paint onto already wet paper, allowing the color to softly spread and blend naturally.
Feeding (wet-on-wet) Steps:
1. Wet your paper evenly with water
2. Load your brush with pigment
3. Gently touch the brush to the wet surface
4. Allow the paint to spread on its own
5. Add additional colors while the paper is still wet to create soft blending
This technique is perfect for skies, soft florals, clouds, and loose backgrounds.
Feathering (wet-on-wet) Steps:
1. Start with a wet surface or damp shape
2. Add a concentrated color to one area
3. Rinse your brush slightly so it is damp, not soaking
4. Pull or “feather” the color outward using light brush strokes
5. Continue feeding in small amounts of color while the paper is still damp
This creates beautiful gradients and depth without harsh lines.
Lifting
Lifting is how we bring light back into a painting by removing pigment.
Steps:
1. Begin with a painted wash that is still slightly damp
2. Use a clean paper towel
3. Gently rub or dab the area where you want to remove color
4. Blot the area and repeat as needed
Lifting is wonderful for creating clouds, highlights, soft petals, or light in the landscape.
At-Home Practice 🌸
If you’d like to continue practicing this week, try painting:
- 5 loose flowers using wet-on-wet and feeding color
- Several small skies using blending and lifting techniques
Remember:
Your goal is not perfection. Your goal is simply to become more familiar with how watercolor behaves. Every page teaches you something.
Try to observe:
- How much water is on your brush
- How the pigment spreads
- When the paper is wet, damp, or dry
Watercolor takes patience, and learning to work gently with the medium is part of the process.
For Next Week 🌱
Please come to class with the first layer of your landscape painting completed and fully dry so we can begin adding our next layer together.
I’m so excited to continue building these paintings with you all next week.
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