Watercolor gel polish: coating features.
At the moment, coatings with a spreading effect are a trendy new product, not offered by all brands that produce gel polishes. Among the flagships of watercolor paintings are the brands Nika Nagel (collection "Lady"), Lianail (collection "World of Illusions"), BlueSky (colors from the "B" series) and Irisk (collections "" with enamel texture and "" with mother-of-pearl and microglitter). Why are the new products so interesting?
Their key features include the following characteristics:
- for accurate visual reproduction of the watercolor painting technique, it is necessary to distribute (spread) the textures of the new gel varnishes and create this expressive half-haze effect;
- gel polishes with a spreading effect are not tied to the color of the substrate: on both light and dark, any design option looks impressive. And attracts with the saturation of color solo or beautiful combination color pigments with complementary microglitters or tiny pearlescent particles;
- coatings have a sticky layer, which means they require careful application to avoid contact with the skin (and therefore possible);
- new items do not require special tricks when removing the design and are not capricious in the choice of polymerization of the finished image;
- Unlike classic shellac (), products for this technique are less demanding in terms of choice, since the top coat does not spoil the design when dried.
However, these are not all the positive aspects that tip the scales towards a closer acquaintance with watercolor shellac. We invite you to take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages using the example of the Irisk “Watercolor” and “Watercolor shine” gel polishes presented in our assortment.
Pros and cons of coatings with a spreading effect.
The demand and popularity of watercolor gel polishes is due to their truly unlimited possibilities for creativity. Manicurists emphasize such pros How:- Particularly convenient in creating new unique colors by mixing.
- very beautiful, graceful and attractive visual effect.
- With watercolor gel polishes it is simply impossible to create something stylistically inexpressive.
- You don’t need a large arsenal of brushes to create images like those from artists’ paintings.
- aqua shellacs do not require any additional decoration, or.
- huge variety of designs.
- speed of work on creating and deleting an image.
As for possible disadvantages , that is:
- the need to purchase a special base (from Irisk this is the base of Wet Gel Polish -, and), without it the spreading effect will not work at all;
- You can’t get a full coverage with these gel polishes, as they are mostly decorative. However, you can create a multi-colored marble effect by layering complimentary colors;
- These gel polishes must be stored and used in compliance with all rules for handling shellac products, since it is undesirable to dilute them with topcoat if there is a hint of thickening, or even with exactly the same new gel polish. Since the half-haze effect will no longer be the same as it was originally intended. And experiments with resuscitation will not have the best effect on the wearing time;
- since space is needed for spreading, such gel polishes will certainly give greater scope for creativity on long nails;
- Unlike collections of classic gel polishes, new products are not so numerous quantitatively. Which, however, is an additional reason to experiment with mixing colors together.
How to correctly create a long-lasting manicure with watercolor gel polishes that attracts attention with its beauty and emphasizes the beauty of your nails (both natural and extended)?
Manicure “wet”: how to work correctly with watercolor gel polishes.
If you follow all the recommendations for working with watercolor gel polishes, even a small palette of shades can be turned into reliable assistants for a 100% gorgeous result. Do you want soulfully soft, soulfully feminine image-pictures on your fingers? Do you like stunningly beautiful designs in the style of “Zhostovo painting” or “romantic gradient”? Flowing gel polishes can handle any client’s whim. We prepare your nails as standard for applying gel polish (classic edged or unedged manicure with) and start creating a masterpiece!For abstractions you can use, for paintings and drawings - for painting and for installing rhinestones or.
The steps for creating a watercolor design without a color base are as follows:
- We form the desired shape and, if necessary, create the desired length.
- We remove the natural gloss from the surface of the natural nail and apply. If necessary, we apply.
- If you are creating a rich image, immediately start applying a special base. For a softer and airier design, it is better to resort to base coats.
- Next, apply a thin layer of Wet Gel Polish base coat and, without polymerizing it, begin painting.
