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Learn to Paint an Watercolor Background | Blog

Apr 6, 2022

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What is the best way to Paint the Background of a Watercolor Background

First thing's first: You must not try to paint a background immediately afterpainting the main act. Instead, you'll start by painting the background first, let it dry and then progress to the foreground particulars.

Follow these guidelines to create a beautiful night sky background. Once you've learned the technique then you'll be able to adapt it to other shades and themes.

Step 1: Collect your materials

To complete any painting with watercolor for any watercolor painting project, you'll require the following:

  • Watercolor paints (a pan or tubes)
  • Paint brushes that are round tipped work best for watercolor paints
  • Mixing palette
  • A cloth or paper towel
  • 2 jars to store water
  • Masking tape

Step 2: Find a Reference Photo

This step is optional You may prefer to work from your imagination or memory But following a photograph could give you ideas and ideas that you wouldn't normally think of. Simply Google "night sky" or something similar, and then look through the results until you find an image you're interested in working with.

Step 3: Dampen Your Paper with Water

Put the paper onto the work surface in order to stop the paper from curving up once it's wet. Make sure to thoroughly wet your brush using clean water, then brush it all over the paper and make sure you get it get every inch of the paper.

Step 4: Begin with the lightest paint color you can find.

Utilizing your image of reference as a reference, begin painting with your lightest color, or colors. Apply the paint to your paper to make the appearance of speckles, or dappled similar to clouds. Don't sweep your brush across the paper in long brush strokes, as this will give more of a stripy effect, which isn't what you're looking for with this. Repeat until around half the paper is covered.

Step 5: Add Darker Colors

Using the same dabbing technique as above, continue painting with some darker colors. Be sure that all colors are well blended and there aren't any clear boundaries between the various colors by adding more clean water to the surface.

The color of watercolors will lighten when they dry. Therefore, this background can be created in two layers. Leave your paper for about a minute to dry. You can leave it in place if your paper remains damp, but it's not advisable to create large, water puddles that are a specific hue. Then, go back on the medium and light shades in the same area to intensify the depth of color.

Step 6: Add the darkest colors.

After that, you'll apply the colors that are darker. Be sure that there aren't any hard edges between the shades here, too, by blending with clean water. Then let it dry and repeat with a second layer to intensify the color.

Step 7: Add Details

While it's not the primary task of the backgrounds to get overlydetailed (that's what the main or background is intended to do) it's possible to include a few touches. If you're painting the night sky, adding silhouettes of trees or mountains can make a good base; pinpricks of light of stars create an appealing effect. Wet-on-dry paint works best in this situation and there's no reason to re-wet your paper.

Step 8: Apply the Finished Product as an Background

Further Background Inspiration

   Don't Fade into the Background  

   Live Encore: Painting Dark Watercolor Backgrounds