Which Is The Best Color To Use For Learning Watercolors?

A simple answer to this question is… “Any color will do!”

This is the reason why a paint box contains many different colors. You could choose from any number of colors to paint with. The problem is that too many colors can be distracting, even more so when they mix to create other colors. You can get into a real mess.

The simple fact is that for a watercolor beginner using a single color is best. The reason is that it is a great idea to learn to draw first… Painting is drawing with a brush.

Understanding this gives you a better chance of grasping the difficulties you will meet. The main problem is that color will go anywhere the paper is damp. So, what happens is…

• If watercolor paper is wet… color will go everywhere.
• If your brush slips accidentally… the color will show your mistake.

It is hard enough to get control of the drawing aspect of painting without the extra burden of learning to mix colors. The easiest solution is to use just one color.

So, which color is best to use? You could try using Black, Sepia, Brown or Blue. Red might be okay but, if you tried Yellow, the pigment density is like to be too weak to produce heavy density lines.

• Black is the strongest color. It is capable of the full range of tonal density from the darkest pitch, through grays, to the white of the paper.
• Sepia is a traditional favorite that has most of the qualities of black. Its advantage over black is that there is a reddish-brown tint that warms the color… It is less cold and bleak.
• Brown is a great color to draw with. Using a Burnt-Umber will provide color density that has pleasing warm tones.

For learning to paint watercolors, the favorite color should be Blue. The reason is that it is a primary color that always carries its color value, no matter if it is dark or light. Whereas red becomes pink and yellow fades away to nothing… blue always remains Blue.

 

Michael Dale is the author of 1 Color Is Best (the quick and easy way to learn to paint watercolor) and 3 Colors Are All You Need (mix any color you want fast using only 3 colors). Visit http://www.Paint-And-Draw.com to find out more. If you haven’t done so already, why not take a look at this video that features some of Michael Dale’s Simple Watercolor Paintings

 

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