Beautiful Watercolor Washes
Updated: Sep 23
Do you ever struggle with watercolor washes that look splotchy, streaky, or overworked instead of soft and luminous? Often the problem isn’t the color or even the brush—it’s simply the amount of water we’re using.
Years ago, during one of my watercolor classes, a student was quietly working on her painting when I heard her say to herself, “I’m just not using enough water.”
A little while later she said it again.
Then again.
Finally, I looked over and asked, “Why don’t you?”
We still laugh about that moment, but she had recognized something important. She wasn’t using enough water, and as a result she had very little working time before the paper began to dry. That made it tempting to keep brushing back into the wash, trying to smooth things out—and the more she worked it, the more uneven and overworked it became.
Water Gives You Working Time
The amount of water you begin with has a tremendous effect on how a watercolor wash behaves.
When there is enough moisture on the paper, pigment has room to move, soften, mingle, and settle naturally. You have time to make adjustments while the surface is still receptive to them.
With too little water, however, the paper begins drying almost immediately. Brushstrokes stop flowing together, edges become harder, and every additional stroke can disturb the wash that is already beginning to settle.
The answer isn’t simply “use as much water as possible.” Different effects require different amounts of moisture. A crisp detail may need a relatively dry brush, while a large luminous wash may begin quite wet.
The real skill is learning to recognize how wet your paper is—and knowing when to keep painting and when to leave it alone.
Start Wet Enough to Let the Paint Move
For many of my larger washes, I like to begin with enough water that the surface has a noticeable sheen. That gives the pigment room to move and gives me time to work without immediately fighting drying edges.
As the paper loses its shine, the wash begins entering a different stage. This is where it becomes especially important to pay attention. Continuing to brush through a wash that is beginning to dry is one of the easiest ways to create streaks, blossoms, or an overworked surface.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for a watercolor wash is simply stop touching it.
Want more control over water in watercolor?
My free Water Control in Watercolor guide will help you match wetness, read the shine on your paper, understand why blooms and backwashes happen, and know when to stop working a wash.
Time to Be Finished
As the shine begins to disappear, I become much more cautious about going back into the wash. At this stage, continuing to brush and adjust can easily disturb pigment that has already started to settle.
If something still needs changing, it is often better to let the wash dry completely and return with another layer.
If you find yourself saying, “I’m just not using enough water,” give yourself permission to use a little more and see how it changes your working time. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but with practice you’ll begin to recognize the balance that works for you.
Happy swimming!
If you’d like to continue developing your watercolor skills with more step-by-step guidance, I’d love to have you join me at Illuminating Watercolor.
