Iain Stewart

Iain Stewart, is a watercolor artist I know from Facebook!
He made a excellent movie, how he tackles a street-view.
He make this painting in his sketchbook,
its how everyone should approach watercolor!
Its loose, no fiddling, and very charming!

Iain Stewart website

Gradation in Watercolor

To make edges in watercolor, that are beautiful and soft in tone.
I show here a technique to make such edges.
When I started painting, I always admired a building painted with such gradations.
It took awhile I figured out, that it was the water that travelled the pigment.
Its not wet into wet, but it’s a more controlled version from it.
You make a mark, with lots of pigment, but also with a fair amount of water.
Then you take a moist brush, and let the just made brushstroke flow, to almost clear water. Off course you see this example in all artist stores, when you look at the color charts from all the watercolor pigments.
A other possibility is to make the paper wet on forehand, and then add pigment, the control is less, but it is also easier to perform, you can try them both.
Before the actual demo begins, I show both brushstrokes.
Try this technique on your own work. Gradation is from dark to light.
But gradation can also be from warm to cool color, and when you combine all these, your work will be more interesting!

Here below the end result.
Its not a masterpiece, but only a demo to show the techniques.

Success with your next painting!
Regards Edo