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Watercolor Painting Tutorials

Advanced Color Gradation: Atmospheric Watercolor

Master advanced watercolor color gradation techniques using complex variegated foundations. Learn atmospheric color temperature relationships, systematic value control, and universal application methods.

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

— 6 min read
Advanced Color Gradation: Atmospheric Watercolor - hero image with gear and upward pointing arrow

Alright, so we're going to build on what we covered with simple gradation washes and add more variation to it - more color complexity while keeping that light, atmospheric feel.

Instead of doing a simple one-color wash initially, we're going to start with something more complex. Think light blue, very light, kind of a yellowish-blue, then get more intense with yellow, and even though we're not filling everything in, we'll get to a cooler blue.

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Starting with Complex Variegated Foundations

Here's the thing - this initial wash is more complex because we're adding variegation to it, but we're trying to keep it all one value at the same time. We're not going to get cute and do too much with it.

I'll use cerulean blue, and because this is so light in value - really watered down - I'm not going to over-blend it. Maybe right in here I'll add a little stronger yellow, then get back to this cool wash.

Because this value is so light, really watered down so much, I can even go with a little alizarin crimson toward the bottom. We'll get a fairly complex wash there, but because it's so light, it won't hurt what we're doing with the buildings.

The Value Control Secret

If I were going with like a milk mixture, this would be darker. So here's what I mean - if I take this last color and think "oh, I want that darker," I'd have to add more pigment. That's the only way to really get it darker. But then you're running the risk of having to go super dark for the buildings, and I don't want to do that.

I want to keep these buildings gradated - a value gradation where I can start light and work my way darker as I get to the bottom.

Advanced color gradation watercolor demonstration showing complex variegated foundation with atmospheric color temperature progression, warm ochres, cool blues, and wet-into-wet integration techniques
Advanced color gradation watercolor washes - demo image

Planning Ahead with Color

Let's say down here we've got some red awnings. I'll go with cad red light and a touch of crimson, again very pale. This is still really wet, so I can just run that right into it. That's thinking ahead, planning for the future.

I have to know - and you need to know - that these buildings will start out darker than the sky but light in value here. As we get to the bottom, it's going to be darker. That means I can easily go over all this broad stroke of alizarin crimson and negative space paint around it, giving that illusion of awnings and umbrellas.

Building the Atmospheric Layers

At this point, I want to let it dry. I'll use a dryer because if this moves around a little bit, it's not going to hurt much.

Once it's dry to the touch, I've got two sections of buildings - this one in the back and this section here. I'm going to start with the one in the very back with some lavender. You may not have lavender - just use cerulean blue and maybe a touch of neutral tint.

I want that very weak, so I'm still dealing with tea consistency. If I run my finger through it, you can see no separation - it just beads right back up into a puddle.

Color Temperature for Atmosphere

As I get down toward the bottom, I'll add a touch more color - not much - and maybe even a little red. I want to keep this dominant blue, so just a little there.

Now I'll use some warm hues - ochre here. Look at this mixture, notice how pale that is. I can even add a little red into it - won't hurt. Let's start adding this building, knowing that's wet-on-wet, so it's going to touch, blend, and bleed.

I'm going to start very weak, light in value up here. Maybe as we get to the edge, come back to these blues and cool it off a little. I'll just drop some of those blues in there - that's giving me sophistication in that wash.

When Things Go "Wrong"

Now, let's say you're like "oh, I didn't want that there." You can't do much about it right now. If you go in and start fussing with it, you'll ruin that freshness. Just keep that watercolor feel alive - that's what makes it charming.

But if you want to soften those edges, you can wet your brush - get all that paint off it, tap tap to remove excess - then soften that edge. That creates depth.

The Universal Application

This technique works for anything. This could be a vase with grapes - the top of the vase is really light in value, then as we get down it gets more saturated, more intense, darker in values.

You can use this on roses, interior still lifes, any subject. The goal is to familiarize yourself with these washes and different ways to use the medium.

What Makes This Advanced

What adds complexity here? Well, instead of a flat wash like Naples yellow, we did a variegation with intent. We didn't just do it mindlessly - we wanted blue atmospheric feeling up top, warm sky toward the horizon, trickling into violet as it came down.

Then we came back and did variegated washes over top. I could have made the value lighter up here, darker as it came down - kind of did it with thicker paint, but it could have been more transparent.

Key Takeaways

Remember, everything we do with watercolor is set up through washes - simple ones, complex ones, layered washes. This is wet-on-dry (wash, let dry, layer over it) but still working wet-into-wet in places.

There's not one way to do things. The whole purpose is getting you to think about different washes so you don't just use one method all the time. Know that you can start lighter and work your way down with any subject.

Integration with Complete Advanced Technique System

This advanced color gradation builds upon and integrates with:

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