Watercolors Cheat Sheet

Free lesson with extended version for Paid Subscribers now

Then the Rain Came, illustration in watercolor, gouache, and pencil by Jerry Pinkney. From Black Cowboy, Wild Horses (1998)

Create a “watercolors cheat sheet,” with over a dozen unique textures using watercolors. A free preview is included in this newsletter, with an expanded version and several new techniques for Paid Subscribers. We will cover:

• Jerry Pinkney, watercolor artist and illustrator

• Bold, confident marks

• Basic materials

• Detailed watercolors cheat sheet project (18 unique swatches)

Pinkney, bold moves

First, let’s look at one of my favorite watercolor paintings, Then the Rain Came, an illustration from the book Black Cowboy, Wild Horses by Jerry Pinkney. Pinkney was a Philadelphia-based illustrator and winner of the Caldecott Medal and Coretta Scott King awards.

When I saw this artwork in-person at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2013, I was awed by the expressiveness of the horse and rider, and the action of the rain and wind whipping around them, and impressed at how Pinkney had vigorously scribbled white pencil lines on top of an otherwise finished painting. A bold move! One chance to get it right.

Confidence, choice, and chance

Watercolors are a fast, fluid, unpredictable medium— great for bold, spontaneous application. And yet, watercolors are transparent— you can’t cover up mistakes— therefore light subjects (like a crescent moon) must be carefully avoided by the brush. Lightness is the absence of paint.

Another reason to go bold: Watercolors can get ‘overworked’— touching up an area too much results in a blotchy appearance. Fresh, unfussy, simple marks are better. Know the mark you want to make; put it down, and let it go.

With transparent watercolors, choice and chance intermingle, creating a dazzling result.

Basic watercolors setup: Water, flat brush, pointed round brush, watercolor paper, white rag, palette, paint. Have a pencil handy, too.

Materials for watercolor painting

Time to get your materials ready for making the watercolors cheat sheet. Rearrange your work space until it feels right. For the basic lesson you’ll need:

• Watercolors in just two, contrasting, mid-tone colors like red and green, or blue and orange. For this exercise, don’t use yellows (too pale), black (too dark), or white (usually watercolors sets don’t have white. I consider white to be more of an opaque gouache paint).

• Palette. Enameled metal like a butcher tray is great, but a porcelain or white plastic plate will do (don’t use these plates for food).

• Brushes. Three-quarter inch flat brush and a 3/8 inch pointed round, or similar. These can be fairly cheap synthetic hair brushes. Look for brushes that hold a point or edge when wet, and which spring back into place after bending.

• White rag. Paper or cotton for environmental friendly option.

• Water jug. One large yogurt tub, or two smaller (then you can have one dirty water, one clean).

• Paper. I recommend Strathmore 300 or 400 series cold press paper. This is 140 lb., mid-weight, textured, durable paper. About 9x12 inches is good.

• Special materials. Have some salt, a white crayon or wax candle, a pencil, rubbing alcohol, a plastic bag.

Plan to use your paper as illustrated, with space for three rows of five swatches each. You don’t need to draw grid lines. Write WATERCOLORS CHEAT SHEET along the top. Save this sheet for reference when making future paintings. Use the front side of the paper (mottled, random texture).

Watercolors Cheat Sheet

In this section I’ll detail how to create unique texture swatches with watercolors. Use just two, contrasting, mid-tone colors, and either flat or round brush unless noted otherwise. As you fill in the swatches, pencil in the name of each one. Can you identify which techniques Jerry Pinkney used to create Then the Rain Came?

Resist, wet on dry, wet on wet

Resist

We can simply paint around large, light areas (like the moon for example). But for fine, light marks (like stars) it may be necessary to mask the paper with wax, rubber cement, masking fluid, or tape. Try this out in your first swatch: use an old brush for masking fluid or cement; make sure it is totally dry before painting over it. Cement can be removed later after the paint is dry; wax is permanent.

Wet on dry

Paint a swatch of one color and let it thoroughly dry (the paper will feel cool to the touch when moist). Later, paint an overlapping swatch of the other color. You’ll notice the colors mix where they overlap, and edges are sharp.

Wet on wet

Prepare two colors in your palette. Lay down a wash (an area of clear water) in the third swatch area, then touch the paint-loaded brush to this area and watch the color spread. Introduce the second color and see what happens. Notice the colors are blurry within the wash, but a crisp edge appears forms at the outer border.

Salt, wax paper, alcohol

Salt

When you eat salty foods, your mouth feels dry because salt is hygroscopic— it draws moisture in towards itself. If we sprinkle salt into still-wet watercolors, we see hygroscopy in action. Some pigment drifts with the water, leaving larger, pale areas behind. Try experimenting with different types of salt— Kosher salt, sea salt, table salt.

Wax paper (or plastic)

Prepare your two colors in the palette, then brush onto scrap plastic film or wax paper. The paint will bead up. Press the wet side of the film onto your watercolor paper, and use your fingers to manipulate the paint trapped beneath it. Lift, reposition, and re-apply for additional marks.

Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol repels watercolor binder. Try dipping the handle of your brush into alcohol and letting it drip into wet paint. I think this one looks a bit like lichen. How would you use these techniques in your paintings?

Spray bottle, Sumi brush, plastic netting, and more!👇

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