Watercolour Painting Progression

©2007 Joe Cartwright

A watercolour painting usually progresses in the following manner:

Large shapes to small shapes (use big brushes for large shapes and small brushes for the small ones)

Wet on wet to wet on dry (could also be read as from soft edges to hard edges)

Light tones to dark tones

Cool colours (distance) to warm colours (closer to the viewer)

All four groups move along at a similar pace at about the same time.

The above is meant as a general guide only not as a rule.