Capstone Practice: A Wash Sampler Sheet and a Simple Mini Painting

Capstone Overview: One Sheet, Two Outcomes

This capstone turns your materials choices and wash skills into two deliverables: (1) a sampler sheet you can keep as a reference, and (2) a small, finished mini painting that deliberately uses specific wash types and edge variety. Work at a calm pace and treat each section like a controlled test rather than a performance.

What You’ll Need (Keep It Simple)

• One sheet of watercolor paper (use a half sheet or quarter sheet; leave room for both sampler and mini painting).
• Two brushes: one larger for washes, one smaller for shapes/edges.
• Two pigments you know behave well (plus optional neutral for deepening).
• Two water containers (clean rinse + mixing), tissue/paper towel, and a pencil + waterproof pen for labels.

Layout suggestion: Divide the page into two zones: left 2/3 for the sampler grid, right 1/3 for the mini painting (or top/bottom split if you prefer). Lightly pencil boxes before you paint.

(1) Produce a Labeled Sampler Sheet

Make six small test areas and label them after they are dry (or label first in pencil if you’re confident you won’t smear). Aim for boxes about 5–7 cm (2–3 in) wide so you can see behavior clearly.

Sampler Setup: Pre-draw and Pre-mix

• Pencil six boxes with small label space beneath each.
• Mix one “base puddle” (your main color) large enough for multiple boxes.
• Mix a second puddle (either a second hue for variegation or a darker version for grading).
• Keep a small puddle of clean water for controlled dilution.

A. Flat Wash Box (Evenness Check)

Steps

• Load the larger brush with your base puddle.
• Paint the box using overlapping strokes, keeping a consistent wet edge.
• Finish with a single light “leveling pass” only if needed; then stop.

Label: “Flat wash” and note the pigment mix (e.g., “Ultramarine + water”).

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B. Graded Wash Box (Dark to Light)

Steps

• Start at the top of the box with a darker mix.
• Rinse, blot slightly, then pull the bead downward while gradually introducing more clean water.
• End with clear water at the lightest area; avoid overworking the mid-zone.

Quick diagnostic note under the box: “Smooth / slight band / banding” (circle one).

C. Variegated Wash Box (Two-Color Blend)

Steps

• Wet the box lightly (or begin on damp paper if you want softer transitions).
• Lay in Color A on one side, then introduce Color B on the other side.
• Let them meet and mingle with minimal brushing; guide the boundary once, then leave it.

Label: list both pigments used and whether the paper was “damp” or “dry start.”

D. Wet-on-Wet Bloom Test (Intentional Blooms)

This is not about avoiding blooms—it’s about placing them on purpose so you can recognize timing.

Steps

• Wet the box evenly with clean water until it has a uniform sheen (no puddles).
• Drop in a mid-value wash and let it settle for 10–20 seconds.
• With a clean brush, introduce a small drop of cleaner water (or a lighter mix) into one corner to create a bloom.
• Make a second bloom later (wait a bit longer) so you can compare “early vs late” timing.

Label: “Bloom test” and add two small notes: “early” and “late.”

E. Lifting Test (Controlled Light Recovery)

Steps

• Paint a mid-to-dark wash rectangle and let it dry fully.
• With a clean, damp (not wet) brush, rub gently in a small circle or stripe for 3–5 seconds.
• Blot with tissue; repeat once if needed, then stop.
• Optionally test a second method: a crisp lift with the edge of a damp brush for a thin highlight line.

Label: “Lift test” and note: “easy / moderate / stubborn” and any paper surface change you observe.

F. Two-Layer Glaze Square (Value Deepening)

Steps

• Paint a light, even first layer and let it dry completely.
• Apply a second transparent layer over the entire square (same pigment to deepen value, or a compatible hue to shift temperature).
• Use a light touch; aim for one pass per area rather than repeated brushing.

Label: “2-layer glaze” and note whether the second layer was “same color” or “shifted.”

(2) Mini Painting Brief: Simple Scene or Still Life

Create a small painting (about postcard size) that includes: (a) at least one graded wash for the background, (b) one variegated wash for the main area, (c) one glaze to deepen value, and (d) intentional edge variety (hard, soft, and at least one lost edge).

