I created a lot of flat lackluster paintings. I thought watercolor washes were the gold standard of watercolor. 

I mean, that’s what the watercolor books I read said, “Mastering washes is THE Key to watercolor.” They lead me to believe once I mastered a one color flat wash, a graduated wash, and a two-color wash, I’d be set for life in watercolor. 

I was so naive.

But then I found out about the powerhouse technique of glazing and my life was transformed!

Ok, maybe it just transformed my watercolors, but hey, that’s a pretty big chunk of my life. 

What is glazing?

Glazing is the technique of layering one color over another color that has completely dried. Or you can layer washes of the same color to deepen it or create shadows. 

The trick is to make sure the first layer of color is COMPLETELY dry before adding another layer of color. 

Why master the glazing technique?

Layering colors can create a richness and depth you just can’t achieve with single color washes or a wash made by mixing two colors together. 

What kinds of effects can you create with glazing? 

• Interesting textures- fur, fuzz, rough skin of oranges, bark on trees, sandy beach, etc
• Deep shadows-creates dark shadows without making the painting look muddy
• The translucence of glass, water or fog
• Create glowing colors that can’t be made by mixing two colors together-the white of the paper shines through both colors creating a jewel-like glow
• Glazing creates an overall “glow” in your painting-when done correctly, glazing eliminates muddy looking painting and creates a beautiful glow in your painting. 
• Glazing can help convey a sense of distance- for example, glazing a darker clump of trees over a pale mountain range creates the illusion of the mountains being in the distance and the trees closer to the viewer.  
• Glazing can help define the focus of your painting- using a light glaze over the background around your main subject can make that subject pop.
• Can create unity in your painting- layering a light glaze over the whole painting can bring unity to the painting. 

Keys to successful glazing

• Use transparent watercolor paint- glazing won’t work with opaque watercolors or gouache. 
• Work from light to dark- trying to layer a light color over a dark color doesn’t really work in watercolor. Start with the lightest colors and build the layers to the darkest color you want to achieve. 
• Paint each layer only once- Don’t fiddle with the layer you’re painting. Brush it on lightly once and leave it alone. If you keep going over it or dabbing at it, you could disturb the layer underneath and end up with muddy colors.
• Use the right kind of paper and brush- 300 lb cold-pressed paper is the best for using the glazing technique. It’s durable and can take a lot of washes. Use a really soft brush to apply glazes to avoid disturbing the bottom layers of paint. 
• Let each layer dry completely- painting over a wet color will cause the colors to mix and possibly become muddy or cause blooms in the paint. 
• Glaze the same temperature colors over each other- glaze warm colors over warm and cool colors over cool colors.

If I had to tell you just one technique you should master, it would be glazing. What are you waiting for my watercolor ninja? Get to glazing!

To help you out, I created a downloadable cheat sheet just for you. You can download it here: FREE Glazing Cheat Sheet