How do you lighten dark watercolor?

Watercolor: Making colors lighter

  1. Removing from wet paint. With a paintbrush. Moisten a medium paintbrush then apply to the part of the wash you want to lighten.
  2. Removal from wet paint. Use coarse sandpaper to gently sand the area being lightened: little bursts of light will appear on the sanded surface.

How do you lighten watercolor after painting?

Spray and Blot Spraying clear water on an area of yourn painting and blotting it with a paper towel can lighten large areas of a painting by degrees. Using the force of the spray in a “sandblast” manner to force pigment loose and off the paper is effective also.

When painting do you go light to dark or dark to light?

1. Always Paint from Dark to Light. A common strategy for approaching a painting, is to begin with the darkest darks, and gradually progress through the midtones to the lights, adding your highlights right at the end.

Do you paint dark or light first watercolor?

With watercolor it’s important to lay down your light colors first and work towards the darker colors. Have patience – there’s no rush. We start with the light colors first because once you lay down the dark colors, it’s hard to undo.

How do you lighten watercolor after it dried?

Fine sandpaper can be rubbed gently on the surface and will pick up the top layer of color and lighten it. The sandpaper can also be used to smooth down the paper that has become frayed due to being overworked.

Do you paint from dark to light?

How do you fade paint from dark to light?

Fading and Transition Techniques Once you have the lighter area of the fade painted, paint the darker area from the other side of the transition, and slowly paint into the lighter area, which should still be wet. This will create a natural transition and fade, as the lighter and darker shades blend.