Alla Prima Watercolor Painting Technique

Alla Prima Watercolor Painting Technique

Article by Vladimir London, Watercolor Academy tutor

The Italian term alla prima means 'at once' or 'first time'. This painting approach means creating watercolor artworks in one session.

Plein air sketch by Vladimir London, Watercolor Academy tutor

It is the most advanced technique because it demands proficient painting skills, good control of paint flow, the ability to simultaneously judge tonal values and color, a good knowledge of materials, and planning the sequence of painting steps well in advance. These elements only come with knowledge and practice.

When talking about alla prima, Watercolor Academy students often ask me if the artwork has to be started and finished while the paper is still wet. It depends. The key here is to keep the artwork fresh-looking and finish it in one session.

Unlike oil paints, watercolor is a fast-drying medium. That is why what would be the wet-on-wet method in oil painting can end up with dry layer during one session in watercolor.

Plein air sketch by Vladimir London, Watercolor Academy tutor

The session can take one to two hours, for example, which is enough for a loose-style impressionistic artwork. That makes alla prima the technique of choice for artists working "en plein air", which is painting nature from life outdoors.

Plein air sketch by Vladimir London, Watercolor Academy tutor

When painting landscapes alla prima, most often the artist starts the painting with light washes for light, sky, water, ground, vegetation and the other objects in the distant background. They continue to the middle ground with darker tones and finish with the foreground objects and human figures. While the sky is usually painted in one full strength layer, other places and objects can be done by gradually adding colors wet-into-wet.

To learn how to paint in watercolor, enroll now