- A basic rule of thumb that feels obvious but is worth mentioning regardless: the more water you mix into your watercolor cakes or tubes, the lighter your resulting pigment will be once swiped on the page. Conversely, the less water used, the more saturated and richer the colour will be.
- If you're trying to create a picture with a blend of colours across the spectrum, get the lighter colours down on the sheet first, and then move onto the darker ones. For example, you could start with yellow and paint red over it, but if you try to paint yellow on top of red, it won't show up.
- Have two cups of water on hand: one for cleaning off your brush in between colour changes, and another for rewetting your brush while still using the same colour. This prevents any unwanted colour mixing.
- Also keep a cloth or paper towel nearby for blotting your brush between colour changes or when the tip is too saturated with water.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Victoria Messina