How to Paint a Watercolor Background

Welcome to this new article! Today, we're going to explore the art of creating watercolor backgrounds: those magical backdrops where colors blend and merge naturally to create real atmosphere.

Techniques for painting a background with watercolor

There are three essential techniques to master in order to achieve harmonious backgrounds. It is by using a combination of all three that you will be able to obtain those perfect gradients you dream of.

Diluted flat washes: First prepare your color by diluting the pigment in water. The advantage of this is you can reuse exactly the same shade over several brush strokes, ensuring perfect uniformity.

Wet on wet: This is the most magical technique of watercolor painting! Work while the color is still fresh to allow the pigments to blend naturally. The result will be organic and full of life.

White space: Do you want to paint a shining sun, bright clouds, or twinkling stars? Determine their location right from the start and keep these areas white without adding any color.

A little tip: If you weren't able to preserve your white areas, don't panic! You can always use white gouache or acrylic to add bright touches afterwards.

Watercolor equipment

Before you start, make sure you have everything you need at hand. Here is the complete list:

- Watercolors in pans or tubes
- Brushes of different sizes
- Watercolor paper (or thick paper with a high cotton content, ideally)
- Masking tape
- A container of clean water
- A cloth or a towel to dry your brushes
- Optional: white gouache or other opaque medium

The secret to a beautiful watercolor painting starts with good preparation!

Begin by lightly dampening your paper, then let it dry flat. Once completely dry, secure it on your work surface with tape all around.

Practical tip: For this exercise, you can divide your sheet into multiple areas using parallel tape strips. This will enable you to test different moods on the same sheet!

Prepare color mixes

It's time to prepare your palette. Add a little water, then pick up the pigment from your pans or tubes with your brush.

Keep this in mind:

The more pigment you add = intense and saturated color
A small amount of pigment + lots of water = delicate transparent effect

Now choose the atmosphere you want to create.

I recommend that you draw inspiration from a type of sky that speaks to you. In my examples, I chose three iconic moments: a rosy dawn, a blazing sunset, and a starry night. Having this visual reference in mind will guide you in choosing your colors.

Take a large brush and apply an even layer of clear water over your entire surface. This step is essential: it allows the colors to flow freely and blend harmoniously.

Warning: Once this layer of water is applied, you will only have a few seconds to act. The timer has started, the magic is about to happen!

Paint a background in watercolor step by step

Before you start, visualize your composition. For this exercise, there's no need for complexity: a simple horizon line is more than enough. Determine where the sun will be and, if you wish, the location of a few clouds.

Apply the lighter shades, usually those near the light source. Remember to preserve your white spaces, as they will add brightness to your scene.

While the first color is still wet (this is crucial!), add your middle shade. Wet on wet will create those soft and natural transitions that are the charm of watercolor. Continue to preserve your white areas.

Now move to the darkest shade, the one that moves away from the light and is usually close to the edges of your paper. Keep preserving your precious white spaces!

Now add color to the secondary elements. For the clouds, use tones close to those of the sky to suggest shadows, but very lightly, you do not want them to completely disappear into the background.

For more contrast, feel free to slightly intensify some areas.

Some details can completely transform your creation! White dots for stars, bright rays around the sun, even bird silhouettes... These small touches add that very appreciated aesthetic charm.

 

Here you go, you now have all the key knowledge! My goal with this article was to convey to you the essential concepts and steps to succeed in creating watercolor backgrounds. I hope these tips will be useful to you.

Feel free to experiment, test different color palettes, and integrate these techniques into your future creations.

Writer and illustrator: Bryam