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to attach the paper to. Soak the watercolor paper in water for about a minute, remove from the water and let all the excess water drip back into the tub. Now place the paper on the flat surface and begin stapling the paper down with the stapler. Let the paper dry, this takes about three to four hours but I usually allow the paper a full 24 hours to dry. Don't worry too much if you come back to find some rippling in the paper because doing this absolutely perfectly takes a lot of practice.

If you do not feel like stretching the paper then you can either staple or tape the piece of paper to a flat surface before you begin painting.

While painting you will need a few key things:
1. Your paint.
2. Your brushes.
3. Clean water.
4. Paper towels.

The best water to use is clean water, though dirtier water may provide more neutral colors while painting but that is another topic entirely. A bowl of water will do but make sure you change it when it becomes really murky. The paper towels are for blotting your brush on. Too much water on the brush can make colors run so it is best to keep it damp and not sopping wet.

There are two different ways of painting on the paper that you should know. There is wet on wet and wet on dry. Both have their advantages and disadvantages that you will discover as you work with them. To execute wet on wet painting you must first wet the area of the paper that you wish to paint, allow it to dry a little bit until you can see a sheen on the paper and then pain on it like normal. To do wet on dry you have only to paint on the paper like normal.

Now you are ready to begin painting. First select a color you would like to use. Wet your brush and dab water onto the color you selected. The brush will pick up some of the color. Put the color onto the paint mixing part of the pallet. This is where you will mix paint and water in order to develop color, value and intensity. The more water you add to the paint the lighter the value when it is applied to the paper. The less water you use when mixing the paint the more opaque the color will be on the paper. Paint with more water in it will be easier to see through then paint with less water in it, think about this when you are layering colors on the paper.

Now that you have mixed up the paint you wish to use you can begin painting. Paint using wet on wet or wet on dry as you see fit. Paint freely and get a feel for the way the paint and the brush move across the paper. Try different lines, different shapes and different colors. Experimentation is crucial when you start to learn to use this medium because you will soon realize what the watercolors can do. Practice a lot. Try layering colors. Layering brings a richness of colors forth that a single color can never hope to attain. You may layer a color over another color that is either wet or dry with different results. Try both light and dark washes. See what works for you. Things that work for you in painting may not work for someone else and vice versa.

The most important part of this is to have fun. If you are too worried about doing something wrong then you'll never get the brush down onto the paper. Watercolor can be a very rewarding and relaxing medium to work in. Have fun.

Learn more about this author, Robert Getz.
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