- We create the necessary elements on the surface in a very thin layer. The thinner the layer, the more expressive the spreading. At the same time, we try not to apply the brush to the same place many times (the effect may deteriorate). If the gel polish does not spread sufficiently gradiently, stretch it with a thin brush and send it to dry in the lamp. The total spreading time of the pattern elements is from 10-15 to 30 seconds.
- We polymerize the design for 30 seconds (2 minutes in ), cover the image with finish (for further decoration it is better to choose).
- If desired, we complete the painting, attach the rhinestones, covering the gaps with a layer of topcoat.
- Repeat drying and admire the finished manicure.
Steps for creating a watercolor design with a colored background:
- We carry out basic nail preparation, apply a base for gel polish (or) and dry it in a lamp in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations (in a LED device - 30 seconds, in a uv lamp for 2 minutes). If desired, do not forget to remove the sticky layer.
- We cover the nail in 2-3 layers evenly and thinly, drying it in a lamp layer by layer.
- We follow steps 4-8 from the previous master class.
Nail design ideas with watercolor gel polishes: photos and videos.
Designs with a flowing effect are universal for any length and shape of nails. However, to make your fingers look as impressive as possible, choose ideas that are most expressive for your hands. For example, for short nails, images where the pattern covers the entire surface are suitable. These are abstractions and marine themes. They will help to advantageously present the shape of the nail and make the design a stylish and beautiful accent of the entire image.
For long nails, it is better to choose single and large images, or many small ones. Ideal - large flowers, stylized marble, stones, reptile skin. Medium length Anything will do – from small details to entire images and paintings. Let's look at typical photo examples of popular nail art for watercolor gel polishes.
Marine images.
Using a dots or a brush, apply the spots randomly. Let them spread like pebbles on seabed. Decor suitable for such designs is:
Abstract manicure.
Another quick option. Dots or curls, chaotic strokes or ray blots. And the best part is that in the case of a chaotic design, you are not limited in color choice. Contrasting combinations are even welcome. Especially for a multi-color look.
Floral designs.
They require some painstaking effort to create. Place 4-5 dots around the circle and use a thin brush to draw the petals towards the center of the circle or vice versa, towards the edges of the nail. This design looks most beautiful with rhinestones imitating a rose or stamen bouillons.
Marble (stone) images.
The design is similar to the design with reptiles (large-cell marble). Or you can create the effect of veined stones by extending dots in thin lines to the free edge of the nail. In such images you need to use 2 contrasting colors (the main texture and veins), but remembering the “living” analogues.
For beginners who are discovering the world of design with watercolor gel polishes for the first time, they should start their acquaintance with a training video from the Irisk company.
For experienced craftsmen, we can only wish pleasant creativity and enthusiastic compliments to their skillful hands from grateful clients!
A colorful manicure requires a lot of effort and time. After all, most types of colorful manicure are done using a brush or needle. At the moment when the question arises about what kind of manicure to do, you can see what watercolor looks like. The decision to get a manicure this way will come immediately, because it will not leave any girl indifferent.
Special paints are diluted in water, and they form a kind of film that combines brightness and smooth transitions from one color to another. With the help of such paints you can make any pattern or design, the main thing is to know how to properly handle this material, as it can be very unpredictable.
What is watercolor for nails?
It is worth noting that watercolor for nails is not watercolor paint, which is used for drawing on paper. They have different properties, and therefore are used in different fields.
There are several types of manicure that are created using watercolors. One of them involves blurring the paint from the contours. That is, paint of the desired color is applied to the nail and the contours of the pattern that should be on the nails are drawn.
After this, you need to dry the paint and with a wet brush begin to blur from the edges in the desired direction. After the desired pattern appears, you need to let it dry again, and then draw lines that will give clear shapes and patterns to the blurred paint. By the way, watercolor is very easy to paint, because even after drying it can be renewed by simply brushing it with a wet brush.
