Are you struggling to make your white objects stand out in watercolor? You’re definitely not alone—getting white to look bright, clean, and full of life can be surprisingly tricky.
As Mimosa. H often reminds watercolor beginners, the key is knowing how to enhance whites without overworking the painting.
In today’s post, Mimosa. H will walk you through three simple techniques she always uses to make white areas pop beautifully and effortlessly.
These methods are easy to follow and incredibly effective. Let’s get started.
Contents
Getting Started: Preparing the Artist’s Watercolor Paper
Before jumping into painting, preparing the paper the right way is essential. A good start makes a big difference.
They always start by outlining their subject on a separate sheet of paper. Once they’re happy with it, they darken the back using a 4B pencil.
Then, they trace that drawing onto their watercolor paper. This method helps keep the watercolor paper clean and smooth.
Why does this matter?
Watercolor paper can be sensitive. Too much rubbing or erasing can damage its surface. This simple trick avoids that problem and prepares the artist for a crisp painting.
Technique #1: Lifting – Reveal the White Beneath
This first method is about pulling the paint off the paper to create light and shine. They show how they use this technique while painting a ceramic jar.
Lifting is excellent when soft transitions or highlights on a painted surface are needed. It works especially well for objects with smooth textures like ceramics.
In this example, they start by painting the jar with watercolor. While the paint is still damp, they gently lift the pigment off the surface with a flat brush.
This helps them create a soft, natural-looking highlight. You don’t have to use a flat brush, but they like it because it allows them to control the edges and build gentle transitions in tone.
By lifting the paint, they let the paper’s white show through. This gives the object form and light without using white paint. It’s a subtle technique, but it’s super effective.
Technique #2: Leaving the White Area Unpainted
Instead of painting and lifting the color, they sometimes don’t paint the white object. This might sound strange, but it’s one of their favorite ways to paint delicate subjects like flowers.
Leaving white space untouched is a powerful technique. It uses the natural brightness of the watercolor paper to create the white object.
The effect is clean, elegant, and super effective, especially for petals or other soft shapes.
To make this work, they leave a small gap outside the pencil line of the painting object. For example, they don’t color up to the line if they’re painting a jar or a flower.
That tiny, unpainted space becomes the edge of the object. It adds shape and depth without using any paint.
They find this works especially well with white flowers. The untouched paper is a highlight, making the petals look soft and glowing.
They leave this area to dry naturally before adding more detail. That way, the paper stays fresh, and they don’t muddy the clean white they’re trying to keep.
Now, let’s move on to the final technique. This one involves using actual white paint.
Technique #3: Using White Gouache or Acrylic for Bright Highlights
There are times when lifting or leaving the paper untouched isn’t enough.
Maybe the paint went too dark, or stronger highlights are needed. That’s when they reach for white gouache or sometimes acrylic paint.
This trick is perfect for adding back white details after the main painting is done. Gouache is opaque, which means it covers what’s underneath.
It gives a strong, bright white, which is great for creating highlights or fixing small areas.
For this example, they paint an entire carrot first using regular watercolor. They make sure the whole carrot is dry before adding any white paint.
It’s important to wait! If the paint is still wet, the gouache can mix with it and lose its brightness.
While the carrot dries, they return to the white flower and add a few soft details. They keep it very minimal.
If they add too much, the flower loses that glowing white look. The key is to suggest texture without covering up the clean white paper.
Add details to the flowerOnce the carrot is completely dry, they apply white gouache to add some highlights. They place it where the light naturally hits the carrot, usually on the curved side or near the tip. This final touch gives the carrot form and sparkle.
Final Tips: Choosing the Right Method for Each Object
Depending on the painting, these three techniques can help make white objects look amazing.
- Lifting works best for smooth surfaces like ceramic, where soft gradients and realistic highlights are needed.
- Leaving the object unpainted is ideal for delicate items like flowers. It brings out a gentle glow and keeps the white pure.
- White gouache or acrylic is great for bold highlights or fixing areas after the painting has dried.
Sometimes, they use more than one of these tricks in the same painting. The key is to experiment and see what fits best for the subject.
Final Thoughts
These three watercolor tricks—lifting, leaving the white unpainted, and using white gouache—are simple but powerful. Each one can help white objects shine differently.
Which technique will the reader try first? Feel free to experiment and see what works best for the artist’s style. They’d love to hear how it goes!