Gradients can be achieved using the same process as a regular wash. You just need to prepare one or more pre-selected colors to drop into the wet surface area as you move across in horizontal rows down the page.
If you want to produce a simple gradient wash with one color, follow the same basic instructions as a regular wash: Start in the area where you want the most saturated color and then dip your paintbrush either in water or a lighter version of the same color. As you complete each horizontal pass across the page, dip the brush in water again or in a lighter version of the color until you have a gradient that blends from a dark shade of the color to a lighter shade of the color.
If you want to produce a blended wash with two or more colors, prepare your palette with these colors before beginning the wash. Follow the same basic instructions as a regular wash: Start in the area where you want the first color and then dip your paintbrush in the next color as you complete each horizontal pass across the page. Be sure to slightly overlap the different colors with each pass of the brush, so they blend with each other on the wet surface area (Video 1).
Also, there are two options for how to perform gradient and blended washes:
- A single-layer wash is done by passing over the wet paper with strokes for each line, changing the color on the paintbrush as you move down the page, but restricting this process to only one pass or to a single layer of paint.
- A multi-layer wash requires the paper to dry in between each pass down the page, slowly layering up more saturated colors. Multi-layer washes with two to three layers have smoother transitions.
It’s important to understand that when you rewet the paper and go over colors that have already been applied to the watercolor paper, some of the previous color can be reactivated and blended into the current layer. The amount of reactivation depends on the staining qualities of the particular color as well as the thickness of the paint. Over time, you’ll get a feel for whether you’re going to pick up previous layers when you rework the surface.