10 Watercolor Terms You Need to Know

When you first start using watercolors, it can feel like there is a whole dictionary of terms you need to memorize. And while this can be exciting for my fellow art theory and application nerds out there, it can also be incredibly overwhelming. This post is here to help you cut through it all and call out the top ten keywords you actually have to know.

1. Loading

In order to paint anything, first you need to load your brush, or soak it in water or paint. To properly load your brush with paint, first, wet it in clean water. Then gently swirl the bristles onto your activated watercolor paint, letting them soak up the pigment. Once loaded, transfer the paint on your brush to your palette to feel the consistency. From there, you can adjust the consistency or the value by loading your brush with additional water, or adjust the shade by loading your brush with a new color. To darken the value, add more of the same color. For more on values, skip down to number 5.

2. Wash

A wash is a thin, even layer of paint (or in some cases, water). There are many types of washes, including flat washes, gradient washes, variegated washes, and clear water washes.

2a. Flat Wash – a smooth application of one color painted with even strokes to create a uniform appearance

2b. Gradient (or Graded) Wash – a wash that gradually transitions from a dark to light value

2c.  Variegated Wash – a wash in which two or more colors blend and bleed into one another  

2d. Clear Water Wash – a layer of clean water typically used when starting a wet-on-wet application (see number 4).

3. Wet-on-Dry

Whenever a wash is added to dry paper, the wet-on-dry technique is being used. Wet watercolor paint added to dry paper will often be darker than watercolor paint that is diffused when added to a wet wash.

4. Wet-on-Wet

Occasionally called wet-in-wet, wet-on-wet painting occurs when paint is added to wet paper, which often allows for stroke-free washes, beautifully blended colors, or blooms. When using this technique, it’s common to begin with a clear water wash.

5. Value

Rather than how saturated (bright or muted) a color is, value refers to how light or dark a color is. With watercolor, you can easily adjust values by introducing more or less water to your paint (also known as the water-to-paint ratio).

5a. Water-to-Paint Ratio – the proportion of water to paint in any given mix that affects paint consistency and value (the more water mixed with your paint, the thinner the consistency and the lighter the value, and the less water, the thicker the consistency and darker the value).

6. Edges

The edges of a watercolor wash refer to when the paint stops and the paper (or another wash) shows. Edges can be manipulated in a few ways to create different effects and introduce varied textures.

6a. Soft Edges – blended edges that are smoothed to allow for seamless transitions

6b. Hard Edges – unblended edges that have an abrupt ending

6c. Broken Edges – interrupted and uneven edges that are often achieved with dry brushing (lightly scraping a barely damp brush loaded with paint across the surface of dry paper).

7. Blooms

Also called backruns or cauliflowers, blooms occur when paint is dripped onto a semi-dry surface.

8. Bleeding

Bleeding occurs when a loaded paintbrush touches a damp area, allowing the water or paint loaded on the brush to seep into that area. This can be done purposefully to soften edges or accidentally when brushing against a wash that isn’t quite dry yet. In the latter case, apply number 9!

9. Lifting

Lifting occurs when paint is removed from an area by dipping a lightly damp, clean brush into a wet area. This can be done multiple times to remove additional paint; just remember to dry and clean the brush in between lifts.

10. Glazing

I saved this one for last because glazing is absolutely one of my favorite watercolor techniques (end on a high note, am I right?)—and it just so happens to be one of the simplest. A glaze is a new layer of paint that is added on top of a dried previous layer. To avoid your paint bleeding or blooming, be sure that the layer you’re painting on is completely dry.

While there will always be more to learn, with these ten terms in your tool belt, you’ll be equipped to handle most beginner watercolor tutorials out there!