Before we jump right to the watercolor part, i need to share a few watercolor essentials for beginners with little or no experience with watercolors.If you already have experience with watercolors, you can skip this step.When the water in your cup gets dirty replace it with clean water. March 28, 2016; 6 Comments; I know that florals are a big hit around here. Well done!Thank you, Lauren! If you’re planning on using watercolor designs on various platforms and surfaces, making use of Never go out without at least a touch of watercolor up your sleeve; or in this case, right in your hand. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases”My name is Claudia and I’m a freelance Illustrator and graphic designer since 2015.After I was done with my university, I decided to keep my studies going and apply for a Masters in Illustration at BAU University in Barcelona, Spain. Fresh Flower Market Free Printable from Clean and Scentsible. The light would go through the paper and I would rock the ¨very professional¨ window lightbox.However, after some time, this becomes very uncomfortable… So, if you don’t have a lightbox, here’s what you can do.Go over the lines of your reference drawing with a graphite pencil so they become darker.Once it looks like this, place it on top of the watercolor paper with washi tape.It’s important that you place the drawing facing the top part of the watercolor paper.Once that’s done, go with your pencil over the back of the paper.And like magic it will transfer to your watercolor paper!Start marking all the different colors you can find.Treat it like a game, find ALL colors you can find in the reference.This will make your illustration way more interesting to watch and, quite frankly, more fun to work with.One of the best tips I’ve ever gotten for watercolors was:Ok, sometimes you can use it to add some final details.If I want to make a color darker and add shadows, what I do instead is use the complementary color.This means the color that’s right in front of the color you want to use in the color wheel.Complementary colors always contain one cool and one warm hue.They neutralize each other when mixed together, making them perfect to create interesting shadows filled with contrast.Creating an illustration that’s more appealing to the eye.If you want to know more about color theory you can Watercolor is one of those mediums in which the type of paper you use really makes a difference.When you transfer your illustration, it’s best to do it really light or with a colored pencil.When you add water to graphite it creates a greyish mess and it can ruin your illustration.Even if you have a thick watercolor paper, try to go easy with the water you use for each layer.If you don’t, your paper might get ripped and overworked.It’s always a good idea to have a small piece of paper close by and test the color before adding them to your art.Build the colors in layers, from the lightest tone to the final piece. If you have a Lightbox, simply place the reference drawing on the back of your watercolor paper with washi tape.You could use any sort of tape, but the washi tape is the best because it is more gentle on the paper and it will not rip the paper when you try to take it off.You’ll easily know which side is the back of the paper because usually the front of it has a bit of texture.First we are going to secure the reference image to the backside of the watercolor paper (with the washi tape), and then we are going to flip it over – so the reference image is at the bottom and the watercolor paper is on the top. Oct 26, 2018 - Explore Sana Albarq's board "Printable flower" on Pinterest. After I finished the university as a Graphic Designer, I moved to Barcelona to study a Master in Illustration at BAU University. onsuttonplace. Peacock Watercolor Painting . Leave some white spaces, specially where the flower is catching the light.Don’t rush with the lines and wait for the ink to dry a bit before moving to the next step.Just like before, we’ll start with a wet-on-wet technique.Add a bit of water to the area you want to work with and start layering the lightest color of your flower.Remember to test the color before using it and preserving the white spaces.If your water is starting to look like mud, maybe it’s time to change it and get clear water.I usually do this several times while using watercolors.Another thing… try not to keep your tea or coffee cup next to the water you’re using to paint… Once you’re in the painting matrix, it can happen that you ¨clean¨ your brush and end up with coffee all over your painting…Or even worse… you end up drinking from the wrong cup.When you nailed the base colors, it’s time to go for the mid-tones of the painting.Once the previous layers are dry, add more values to the medium tones.Keep adding layers of color until you feel happy with how it’s looking.After the base colors and tones are done and dry, time to shift to the wet-on-dry technique and start adding more details and the final colour layers.Remember to let everything dry before adding the details so everything looks crisp and there’s no accidental bleeding of watercolor.Keep adding layers and details until you’re satisfied.Use the same wet-on-dry technique to darken the shadows and make your illustration pop a bit more.If you want, you can also add some final touches with colored pencil just like we did before.If you have a thicker one, better.