Boats in North Devon - Single Wash Freshness : Preview

Have you ever heard the watercolour phrase, “The first wash is the freshest”?

While there’s plenty of room for layers and multiple washes in watercolour, this phrase can be a great reminder to embrace the medium’s fresh, loose, and lively nature—and that’s exactly what this tutorial is all about.

I’ll show you the joy of diving straight into the shadows with our first wash, trapping the light, and adding a few strokes of colour here and there on the untouched paper to pull everything together. 

With a few finishing touches—including guidance on using thick whites to bring a piece like this to life—you’ll have a vibrant painting full of energy and simplicity.

This approach is so much fun in watercolour—whether in the studio, out on site, or playing in a sketchbook. It’s also perfect for strongly lit, backlit (contre-jour) scenes like this one.

See you there!