All sorts of floral scenes are often made in this way, sometimes even small rhinestones are added to enhance the effect.
If we compare watercolors with watercolor paints, we can conclude that watercolors paint brightly because they have a sheet of white paper as a background. While watercolors for nails are most often used on a transparent (natural) basis. But the masters found a way out of this situation.
In order to add brightness to the watercolor, they came up with the idea of applying French colors, white and pink, to the nail as a base. After the free edge of the nail is covered with white, a watercolor design is applied on top of it, and it looks much brighter, and it will last longer, since there is a base.
Manicure stages
In order to get a clearer outline of the pattern on your nails, you need to do a manicure in several stages. The first involves drawing lines that will be the main color, but they should be blurred. The second stage is to apply white paint along the contour of the first color and again you need to blur the lines. Then it turns out that two bright colors connect and merge into one scale. When making abstract patterns, this method of applying watercolors will look beautiful and contrasting. The drawing will be clearer.
In order to see what kind of result you can expect when performing such procedures, you can look at photos of the finished work, perhaps even with a description of this type of manicure.
Using a special flat brush can make it easier to apply watercolors to your nails. Typically, this brush is used to paint flowers with a clearly defined free edge. In order to make such a manicure, you must first create a background base, and then apply watercolor with a flat brush. After drying, another layer of a different color is applied.
After all the layers of paint have dried, you need to paint decorative elements with another brush, these can be flowers or other objects. A special feature of this manicure is the half-shadow effect created using several layers of paint.
This application technology is considered complex, so many girls shared their videos where they tell and show how to correctly apply each layer of paint.
Blurring watercolor on nails
One of the most important properties of watercolor is blurring. After all, other nail coatings cannot boast of such an opportunity. Therefore, when using watercolors you should always create such effects. An action such as blurring can give the nails a lightening effect, that is, a glare effect. To do this, you need to apply a fairly bright background and wait until it dries.
After complete drying, you need to brush over the area you want to highlight with a dry brush. Typically, this technique is used to draw flowers, the petals of which should have white areas.
There are lessons on how to apply watercolors and create white highlights that will help you learn how to create this effect yourself. When attending a master class on applying watercolors to nails, you can ask the master to clearly explain how this is done.
In order to learn in more detail how to apply watercolors on nails, you can refer to the works of bloggers who show their work step by step, making it clear all the details of such a manicure. Girls often go to beauty salons to get a manicure done with watercolors, so to save time and money, you can learn how to make drawings with special paint yourself.
Video on the topic of the article
Looking at a variety of websites and the works of famous webmasters, you can see stunningly beautiful projects: different from each other, daring and strict, funny and unusual. Among them, it is not uncommon to find website designs that are based on artistic watercolor effects and styles. Despite the abundance of trends and standards in web design, watercolor, as a type of processing of photographs and elements, is often used and gives the site unusualness and beauty. And this despite the fact that the subject of projects can be very different from construction to medicine or banking.
Watercolor style is used in different ways, but for one purpose: to emphasize the content of the site. If you want to experiment with web design style or learn how to create a watercolor effect, or maybe even add to your repository of Photoshop usefulness and examples, then we have it all. We'll talk about this below.
Let’s say right away that this material contains only a small number of examples of web design in a watercolor style. In our previous articles, we have already given examples of hand-drawn styles and watercolor, in particular.
Airiness and lightness
One of the great things about the watercolor style is that you can use both light and dark shades on the canvas. But only a light background gives the whole design openness and airiness. In pursuit of minimalism, it is enough to create a few simple stylistic images on canvas that will decorate the severity and rigor that surrounds them.
Look at the projects Blocks App, Creativemint Type pad, The Little Things Movie, JacksonVille art walk, Caava Design, Proud Punch. All of them have a watercolor background or some individual elements in this style. At the same time, the integrity of perception is not broken, and the effects themselves attract the gaze and attention of the visitor.
