Colour wash applications are the foundation of watercolour painting. They may be defined as evenly "laid on" applications of liquid colour without breaklines or brushmarks. The majority of washes are highly fluid applications that may be required to cover the full sheet or lesser areas. Connecting horizontal brushstrokes are laid, just touching, one beneath the other on paper that is attached to an inclined board. Collected colour mingles with the previous stroke.

The board with paper attached is sloped towards at a slight angle. The paint is laid on evenly from side to side. The paint flows down the paper so that each previous stroke of colour runs and merges into the one below.

At all times prepare more than enough paint mixture and keep it well stirred to prevent the pigment particles from settling as sediment to the bottom of the palette. Ensure the brush is charged with paint, flowing, but under control. Do not overpaint an area or touch it whilst it remains wet otherwise it will result in a backrun and an uneven wash. A patient attitude is essential.

Most watercolours of sea and landscapes include broad colour washes somewhere over the painted sheet. In large areas, as beautiful and luminous as they are in their smooth appearance on paper, they can look bland and uninteresting when non-granulating pigments are used (see granulation).

FLAT WASHES are of one colour and unvarying intensity, executed in perfectly even colour and tone, mainly applicable for laying paint over large areas.

GRADED WASHES are basic washes for covering larger areas, graduating evenly from light to dark or dark to light.

FLAT WASH EXAMPLE (BELOW)

Take a board with paper properly attached and prop it on a thick book or rest at an angle of 15 to 30 degrees to the horizontal. Arrange materials to one side. Add sufficient water by brush or dispenser to the palette and then squeeze more than enough chosen colour pigment to the outer edge of the palette. Transfer the pigment on the point of a large round damp brush, a little at a time, and mix it into the palette water. Make sure it is a runny mixture, essential to maintain transparency and to prevent opaque drying. Carefully stir the mixture in a circular motion to ensure that it is well diluted and evenly dispersed giving the appearance of dissolvement. In the case of the very transparent staining pigments, previously described, they are entirely soluble.

To transfer the paint mixture from palette to paper. Use the largest brush that is practically possible. Hold the brush between thumb and forefinger, horizontally (on its side) and well up the handle. Stir and roll the brush hairs into the mixture and for each time of refilling. Take the same loaded brush and edge most of the paint out by stroking the brush hairs on the lip of the palette and test the colour, a slight touch on scrap paper. Satisfy yourself that it is the right depth of colour. Recharge the brush and take it around the outside of the paper, not across it. Do this without hesitation or shake to prevent accidental splashes or drips to the paper. Begin on the left at the very top of the sheet if you are right-handed. Lower the held-upright-brush to the paper and inclined to the direction of travel to make horizontal strokes. Make a broad stroke across the paper, radiating the arm from the shoulder. Be sure and bold, a relaxed steady sweep of the arm producing an even, uniform stripe of colour. Wrist, hand and finger movements are not employed for broad washes. . Endeavour to use most of the length of the brush hairs to give an even band of colour. Gravity will allow a bead or pool of paint to accumulate at the bottom of the stripe. Add similar strokes at uniform speed with a slight overlap between each, easing down the watery bead of paint with each successive stroke. With each pass the leading edge of the watercolour should move swiftly and evenly down the tilted sheet of paper. As the wash proceeds from top to bottom make sure to keep reloading the brush before it empties. It must never be allowed to run out of paint. Work fairly quickly to prevent drying between each stroke thereby preventing unwanted streaks and break lines. The strokes may be directed from right or left, or left to right or alternated. When the last stripe or pass is reached at the bottom of the sheet, do not wash out the brush hairs. Damp them dry by carefully turning and dragging the brush hairs over a handy wad of paper tissue or rag to absorb the surplus liquid paint mixture. Run the tip of the damp brush along the top edge of the pool of paint formed at the bottom of the sheet but not actually touching the paper. The excess paint will be picked up by the thirsty brush acting as a sponge. Repeated short pick-up strokes and damp drying brush hairs will be required to remove all the excess. Lay the board flat so that it dries undisturbed. Any surplus paint not removed will bleed back to become a 'backrun' and spoil the wash. '"Backruns' are a seepage back into any wash that has partly dried. In this event, the pigment in the water will drift to dry at some distance to form an ugly ridge resembling a spore fungus. The speed of a drying wash is faster and dries lighter in tone on a tilted board than a wash on a board applied near horizontal. This is due to the fact that paint built up on the lower 'working edge' is quickly urged on down the sheet by gravity with each successive stroke with less time to settle. Work rapidly for broad washes, keeping the whole wash moving. All over direct washes are seldom satisfactory at the first attempt. Fidgeting to correct an uneven wash will inevitably rob it of its pristine freshness. Far better to begin afresh.

Example of flat wash Example of graded wash

Undoubtedly, to be able to render an all-over tonal colour wash is of paramount importance and provides excellent discipline for hand and eye, establishing a basis for all good colour wash techniques.

However, the "technique of laying washes" to cover large areas can be over-rated when it is a polished first requirement. This was explained to me by an Asprey brother of the London Jewellers after he had loaned me his Watercolour Book of the Falklands, a little after the Falklands Campaign. An all-over pale transparent cool or warm colour wash called a 'glaze' creates mood and striking effect in landscape impressions. A glaze may be laid on before or after a painting is completed. Combinations of dissimilar washes are often called for in sky representation, when and where a single flat wash is not suitable.

