How to Paint a Second Wash in Watercolor: Painting Middle Values
Jul 29, 2024If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’ve heard me talk about the “large, connected middle value shape.” It’s essential in my process of watercolor painting.
And, undoubtedly, it’s one of the most difficult concepts for students to grasp. So let’s take some time to study this goal of the second wash.
A Closer Look at the Second Step in the Watercolor Painting Process
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Before we launch into the second step of the watercolor painting process I teach, let’s review each of the three-steps so we understand the context of the second wash. Here’s a quick run-down (and here’s a more comprehensive explanation).
Washes are divided by values. The first wash is your chance to paint the lightest, brightest values of your scene. The second wash is for the middle values. And the third wash is for your darks and details.
- 1st wash - After you lay this wash, your painting appears pretty abstract with lots of colors mixing together and soft edges. Also, you’ve left parts of the watercolor paper white for the lightest areas of the scene.
- 2nd wash - Once the first wash is completely dry, you start the second wash. This wash is laid right over the first wash, but it adds the middle values. Your goal here is connection. After you’re finished with this wash, your painting will have a little more definition, but things will still feel pretty loose and flat.
- 3rd wash - This wash is all about defining the shapes you want defined and adding the darkest values. This last wash reveals the full range of value, light, and depth.
What it Means to Create a “Large, Connected Shape”
The idea that you should paint a “large, connected shape” in the second wash of your watercolor is not a concept that’s easy to grasp and immediately apply. To help you see what I mean when I use this phrase, I’ll show you some examples.
Here are some pictures of unfinished paintings. Each of these are pictures I took of my in-progress painting after the first and second wash. It’s during that second wash where I really work to create that "large, connected shape."
This collage is made up of paintings that are waiting for the darks and details that provide depth and separation between objects.
Notice how the middle values connect and create a unified shape in your painting. This is the goal in your second wash.
Think of it this way: the goal of the second wash is to create connections, and the goal of the third wash is to define the scene with separations.
Grouping Subjects While Painting Middle Values
You might be wondering how you make these connections. Maybe it’s easy to see in these in-progress paintings above, but it’s more difficult to see in your reference photo. In that case, I’ll break down the process I used to paint this painting from this reference photo.
Squint and Simplify
This sounds simple, but my first piece of advice is to squint at your scene. This helps you to see that large middle value shape more clearly because you’re interrupting your perception of the separate objects in the painting. Squinting allows you to prioritize connection over distinctions and separations.
When I squinted at this scene, I was able to see how some of the trees in the background and the other side of the river connect with some of the middle values in these buildings. I was able to see more clearly the connection between the middle values in the buildings as well.
Turn Your Photo Black and White
Turning your reference photo black and white and doing a value study before you start your painting is one of the best ways to identify the middle value shape. Like squinting, turning a photo black and white turns down the volume on some of the information in the scene. Once the colors have been changed into a gradient, you can see how middle values read similarly - and therefore can be easily connected.
Work from the Wet Edge
The wet edge is sometimes called “the bead.” Working from the wet edge just means that you’re working fluidly from one color into another, picking up the wet edge each time. You’re extending the edge of your wet paint into different parts of the painting.
So here’s a series of photos I took while I completed my middle value wash. I started at the top left of my paper and worked my way across. As I got to the shoreline, I connected the side of the river to my wet edge. I also let some areas connect right into the side of the steeple.
Notice how even though I kept the building with the spire bright, I made sure that middle values around that forward-facing side of the building are connected: the middle value on the roof of the building in front of it connects with the roof of the building on the other side of it and continues down the shoreline.
I also lifted the tree line a bit once I got to that part of the painting so that it would connect with the distant shoreline and the closest roofline near the sheep. This added a slightly more interesting shape to the scene as a whole.
The middle value shape extends to the prominent gray roof in the front, down to the darker greens in the meadow. Notice how I even added some middle value shade to the sheep.
Preserve Some Light
One tricky thing when finding the connections between middle values is to also leave little bits of light. Along with connecting the middle values, I have to think about what light values I want to preserve.
Some questions I asked myself as I worked through this wash were:
- What are the defining features of this mass of objects?
- How can I simplify some of the complicated shapes in the background?
- Is there a roof that's brighter that I want to paint around and leave to have a building that's more prominent?
- What is the focal point of my painting and how do I make sure it’s getting the attention it deserves?
Mastering the Second Watercolor Wash
Finding that middle value shape is much easier to show than to describe, so if you haven’t watched the video at the top of this blog, take some time to do so. I walk you step by step through the process of painting this watercolor and pay special attention to creating the middle value shape of the scene.
This is a concept that takes a lot of practice before it is second nature. But this doesn’t mean it’s out of reach or that it’s too soon for beginner watercolor artists to try. Begin to think in terms of values. Begin to train your eye to see where they’re connected. Little by little, you’ll shift your perspective and see the progress in your work.
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