How to Paint Fine Art Miniatures in Watercolor
Decide on a subject for your painting., Pick good quality paper., Draw a 2 X 3 inch or a 2 ½ X 3 ½ inch rectangle in pencil on it, leaving the small rectangle on the paper for easy handling., Purchase a set of watercolors., Plan your design., Do...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide on a subject for your painting.
Almost any subject that is done large scale will lend itself to miniature painting. Portraits, animals, flowers, birds, fruits and vegetables, historical subjects, seascapes and almost anything imaginable makes a good subject. -
Step 2: Pick good quality paper.
Paper without a great deal of surface texture works best. Use a sheet from a pad of #140 cold pressed watercolor paper. Or, buy a large sheet of hot press, but you will only be using a tiny part of it. Practice on both types as they accept paint differently and need some practice to do confidently., You can cut it out when it is completed., You’ll want a full range of basic colors. For brushes, you will need small but springy ones intended for watercolor. Get rounded and flat ones. Add a water container, tissues, and a board to support your work, or just keep the page attached to the cardboard backing of a pad. , Try to get a strong composition and keep details and surface texture to a minimum. Try out ideas by doing a page of “thumbnail sketches.” This is a good way to test ideas. , Draw 2 X 3 inch vertical and horizontal rectangles on a sketchbook page or on a piece of computer printer paper. Avoid having them touch the paper’s margins. This gives you flexibility in adding or changing the dimensions and focus of your design. ,, Dynamic and to the point is good sometimes. , Shade it with the side of your pencil to create a “value plan.” This shows how the colors will be distributed in the final piece, but, at this point, color is represented by a range of gray shades going from white to black with a few steps in between. , Begin by choosing a less complex subject that you are familiar with. ,, Get comfortable and go to work. Be warned that, depending on the complexity of the drawing, the small size of these paintings is no shortcut to the time it takes to painting one. In most cases, they take almost as long to do as a larger piece. , A good method is to establish your design and color pattern by first doing an under layer of light washes of color.
Try not to get your paper too wet in order to keep the accuracy of your strokes.
Work all over and allow this first layer to dry. , Do accents using richer colors. Allow it to dry thoroughly, study it, and further tweak it, if necessary. , Hang it on a wall, or put it on a tiny easel and place it on a shelf or table. , This one small, lonely piece will be dwarfed by a big wall.
Work toward the goal of doing enough tiny paintings to create a grouping on your wall., Or, just hang them randomly according to your mood and taste. Take pride in displaying your work. , A fine line Sharpie or a very small pointed brush will work to do your signature. -
Step 3: Draw a 2 X 3 inch or a 2 ½ X 3 ½ inch rectangle in pencil on it
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Step 4: leaving the small rectangle on the paper for easy handling.
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Step 5: Purchase a set of watercolors.
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Step 6: Plan your design.
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Step 7: Do your thumbnail sketches on a page with lots of white paper around them.
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Step 8: Color the thumbnails if you wish.
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Step 9: Keep thumbnails very simple if you desire.
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Step 10: Sketch out your design in pencil.
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Step 11: Analyze the possibilities of each before settling on one of your sketches to paint.
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Step 12: Sketch your idea onto the watercolor paper lightly in pencil.
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Step 13: Activate your paints.
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Step 14: Work as you would with a normal sized watercolor.
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Step 15: Return to the piece and refine it.
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Step 16: Place your finished work in a purchased mat and frame.
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Step 17: Be inspired to do more.
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Step 18: Think of unifying the small paintings by style
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Step 19: subject or color.
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Step 20: Sign your work
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Step 21: but meet the challenge of making your signature readable without overtaking the composition.
Detailed Guide
Almost any subject that is done large scale will lend itself to miniature painting. Portraits, animals, flowers, birds, fruits and vegetables, historical subjects, seascapes and almost anything imaginable makes a good subject.
Paper without a great deal of surface texture works best. Use a sheet from a pad of #140 cold pressed watercolor paper. Or, buy a large sheet of hot press, but you will only be using a tiny part of it. Practice on both types as they accept paint differently and need some practice to do confidently., You can cut it out when it is completed., You’ll want a full range of basic colors. For brushes, you will need small but springy ones intended for watercolor. Get rounded and flat ones. Add a water container, tissues, and a board to support your work, or just keep the page attached to the cardboard backing of a pad. , Try to get a strong composition and keep details and surface texture to a minimum. Try out ideas by doing a page of “thumbnail sketches.” This is a good way to test ideas. , Draw 2 X 3 inch vertical and horizontal rectangles on a sketchbook page or on a piece of computer printer paper. Avoid having them touch the paper’s margins. This gives you flexibility in adding or changing the dimensions and focus of your design. ,, Dynamic and to the point is good sometimes. , Shade it with the side of your pencil to create a “value plan.” This shows how the colors will be distributed in the final piece, but, at this point, color is represented by a range of gray shades going from white to black with a few steps in between. , Begin by choosing a less complex subject that you are familiar with. ,, Get comfortable and go to work. Be warned that, depending on the complexity of the drawing, the small size of these paintings is no shortcut to the time it takes to painting one. In most cases, they take almost as long to do as a larger piece. , A good method is to establish your design and color pattern by first doing an under layer of light washes of color.
Try not to get your paper too wet in order to keep the accuracy of your strokes.
Work all over and allow this first layer to dry. , Do accents using richer colors. Allow it to dry thoroughly, study it, and further tweak it, if necessary. , Hang it on a wall, or put it on a tiny easel and place it on a shelf or table. , This one small, lonely piece will be dwarfed by a big wall.
Work toward the goal of doing enough tiny paintings to create a grouping on your wall., Or, just hang them randomly according to your mood and taste. Take pride in displaying your work. , A fine line Sharpie or a very small pointed brush will work to do your signature.
About the Author
Steven Allen
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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