Water Control

In our January Live class I showed strategies for water control when using watercolor and wanted to share some of those ideas and practice strategies with you all here. I will demonstrate another round of examples in our February EDI Live this weekend!

Watercolor is surprising and unpredictable – this is one of its best qualities. It's also sensitive: small differences in the amount of water or the type of paper have a big impact. No two strokes are likely to dry the same. When we talk about water control we are interested in learning a partner dance with the paint, with ways to communicate and make shifts on purpose. And then, to embrace and work with unanticipated shapes and textures it makes once it dries.

Here are a few key concepts that help me the most when working with water/paint: