Watercolor Tutorial: Basic Mark-Making Techniques

Learn the basics of watercolor and how to use it for mark-making, with Amy Pearson

Hand-painted watercolor strokes, shapes, and marks can help bring a digital illustration to life.

Amy Pearson (@amypearsondesign) is an illustrator who combines analog and digital techniques to create striking images. In this tutorial, she shares how to use watercolor to make bright and beautiful marks that can be scanned and manipulated in Photoshop to create effective mixed media illustrations.

1. Inks

You can use any type of watercolor to create your marks but watercolor inks are the best option for vibrant colors that are easy to mix.

2. Shapes

The freedom of analog art allows you to make organic shapes with your brush strokes. Take advantage of this and play with the lines and blotches you apply. Feel free to experiment and create a variety of shapes that you can later choose from.

3. Layers

The beauty of watercolor is that, as the name implies, you colors react to water. By understanding how the two interact, you can construct beautiful shapes or let the water do the work for you.

Apply one color over another while the paint is still wet to create tidemarks when it dries. You can also use the wet-on-wet technique by applying clean water first and then gently adding touches of color to see how the color blooms. Finally, you can splatter your paint over the marks you have already made.

4. Dry

If you find your watercolor is taking too long to dry, you can use a paper towel to soak up any excess liquid. Be aware that this will probably affect the finish, giving you another opportunity to play with the color and texture of your marks.

If you liked this tutorial, check out Amy Pearson’s online course Portrait Illustration with Analog and Digital Techniques to learn how to combine graphite, watercolor, and Photoshop seamlessly to create a stunningly lifelike portrait.

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