No More Washed-Out Watercolor Sketches!
Sketching Tips and News from Suhita, July 2024 edition
Do your watercolor sketches look washed out or muddy? Adding layer upon layer of detail in watercolor can leave you frustrated: the colors fade back when dry, and mixing in too many colors can create a muddy sketch. Here are two methods I use to overcome endless layering hell, yet add detail, color, and contrast to my sketches.
SKETCHING TIP 1: Bring more media into the mix
When mixing media, I try to use each media only for what it does best.
STAGE 1: In the series of images below, a very loose pencil line followed by a more detailed pen line lets me set up a sketch quickly. I don’t use line to create volume or light and shade because I will be using other media better suited to doing that in just a bit.
STAGE 2: Next comes watercolor, used loosely, because that’s what watercolor does best. For the most part, this image has only a single layer of watercolor: I leave out highlights where possible and in some areas like the shaded side of the woman’s shoulders or on the tower, you will see a second layer to define some cast shadows. If these don’t turn out to have as much contrast as I would like to end up with, I resist adding more layers, because what comes next is another medium that can do that much more easily…
STAGE 3: This is when my colored pencils come out. I use a mix of water-soluble and regular colored pencils. What I’m looking for is pencils that don’t need my watercolor layer to be bone-dry before I can use them. I use my colored pencils to add depth, detail, and texture. And my sketch is done.
SKETCHING TIP 2: Draw in your darks
STAGE 1: If I’m not using colored pencils but want to get in a sketch with high contrast and detail quickly, I’ll often color in the dark areas and draw in some texture with my pen line, as I do in the sketch below.
STAGE 2: This takes care of my darkest darks and when I switch to watercolor, I use a light wash to set up my sketch, then a medium one to add some depth and detail. My darks are already taken care of in ink.
Both the methods above give me quick, fresh sketches with a loose quality that I enjoy in on-location sketches. Next time you sketch outdoors, try these out and let me know if they help create quicker fresher sketches.
WORKSHOPS and SKETCHING EVENTS
Color That Pops (Online Workshop with Personal Feedback)
I taught this workshop a couple of months ago and I’m running a repeat session, this time with the additional bonus of personalized feedback on your work. If you’re looking to find more joyous color in your work, this workshop is for you!
Details and Sign up here.
Color and Mixed Media in Santa Fe, 2025 (In-person Workshop)
Maru Godas and I loved teaching the 2024 version of this workshop this year. It filled up completely, so sign up soon if you want to join us in May 2025 in Santa Fe. It will be an amazing week! Details here.
The Chicago Urban Sketchers Seminar is less than 2 weeks away and following that, I will be at Sketcherfest, in Edmonds, near Seattle. The most exciting part of this unique event is the day that each instructor has a table full of sketchbooks for viewers to look at.
I have to admit I’m a little paralyzed by the 300+ sketchbooks I have sitting on my shelf, and don’t know which ones to take along. If you were to get to glance through say a dozen of my sketchbooks, which mix of books would appeal most to you?
STUFF IN THE WORKS
2025 and 2026 are looking exciting. There’s plans brewing for workshops all over the world: India, Vietnam, and a couple of locations in Europe that I’m super excited about. This newsletter will announce them to you as soon as they are planned. Thanks again for signing up and I hope you find the sketching tips and content useful!
This Newsletter is now completely free to all subscribers. In addition, paid subscribers get access to a once-a-month sketching session on Zoom, where we all draw together from a photographic reference. Some members join live, others use the recording to join in later. If you would like to join us, sign up as a paid member below. At $5/month for a sketching session, you can’t go wrong! This month, we will be sketching an exciting scene from my recent travels in Istanbul!
Questions? Comments? Leave them below, I love hearing from you!
Just wanted to encourage anyone who is considering attending your class in Santa Fe to GO GO GO! It was transformative! :)
Two really great tips, Suhita. Thanks for sharing them.