Tuesday Tips and Techniques: Scratching in Watercolor

This week’s watercolor painting technique comes from Keiko Tanabe’s video workshop, “Storytelling with Watercolor.”

Have you tried scratching in your work? Keiko Tanabe uses it to get some whites and lights back into her work. Take a palette knife and while the paint is still wet, gently scratch into the paper. This takes a little practice. If the paper is too wet when you do it, the paint will actually run back into the line and make it darker. (But keep that trick up your sleeve too!)

Learn more great watercolor techniques in Keiko Tanabe's “Storytelling with Watercolor.”