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How to Use Watercolor Brush Pens
Watercolor brush pens are intuitive and easy to use. With just a little practice, you’ll get the hang of them in no time! Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Swatch And Experiment
What’s more exciting than buying new brush pens? Swatching them! This lets you see the actual colors and how they perform on different textures and weights of paper. Take it to the next level by dipping the brushes in water — this will dilute the ink and give you even more shades to play with.
Don’t Forget The Water Brush
Water brushes work just like a traditional brush, except they have a reservoir inside that you can fill with water. You can use them to blend colors that you’ve already applied or mix two different colors on a palette. Moving onto a different shade? Blot the water brush onto a scrap piece of paper to make sure that it’s clean and free of color.
Use Heavyweight Paper
Using office paper may seem like a good idea, but only if you’re sketching or testing colors out. For watercolor brush pens (and watercolor painting in general), you want to use thick paper that won’t buckle or warp. For beginners, 300 gsm is ideal — but if you do plenty of layers and washes, you’ll want to go with something heavier.
Mix And Blend Colors
There are many ways to blend colors with watercolor brush pens. You can (1) paint directly on the paper and blend with a water brush; (2) rub paint onto a palette and mix with a clean brush, or (3) touch the tips of two markers together for a gradient effect. Each method has its pros, so try them all out to find what works best for your project!
Use The Right Amount Of Pressure
Watercolor markers can be used in many different ways to achieve specific effects. Use a light hand to create thin, dainty lines or add more pressure for a thicker stroke. You can also hold the brush at a near-horizontal angle. This lets you paint a bigger area at once, perfect for filling in large shapes or creating backgrounds.