The project deserves special mention HP Sound in Color. It is all made in the style of watercolor strokes and stains, with the addition of animation and gradients. Looks amazingly beautiful, but don't forget to connect a microphone!
Artistic watercolor
Often, web design is performed in a highly artistic watercolor style, combined with art, that is, pencil drawings, the objects of which have clear boundaries. These are projects Ryan Scherf, Ernest and Celestine, Collette Dinnigan, House on Khlebnoy, Lapierrequitourne, Doudou Blues. Of course, this style is not suitable for every type of site, but at the same time it gives the project sophistication and originality. Whether you are selling apartments or cookies, decorating the entire design in a hand-drawn style allows the artist to reduce the distance between site visitors and the owner (company) and create a little intimacy.
.jpg)
Moreover, usually such designs are additionally equipped with animation. Light, barely noticeable, but so necessary to bring the picture to life. And most importantly, the artistic illustration does not cause negativity among adult visitors and does not form the opinion that if it is drawn, it is for children.
Font decoration
Due to the light nature of the watercolor style, many designers use a combination of this effect with fantastically beautiful fonts. The decision is quite bold, since you have to remember that what is written must be well and clearly read, and if you use an “unfortunate” brush thickness when writing or the font itself is too intricate, then site visitors will be able to understand what is written on the image or logo.
Let's look at examples of sites Bilan-trends , Proud and Punch , Keep earth quakes weird , Boat , doudoublues and again a French company lapierrequitourne and even Reebok.
The background is used in a watercolor style in the form of illustrations or brushstrokes, but the fonts are either calligraphic or strict, but appropriate in color and type. In this case, the font style must be combined with the illustration style. The Boat website is created with strokes and streaks, and therefore the font looks similar. Doudoublues, with its outline style, has a crisper serif font with small decorative elements. In other words, for any watercolor version in web design, a corresponding font is used.
Features of using watercolor
We looked at some examples of web design in a watercolor style. Now let’s think about how exactly you can use watercolors in web design. These can be individual elements or combined with each other. For example, a photograph + background in the form of stains, splashes and strokes. Or an illustrated background and strict information blocks and icons. The trick is to create a match with the content, otherwise the watercolor will overwhelm the design as a whole and make it difficult to perceive the site and the information on it.
To start working with style: choose a font, create a layout, make a watercolor background, think over the dominant image of the project and paint it in watercolors too. Now look at the combination of the result with the theme.
If a photograph is used as a background, you can refresh it and apply a watercolor effect to it. The design as a whole will not need to be changed, but only one such background can change the perception and appearance of the site as a whole.
Resources forPhotoshop
Before you start working with watercolors digitally, in other words, in Photoshop, you need to stock up on beautiful fonts and brushes. But if you're not sure whether your photo or design element will look beautiful in a watercolor style, then there are several interesting tools and collections.
Watercolor backgrounds
Resource Freepick has a collection of more than 8,000 different textures and backgrounds. Designers will only have to choose a type, and the color can then be adjusted in Photoshop.
Pixabay also has a huge selection of backgrounds and textures with strokes and gradients. There are even ready-made drawings.
Watercolor brushes
Since drawing is a creative process, the movements of the brush are always different. It's difficult to find repeating elements. This is why it is more convenient to have several sets of thematic brushes for Photoshop.
- Watercolor Splatters - 32 splashes per high resolution with a unique shape. There are also three textures in the set.
- Hi-Res Watercolor textures - a few more brushes and strokes that are convenient to work with on canvases of different sizes.
- Watercolor Brushes - 22 high resolution splatter brushes. Neat, ideal for commercial projects.
- WG Dry Paint Strokes - brushes that create an imitation of dry paint strokes. They work with watercolors in different ways, and therefore the sets are created accordingly. There are a total of 10 swab samples here.
