Intuitive Practice #5: Graded Watercolor Wash Practice

Today I'm going to teach you how to do a graded wet into wet wash that will help you create a nice vignette in your paintings.

Notice in this painting how the sky is a more saturated color at the top and fades it gets closer to the horizon. Notice how the grass, too, has this vignetted effect: the foreground is a darker green and it's lighter the closer it gets to the horizon.

This graded effect is what we're practicing today. If you take some time to refine the timing and brushwork necessary for a graded wash, this will pay off in dividends when you take on a completed watercolor scene.

Watch the video above for a step-by-step tutorial on how to practice this skill. 

What is a Graded Watercolor Wash?

A graded wash is a layer of paint that fades from a dark, saturated tone into a less saturated color. It can also fade from less saturated to more saturated. 

Here's an example. 

This is a great foundation for a water scene. A great way to paint water is starting lighter near the horizon and building up strength as you get down to the foreground. That way it'll be darker on the edges of your painting and lighter in the middle of your painting. It's going to create a little bit of a vignette around your scene and help push the viewer's eye into your painting.

Here's an example of when I used this technique in a painting.

In the video above, I walk you through the timing, steps, and supplies you can use to achieve this graded wash. 

The Benefits of Intuitive Practices

Intuitive practices like this one offer you low-risk opportunities to get a feel for a specific technique or skill. The tendency of many artists is to focus solely on completed paintings.

However, if you can set aside time to work on isolated skills like this one, you'll find more success when it comes time to implement the skill in a finished scene. 

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