Laying Out A Graded Wash

This masterclass demonstrates how to make a simple graded wash in watercolour using Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolours Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Yellow. The colour will move from yellow to an orange as the Alizarin Crimson is added. First, mix the two colours in a clear jar so you can easily see if your mixture needs to be adjusted; here we add water with a syringe to control the water used – just a few drops can impact the mixture. Loading the paper with a puddle of paint in a line at the top and working on a slightly tilted board, work the paint towards you with more lines of watercolour; the loaded line falls behind the new lines laid onto the paper. With each new line a bit of the Alizarin Crimson is added; be sure the stokes are always parallel and made in the same direction. As more and more lines of wash tinted with increasing amounts of the Alizarin Crimson mixture are added, the area develops into a seamless transition from yellow to orange. You can achieve this effect with any colours, just be sure to start with a well loaded pool of colour at the top and add in your mixture gradually as you move down the paper.