- Watercolor Photoshop Brushes Set II - a set of brush strokes that imitate the artist's movement. They look realistic and are created in high resolution.
- Watercolor Strokes Brushes - and another set of strokes of 14 brushes.
Of course, you can find many more different sets on the Internet, but we will use what was given above. For what? Often when the idea of creating a watercolor design comes up, the main problem is how to create an appropriate background. And not just use texture and strokes, but watercolor painting.
Watercolor painting in Photoshop
In reality, this is not difficult to do; you may not even need the ability to draw the outlines of objects with a pencil. It is enough to have the necessary photograph at hand.
Option 1
Open Photoshop and create a new document the right size. We'll take 1280x720. White color. Opens Filter gallery and choose Texture -> Texturizer and customize the canvas texture to suit your mood.
Let's find the texture of old paper on the Internet and place it on a separate layer with Opacity about 70%-50%(to your taste).
Place the desired photo on a new layer and create a group from one layerCTRL+G. Then go to the menu Layers -> Layer Mask -> Hide All and we see a mask next to the group, but there will be no image.
Now comes the most difficult and interesting part. Using different watercolor brushes with white color, start brushing the image where you want. Don't forget about splashes, blurs, pressure, and brush transparency. Get creative, change the brushes and their sizes. There is no universal recipe here.
Let's add another layer that will be under the group, but above the background (it will not be included in the group). And also with strokes, but of different colors, we will paint some places. Blend Mode - Multiply. In this case, new splashes and drops may appear again.
Go to the photo layer and open Filter Gallery -> Simulate -> Dry Brush. And we set the approximate parameters: brush size - 0, detail - 9, texture - 1.
And this is what we got. Additionally, you can change the transparency of the texture layer and play with blending modes. And here are more examples.
Option 2
Another option for creating watercolors is somewhat more painstaking, but the effect is somewhat different.
Let's create a new layer, fill it with the desired color and place the cut out object on the new layer.
Create a new layer “Aqua1” and paint with a watercolor brush several strokes of some color. Then we put Blend mode "Background Burn".
On the next layer “aqua2” we create more strokes according to our mood. We place this layer UNDER the photo, and Select the blending mode “Multiply”.
Now we choose Brush -> set “Dry Brushes” set to Overlay mode, opacity 30 And different colors we make strokes and paint over areas directly on top of the photo.
Again select the photo layer and go to Filter Gallery -> Simulation -> Dry Brush.
Finally, let's add a few finishing touches. For example, quick release Let's outline our bird and soften the edges. Let's add another layer, a background one, and add some colorful blots. Add a layer with texture (Texturizer), fill it with color and adjust it beige color canvas, turn off the background layer and these are the results.
conclusions
One of the most important things that the watercolor style gives web designers is learn to think artistically (creatively) and fantasize. If you see large Internet projects in this style and want to create something similar yourself, then don’t hesitate and start studying brushes, strokes, spots and experimenting with colors. On the other hand, if you are a supporter of rigor and conservatism, then watercolor effects will simply help you develop creative thinking.
One way or another, watercolor has been used in web design quite often and for many years now. Another point is that it can be difficult to choose a design option and style. Unfortunately, there cannot be a universal recipe here.
The capricious “lady” watercolor managed to win the hearts of not only artists, but also modern designers who, willingly following fashion trends, ennoble the interior, bringing into it a piece of painting. Such an unusual decor with watercolor elements has become very popular among most manufacturers, producing not only wallpaper, dishes, clothes, bed linen, but also furniture with rich, but at the same time delicate upholstery. Such bold ideas will appeal to both art connoisseurs and those who simply decided to dilute gray everyday life with a riot of colors.
1. Poster
Modern manufacturers offer a huge selection of watercolor posters for every taste and color. From ordinary images of nature and animals to the most unusual and daring pictures.
2. Watercolor accent
Tired of monotony? Then take note great idea, which in a matter of minutes will help to dilute the long-boring atmosphere. Decorate a wall or partition with watercolor decor. This will not only lift your spirits, but also add richness to even the simplest room.
