Keys to Painting a Watercolor Background

When we put too much detail in the background of our scene, we compete with the rest of our painting. We pull attention away from our main ideas in the other parts of the scene.

Today, I'm going to show you how minimizing, simplifying, and softening the background in your painting brings a level of focus and clarity to your scenes that can really help you take that next step forward as a painter.

How to Paint a Background That Complements the Rest of Your Painting

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 First Wash - Keep it Soft

Second Wash - Finding Connections

Third Wash - Darks and Details

Softening Your Background for a More Focused Middle Ground

It can be tempting to render each part of your scene with the same level of detail - especially when your background is a gorgeous mountain. But when you do this, the scene can become too busy. Your viewer can get bogged down, not knowing where to look. I hope this tutorial helps you make these difficult decisions that result in a much. more intriguing and compelling watercolor.

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