This method of working is applicable to large areas where colour washes are required to be graduated evenly from dark to light tones. With the board tilted, proceed in the same manner as described for a flat wash. It differs only by adding equal small amounts of water to the palette, diluting the mixture as the wash is led down the sheet of paper. The weakened watercolour passes as they follow one another from top to bottom, need to be slightly overlapped. For a desired even graduation the added water to the mixture must be evenly stirred each time before recharging the brush. When the bottom of the sheet is reached, dependant on the tonal graduation required, it is necessary to pick up the excess liquid paint with a damp brush. Do not touch the paper with the brush. The wash should be almost clear water.

To obtain a light to dark graded wash, it is easier and more convenient to turn the board around (bottom to top).

Remember the rule. Control the water to pigment ratio in the palette and not in the brush hairs which would give very uncertain and uneven wash results. The inclination of the board prevents puddling of liquid colour and messy backruns. The secret of a good result is regular practise, judging the amount of necessary equal water additions to the palette. Flat, graded or varied colour washes can be employed separately or simultaneously with each other.

NOTE: During the painting process a very slight buckling may occur on one edge of the saturated paper but it usually dries out taut and flat. If reasonable care is taken with the initial taping of the paper to the board, 'ballooning' will be prevented, observed as a little raising of the paper a short time after the paint is brushed on.

Gradual undetermined colour band changes of two or three colours in sequence, one beneath the other are brought about as a wash is laid. This is not so difficult if, as a pre-requisite, it is well thought-out in advance. For example, planning a wash of the three primary colours. Prepare blue, yellow and red in separate palettes. The mixture should not be of the same consistencies. The yellow should have the greatest intensity (more pigment to water ratio), otherwise the red and blue will dominate the paler yellow.

For practise tests. On small sheets of Bockingford paper (10"x7"), slightly dampen the sheet using a large brush or sponge. It will help the colour bands to merge. Take care not to over-wet the paper to prevent the paint in the colour changes going out of control. Think ahead and plan exactly what you have to do.

Method 1: Start at the top and lay a narrow flat wash of blue in this case. Stop about a third of the way down the sheet and wash the brush in the clean water jar. Go into the intense Yellow and stir the mixture. Lay a narrow band of Yellow immediately below but touching the Blue and continue to evenly lay on the Yellow. Lay the Red narrow band of colour on the lower third of the sheet, touching the Yellow wash and continue to the bottom of the sheet. Damp dry the brush each time between colour changes. On a sloping board the edges of the colour bands will spread and melt into one another. Finish by lifting off the excess paint from the bottom of the sheet. Make further tests. Timing, judgement and repeating trials will get it right. Whatever the results, leave the washes to dry out undisturbed. Small corrections can be made afterwards if necessary. A varied wash of this kind may be employed as a basis all over "background plan" for a sunset over sea or landscape that has a fairly flat low horizon.

DANGER. Adding a narrow or wide band colour change by overpainting whilst the main area of the wash is still drying involves a very great risk of spoiling 'backruns'. On the other hand, a quick, horizontal stroke of darker and thicker consistency paint of Paynes Grey for example, into a blue sky wash area will give a desired soft-edged cloud effect.

Method 2: For a wide band of colour change, choose two distinct colours, Ultramarine, a blue and Raw Sienna (a mustard yellow, for example). Using a damp-dry large round brush, dispense more than sufficient tube pigment well apart at each end of a small plant tray or large white deep saucer. Hold and keep the palette tray slightly tilted in the non-brush hand and add water. Stroke the large round damp brush lightly over the Ultramarine pigment, dragging it into the water pool at the lower end of the palette. Use the side of the brush to disperse the pigment, brushing over it until the correct depth of colour (tone) is reached. Start at the top. Decide on a wide band of colour change and where it is to be positioned on the sheet. The object is to produce a wide, soft-edged band. The palette tilted, begin at the top of the sheet.. Make several strokes, one beneath the other and then add a little Raw Sienna, leading and merging it into the pool of Blue. Add more Raw Sienna with each successive stroke, depending on the bandwidth required. Before the last three strokes are laid on, drain away the mixture and wipe the tray clean with a rag. Finish with a fresh mix of Raw Sienna. Work fairly quickly to prevent drying. These two colours are ideal for a clear sky impression from Blue at the zenith down to Raw Sienna at the horizon. These 2 colours are a favourite combination and for some reason do not create a green colour normally expected of a Blue and a Yellow.

The inexperienced are apt to make colour changes too rapidly. Aim to produce an even and gradual transition. In a portrayed varied sky impression there can be no exact and definite limits and control. However much controlled-technique is commanded, any free gift or 'happy accidents', as they are called, really unplanned pleasing effects, should be incorporated into the painting in progress as if they were planned. This is far preferable to corrections. Watercolour washes give landscape pictures a substantial all-over-the-paper 'ground plan' to build upon, whether it is for varied skies, flat or graded for buildings, walls, roofs or over-lapping tree silhouettes.