3. General view
You can refresh your living room using a common color palette. By combining walls, floors and furniture with each other, you not only create comfort, but also give a special atmosphere, emphasizing your interior, giving Special attention blurry walls with soft transitions and smooth lines, more like a huge watercolor painting.
4. Imitation canvas
Recently, art and design, closely intertwined with each other, have safely moved into the interior, becoming its integral part. So, for example, a wall with imitation canvas - great solution for those who want to transform not only the bedroom and living room, but also the kitchen.
5. Watercolor bed linen
Such bed linen is an amazing find for those who want to please themselves and their loved ones with something simple, but at the same time unusual. Such sets will look great both in children's rooms and in adult bedrooms.
6. Watercolor upholstery
“Watercolor” chairs, sofas and headboards look very stylish. Such furniture will delight you for a long time with its bright colors, reminiscent of hot summer or the first days of fragrant autumn.
7. Watercolor in the bedroom
An accent wall with a beautiful watercolor pattern (it can be prints, photo wallpaper, or a real drawing created by an artist) will not only create a pleasant atmosphere in the bedroom, but also give a romantic mood.
8. Watercolor curtains
Such curtains will look ideal not only in bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens, but also in bathrooms.
9. Rugs, pillows and other decorative elements
Charming ones will help transform any room decorative pillows, rugs and roller blinds, made in a watercolor theme.
La Chicana Design
No matter how old you are, perhaps when you were a toddler, watercolors were yours jam. But watercolors have been a treasure for artists for hundreds of years. Their excellent appearance has made them a firm favorite for everyone from preschoolers making a mess during crafts to seasoned artists looking to create their next masterpiece.
Watercolors are a classic style, but in recent years they have also become one of the most popular trends in the design world for everything from illustration to logo design to text effects.
But what exactly is going on with the watercolor trend that designers are jumping on board with? Why are watercolors so hot right now? And how can you incorporate watercolors into your designs in a way that feels on-trend and has a lasting impact on your audience?
First Things: Defining a Watercolor Trend
—
Image via Great Courses Before we dive into how to incorporate the watercolor trend into your designs, let's talk about what exactly watercolor design is.
Watercolor design is, well, exactly what it sounds like. It includes watercolors in your projects, which you can do by: a) creating digital paintings (in a program like Photoshop) that mimic the look of watercolor paint, or b) actually using watercolors to paint on paper, scanning into finished products , and then use them to create digital projects.
There are several key characteristics that define a watercolor style, including:
Water effect
Design by Ksenia Erikovna Remember when you used to dip your brush into water to paint it and paint it across the page? This "water" effect, where the color appears to bleed onto the page, is one of the key characteristics of the watercolor trend.
The water effect can happen when you have one color (where the color bleeds onto the page or background of the design) or multiple colors (where the colors seem to bleed together). The thing is, for something to be considered a watercolor design, it has to actually look like it was created with water.
Texture
Design by T o n k a Another characteristic of watercolor design? Texture.
That water effect we were just talking about? It creates some super interesting and unique textures that you won't see with any other design. Water changes the saturation of the color, how it spreads across the page, how it interacts with other colors in the design... and it all comes together to create depth and interest that screams "watercolor."
Defective Appearance
Design by extrafin One of the coolest things about the watercolor trend—and one of the reasons it's such a moment right now—is the imperfect look and feel you'll get with the final design.
The handcrafted vibe inherent in watercolors (whether hand-painted or digitally created) lends itself to a certain unique, singular quality that is difficult to find with more streamlined, color-in-the-line projects. It looks imperfect, but on purpose, which creates a cool, effortless, handmade effect that people (and brands!) love.
Where (and how) is the watercolor trend emerging?
—
Okay, so now that we've covered the watercolor trend, let's talk about how and where it's popping up.
