With the recent influx of watercolor calligraphy, watercolor painting has once again clinched a spot as the favorite pastime of many. Alone, with your friends, or even with the entire family, everyone can get a piece of the watercolor action!
Despite all the fun it brings, watercolor painting might be daunting to beginners. There is no eraser, no undo button, and, the scariest of all, is that a small drop of paint can quickly spread into a huge blotch, ruining the entire paper. Thankfully, there is a solution for these, and it can easily be done with tissue paper.
A staple in every household, tissue paper is cheap and extremely handy when in the hands of a painter. Here are three tips on how to use tissue paper to ease and spice up your watercolor adventure!
1. Use a tissue to absorb excess water from your brush
A common mistake made by many is not taking into account the amount of water absorbed by the brush. When painters allow their brushes to touch the canvas after it is soaked in water, blotches will start to appear. Too much water will also dilute the paint, creating a less than satisfactory color. You can also gently tap the brush on a piece of tissue if you want your brush to be slightly wet and not too dry.
Of course, playing around with the amount of water absorbed by the brush is also an excellent way to create shades. If you are going for a lighter, slightly more transparent shade, it will do you good to leave the tissue aside for a bit!
2. Use a tissue to remove paint or mistakes
One of the biggest fear of beginner painters is the idea of not being able to remove excess paint or erase a mistake made. That is, however, a huge but extremely common misconception. To do so, you can wet the area you want to remove before gently dabbing the tissue, allowing it to absorb the excess paint.
Tissues are naturally very absorbent and can easily soak up all the unwanted paint marks. An important thing to note is that due to its porous nature, tissues are very fragile. If you scrub too hard, it will fall apart and soil your painting instead of salvaging it.
3. Use a tissue to create soft textures (e.g. clouds)
With almost the same technique as how you remove mistakes, tissue paper can also create soft textures. Instead of allowing the tissue to absorb all the paint, you simply dab the tissue to reduce the intensity of the color of your paint until you arrive at a shade you are satisfied with. This method is perfect for creating elements with soft edges, like clouds, and results in a more natural outcome.
One final thing to note is that all these tips are done with normal, plain tissues and not colored ones. Colored ones will bleed and create a whole new look, something you can try when you are feeling a little more adventurous! Experiment at home or sign up for watercolor painting class with Art Pazionate for a guided experience.