Keys to Master Light and Shadow in Watercolor

In so many of our watercolor subjects, it’s really important to get the light and shadow right. But it’s not something that can be an afterthought.

In order to depict the gorgeous light of a scene and to paint believable and complementary shadows, you have to keep your mind on this throughout the whole watercolor painting process. Let me show you how!

Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor

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Before we get too deep into this topic, did you know that the video at the top of the page will walk you through the process I used to paint the watercolor in the image above? When you have time to do some painting, I invite you to follow along with the tutorial and paint this scene. 

#1 Piece of Advice for Painting Shadow and Light in Watercolor

In my early paintings, I would try really hard to render realistic light, but would fall flat time and time again. My watercolors felt drab, monotone, and lacking.

Does this sound familiar? If so, my number one suggestion for you is to focus on your values. 

In order to get the light right, you need a full range of values in your painting, and this isn’t something you can just tack on at the end. This is something you have to build into your watercolor painting process. 

I break my watercolor painting process down into three steps that help keep my eye on the values. 

• 1st Wash: Paint the lightest values from left to right, covering your paper in paint (except for any white of the paper you want to preserve)
• 2nd Wash: Add in the middle values and connect them. Let some of the lightest values shine through. 
• 3rd Wash: Apply the darks and details. This is when everything comes into focus because you have a full-range of value on the page.  

Fair warning - you must remind yourself throughout that you are building something. It can be easy to become impatient in the first and second wash of your painting. Sometimes you just want it to look exactly right, right away. 

But remember - you’re building your values up throughout the process. 

To see my process, the video at the top of this page shows it to you step-by-step. 

Tips on Painting Shadows

Shadows are important to achieving realism in a scene. The best example of this, to me, is when you see the difference between a car without a shadow and a car with a shadow. 

The shadow has a particular way of grounding something. It settles elements in the scene so they look like they belong. 

The shadow has a particular way of grounding something. It settles elements in the scene so they look like they belong. 

So let’s explore some ways we can paint more compelling and effective shadows! 

1. Add Subtle Color Changes in Your Shadows

First of all, there’s no need for the starkness of black - or the drabness of gray - when you can use dynamic and exciting colors in your shadows. To decide what color your shadows should be, look at the surrounding colors in your scene. 

Think about how they might be reflected in your shadows, and use these instead. Also, don’t be afraid to mix a few together for a complex and nuanced texture.

As an example, look at the shadow side of the far house. In this shadow, I used  both Lavender and Raw Sienna, adding interest and believability.

2. Connect Middle Values

I covered this a bit above when I described the 2nd wash, but when you connect the middle value shape, this sets you up to create believable shadows. 

Notice in my painting that many shadows are a part of the middle value shape. When I connect them to the other elements of my painting - the trees, for example - it is easier to intuit their shape. 

3. Paint Shadows in Phases

Shadows are not always super dark - just dark compared to the other values in the painting. Therefore, shadows are not isolated to the third wash. Just like everything else, you want to build your shadows up as you go along. 

Don’t wait ‘til the very end to add your shadows. Keep them in mind throughout the whole process. In the first wash, you might think about where shadows will go. In the second you’ll add a few shadows. And in the third wash, you’ll both darken and add shadows.

Related Blogs

How to Paint Shadows in Watercolor

My Watercolor Process: Painting Bright Winter Light

Mastering Warm Realistic Light: A Watercolor Tutorial for Captivating Art