One of the reasons the watercolor trend is so popular is that it's incredibly versatile. You can use a subtle watercolor effect as an accent in a design, create a more complex pattern for a background that has a real "wow" factor, or incorporate it as a detailed focal point in your design.
And where does it appear? In a word - everywhere.
Logo design
For logo design, incorporating the watercolor trend as an accent in text or as part of a graphic image is a great way to add visual interest and a handcrafted feel to your logo.
ananana14 logo design Business Cards
For business cards, the watercolor design trend makes the perfect backdrop—so the effect is subtle and doesn't take away from the contact information on the card.
Design business card Julia Panchenko Web design
There are many ways to incorporate the watercolor trend into web design. You can use it as a subtle background, a bolder pattern, or small accents (like in a graphic). There's nothing wrong with watercolor and web design, so get wild!
Image via Collette Dinnigan 
MVB website design
Book covers
If you want your book to jump off the shelf, you need to grab people's attention, and the watercolor trend is a great way to do that. Use bold or soft colors, different colors or multiple tones of the same color, a subtle background or a more prominent accent - no matter what you choose, it will make a statement while adding some personality and flair.
Book cover design by BeniceSebass 
Book cover design by An108
Package
With packaging, it's the same principle as with book covers - the watercolor trend will give your product packaging a unique, unique feel. You want your product to grab the attention of your ideal customers, so incorporate watercolors in any way that feels true to your brand and uses them to tell your customers who you are.
Product packaging design with wow-wow bow Cloth
With clothing, the key to successfully embracing the watercolor trend? Less - more. Nobody wants to walk around looking like a bunch of watercolors exploded all over their t-shirt, so if you're going for a background effect, keep the colors subtle. If you want to use bold, strong colors, keep it in a small accent for maximum impact (without creating visual overwhelm).
Clothing design by Konstantin Kostenko for the dog Bright How to Incorporate the Watercolor Trend in Your Projects
—
Okay, now that you've seen what the watercolor trend looks like in action, let's talk about how to incorporate it into your projects.
Here are a few best practices to keep in mind to make the watercolor trend work for you:
Use colors that work together
Design by Strijkdesign Watercolor trend - a great opportunity manifest creativity to color selection—but you can't throw color theory out the window.
If you want your final design to be visually appealing, you need to choose colors that work together. Try it different shades the same color (such as light and dark green), colors next to each other on the color wheel (such as purple and blue), or similarly shaded colors (such as pastels) for better effect.
Limit your design to three colors
The defining characteristic of the watercolor trend is the way the colors flow together. And it's a lovely look - as long as you keep the number of flowers to a minimum. If you're using real watercolors and going for a burn-it-together look, stick to just a few colors with your watercolor design—three or less is best. Anything more and your colors will look like a tangled brown mess when they bleed out. If you really want to use all the colors of the rainbow in your design, be sure to keep them separate or wait for the first layer to dry before starting with the next one.
Select a focal point
The watercolor paint design trend works best when it's limited to one focal point, whether that's the font in your logo, a patterned background for your website, or as a style frame for your illustration. If you try to incorporate it in too many ways—like the background, text, and graphics of your logo—it can feel visually overwhelming.
Don't get caught up in trying to make your design perfect.
Design by Rebecca Reck Art As we mentioned earlier, one of the biggest appeals of the watercolor design trend is the "imperfect goal", so don't try to make your design perfect.
The best watercolor designs are a little unpolished, but this simply adds to their visual interest. Imperfections, slapdash lines and splotches are exactly what makes watercolor designs so unique and natural. So go ahead, live a little - (water) color outside the lines.
Hop on the watercolor trend
—
As you can see, watercolor is one of the most versatile design trends right now. You can use the watercolor trend to add flair and personality to almost anything, and if its recent popularity is any indication, it's here to stay. And now that you know how to make the watercolor trend work for you, all that's left to do is get the design!