Choose One of These Simple Subjects

• Still life: a single mug with a lemon beside it (simple shapes, clear light).
• Simple scene: a horizon with sky and a single tree silhouette or a small house shape.
• Botanical: one leaf cluster with a stem in a small jar.

Mini Painting Plan (3 Values, 2–3 Shapes)

Before paint, make a 20-second plan in pencil: outline only the biggest shapes and mark where your lightest area will remain paper white. Keep detail minimal; the goal is wash control and edges, not texture rendering.

Step-by-Step Painting Sequence

Step 1: Background Graded Wash (Required)

• Paint a graded wash behind the subject (e.g., darker at top fading down, or darker behind the object fading outward).
• Keep the subject shape mostly dry/clean by painting around it, or allow a soft “halo” edge if you want a lost edge later.
• Let it dry until it is no longer cool to the touch before moving on.

Step 2: Main Area Variegated Wash (Required)

• Paint the main shape (mug body, tree mass, leaf cluster) with a variegated wash: introduce a second hue to suggest light temperature change or form turn.
• Decide where you want a soft edge (form turning away) and where you want a hard edge (cast shadow boundary or object overlap).
• Reserve one area for a lost edge by letting the main shape merge into a similar-value background edge.

Step 3: Secondary Shapes and Anchors

• Add one or two supporting shapes (table edge, jar rim, ground shadow, or a simple branch).
• Keep these simpler and slightly lighter than your darkest planned accents so you still have room to deepen later.

Step 4: Glaze for Value Deepening (Required)

• When the painting is fully dry, glaze selectively to deepen value: under the mug lip, the shadow side, under the lemon, or the tree’s core shadow.
• Use the glaze to clarify the focal area rather than darkening everything.
• Preserve at least one lighter passage so the painting keeps a value hierarchy.

Step 5: Edge Variety Pass (Intentional)

Make edge decisions deliberately rather than “fixing.” Use this checklist as you adjust:

• Hard edge: one crisp boundary at the focal point (e.g., mug rim highlight edge or tree trunk against sky).
• Soft edge: one softened boundary on the non-focal side (e.g., shadow side of object).
• Lost edge: one boundary that disappears into the background (similar value, minimal contrast).

If you need to soften an edge, do it with a clean, barely damp brush and one gentle pass—then stop.

(3) Quality Checks (Use Your Sampler as a Reference)

Evenness

• Flat areas: Do you see streaks, backruns, or dull patches? Compare to your flat wash box.
• Glaze areas: Is the second layer even, or does it show brush marks? Compare to your glaze square.

Clean Transitions

• Graded wash: Is the transition smooth or banded? If banded, note where it happened (top third, middle, bottom).
• Variegated wash: Does the blend stay luminous, or did it turn gray? Note whether the grayness sits at the overlap zone (often a sign of over-brushing or too many passes).

Minimal Mud

• Check the overlap zones: are they transparent and clear, or opaque-looking and dull?
• Identify whether mud came from mixing too many pigments or from disturbing a layer that wasn’t fully dry.

Controlled Blooms

• Are blooms present only where you intended (from the bloom test timing), or did they appear in flat/graded areas?
• If unintended blooms occurred, mark their location and what you were doing right before they appeared (adding wetter paint, re-wetting an edge, tilting the paper).

(4) Reflection Prompts (Write Directly Under the Sheet)

Water-Control Improvement (Choose One)

• Where did you lose control of the bead or sheen (flat wash, graded wash, variegated area, or glaze)?
• What single change will you try next time? Examples: “Mix a larger puddle,” “Blot brush once before touching damp paper,” “Stop after one guiding stroke in the blend zone,” “Wait 2 more minutes before glazing.”

Material Adjustment (Choose One: Paper, Brush, or Mixture)

• Paper: Would a different surface (rough/cold press/hot press) help your edges or lifting result? Note what you observed in the lifting test.
• Brush: Did your wash brush hold enough liquid to keep strokes continuous? If not, note whether a larger brush or different shape would help.
• Mixture: Was your mix too weak (needed many passes) or too strong (hard to control)? Write one adjustment: “slightly more pigment,” “slightly more water,” or “separate puddles for light/mid/dark.”

Fill-in format (copy/paste onto your page):

Water-control improvement I will focus on next time: ____________________________  Because: ____________________________ Material adjustment I will make next time (paper/brush/mixture): __________________  Because: ____________________________