by Sasha Condo

Created on: April 14, 2011

If you're thinking of a cheap and easy way to spice up your home, making your own artwork to hang on the wall is definitely a great choice! Let's face it, artwork can be expensive and what happens if you find that one piece you absolutely love, only to get home and find that it matches nothing in your living room where you were planning on hanging it? Here are some tips on watercolor painting that can help you create your own masterpieces.

When painting with any kid of paint it is just as important to chose the right type of paper, as well as the right brushes, and quality paints. For watercolor paints it's sometimes easier if you use thick paper with a rough texture to it. Smooth paper can let the paint run all together whereas rough paper will hold each color in its respective place more efficiently and thin paper will become floppy and hard to deal with because of all the water.

After you've selected the size of paper and perhaps have an idea in mind of what you're going to paint, you should first make a rough sketch with pencil, simply to outline what it is you're planning on painting or if you prefer just to free-hand paint it, go for it.

One thing to remember about water colors is, you can always lighten up a color by adding more water. Say you want pink you would just add more water to red, or to get a nice grey, add more water to black. The less water you use the darker the color will be. It can be somewhat tricky adding just the right amount of water to get the color you want, however with anything, the more you practice the better you'll get at it.

They're called watercolors for a reason, it's all about the water. If you're wanting to do a small detail such as an eye or lips you'll want to use the least amount of water possible to make sure the color won't run. Too much water and that eye you were working so delicately on has become a gaping black hole.

You may have started out with watercolors in elementary school, but don't be fooled; painting with watercolors is much trickier than acrylic or oil-based paints. It takes a steady hand and precice judgment on how much water to add to what areas. Though, once mastered, watercolors can create a beautiful and vibrant work of art, something you'll be proud to hang in your home.

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