Squeeze the tube of watercolor to push out a dab of paint into a cup into your palette. Depending on the pigment and manufacturer, the paint may have the viscosity somewhere between that of toothpaste and that of ketchup. Once water is added, a small dab can go a long way. When painting large areas of flat wash, be sure not to underestimate. If you have to go back and remix additional paint to finish the area, the edge of your earlier strokes will dry and leave a visible mark.

Set 2 cups or jars filled with water onto the surface of your workstation - clean your brush in one and wet your brush in the other. Dip the brush into the water to fully saturate it. When adding water to the paint, you'll keep the brush saturated to bring a good amount of water into the mix. Drain excess water off of the brush by pressing it against the lip of the jar, as needed. This way your carefully mixxed solution of paint and water will not be further dilluted.