Conveying berries through watercolor paint is relatively simple to do.
Watercolor painting has been used as a medium in art since ancient times and throughout the world. The flowing effects of water have made watercolors especially popular for landscapes or art pieces that are less uniform in style. Painting berries in watercolor paint does require one to become familiar with the medium and its tendencies, but is a relatively easy task to complete.
Instructions
1. Prepare your work area by laying out a plastic tarp on the surface of the table. Arrange your materials on top of the tarp so they are easy to access.
2. Draw your berries onto the watercolor paper lightly with a pencil. Use a reference photo of berries if you need help perfecting the shape or size of the types of berries you want to paint. Plan which areas will be lightest and darkest by deciding where your light source will be; areas closest to the light source will be highlighted and areas further away will be dark in shadow.
3. If using tubes of watercolor paint, squirt a small amount of the needed colors onto your palette. Use masking tape to tape your paper down flat. Otherwise, the water will warp the paper, and it will not be flat while you paint.
4. Apply water to the watercolor paper using a paintbrush. This tempers the paper and prepares it for your paint. Leave small spots dry on your berries for white highlights.
5. Paint the berries. Use reds, blues and purples to achieve the right color for the berries. Add water to your paints to get the shade you want. With watercolor painting, it is difficult to go back and lighten an area, so start with the lightest colors and darken the areas you need to. Use your photo as a reference.
6. Add further shadows or highlights. Allow your painting to dry and then go back to it. You may want to do this several times. Use a hair dryer if you want to speed up the process. You can lift soft highlights with a clean wet brush and a rag. Be careful not to compromise the surface of your paper. Let the painting dry completely before hanging it or giving it as a gift.
