Arches 100% Cotton Watercolour Paper 300gsm

Start with good-quality paints which contain a greater percentage of pigment to filler, producing cleaner, stronger and more vibrant colours. This will also provide better colour-mixing results. Choose a 100% cotton or a cotton blend paper to ensure surface can hold water and is durable.

One colour on wet paper seen above. Apply clean water to the paper. Lightly brush or dab paint onto the wet surface and watch the colour run and interact with the wet and textured surface.

Experiment by layering multiple wet paint colours and layers on top of each other.

Create organic blends by adding more than one colour.

Paint a shape, clean the brush in water then blot, so brush is damp not wet. Expand the shape by slowly pulling out its edge. You may need to occasionally wipe the brush in between strokes, depending on the strength of the colour. NB: If the brush is too wet, the colour will just keep flowing and a dark to light effect will not be achieved.

Paint two strokes using two different colours, leaving a gap in between. Clean brush. Work the edge of each to pull and extend the colours until they blend together in the middle.

Table salt used above. Apply salt to wet artwork. Salt will absorb the moisture, leaving a lighter colour wherever it has touched the surface. The results are complex mottling and speckling.

Experiment with different salt sizes and use sparingly for best results. For a sharper texture allow the paint to semi-dry before applying the salt.

Alcohol droplets seen above. To create bleach-like effects, gently brush an alcohol-based liquid onto wet artwork.

You can control the size of the cells by using different brushes. Jacquard Piñata Clear Extender and Copic Colourless Blender Ink are both suitable.

Tissue – heavily dabbed used above. Lightly dab wet watercolour with a scrunched-up tissue. You can vary the lightness by how hard you press.

Swap the tissue for plastic food wrap, aluminium foil and bubble wrap to explore the differences each will create. Leave the dabber on the surface until paint has dried to vary the effect.