The “alla prima” technique can be described as a fast, creative manner of writing, and the Italian term itself can be translated with the words “in one go”. The picture, if you work in this manner, is written immediately in one session, i.e. no steps that require layers to dry before re-applying the next. The main thing here is to capture the essence, to show the most interesting with bold colorful spots, while avoiding glazing - the colors should be pure.
This technique is applicable both in oil painting and in watercolor, but there are differences - watercolor is fluid and transparent, so it is very important to avoid "dirty" flows, but at the same time, the infusion of color into color can be used to advantage.
You need to start work with an analysis of nature - try to conditionally, in your imagination, break the object into spots of color, and do not forget to “weigh” on a darker / lighter scale. You can start with the most intense, bright colors and work your way up to the lighter ones. Actually, each spot of color is applied to its place, and the image is formed, as it were, like a mosaic. You can, of course, overlap something again, but in watercolor this can lead to a loss of freshness.
The leaflet exercises illustrate the above.
And this is fruit. Isn't it beautiful?
By the way, this technique is indispensable if you need to quickly capture something elusive. Such work can serve as a sketch, or an independent work, if you can do it carefully. For example, I will try to portray a bird - the most restless creature. The parrot is offered a branch of grapes, and while he is tormenting it, I take up paints.
I'll start with the bird (before it turned the other side, I had a minute).
I write everything else in the same way - I immediately apply the color that is needed in one place or another.
Perhaps this method of painting seems too free, but it, like no other, contributes to the acquisition of confidence, because it requires a tenacious look and a firm hand. The pictorial work will have a lively breath and the power of a real impression right from the scene.
Translated from Italian, "alla prima" means "in one step." This is a technique in which the drawing is done immediately, without retouching, also known as "painting without underpainting". If you want to work with this technique, all you need is to be able to finish the drawing before the paint dries. This may require one or more sessions, although purists argue that one is enough.
This definition leaves room for different interpretations. For example, some say that retouching is permissible until the paint is dry, while others believe that in the alla prima technique, every stroke matters and should not be corrected. Most agree that you can erase and redo those places that you do not like. You can choose what you like. For many, this is a favorite technique, because it has a place for spontaneity and freshness.
The alla prima technique, as it exists today, was first used in the 16th century by the Flemish artist Frans Hals. It was very different from the then common and very time-consuming practice of using underpainting and many layers of paint. In fact, his one-step drawing techniques have been used since ancient times and are instinctively understandable. Due to its speed, the alla prima technique is often used in plein air painting, oil sketches and preliminary studies.
Use a tinted canvas or base
A white surface can be distracting or embarrassing. In addition, it will not be scary if there are unpainted parts of the canvas somewhere. Use a medium or neutral tone. Personally, I like grayish-pink the most.
Consider colors
Prepare the colors you want to use and try to limit the palette. Mark places where there will be a lot of flowers with a brush, pencil or charcoal (you need to be careful with it - make sure that it does not spoil the color of the paint). Remember that the purpose of this preparation is to create a drawing in one layer. Despite the fact that painting "alla prima" is instinctive to some extent, it is quite difficult to achieve a good result without planning.
Move from dark to light colors
This is my personal preference; some artists do the opposite, going from light to dark, or even start with neutral colors. The advantage of going from dark to light tones is that when you work with fresh paint, the colors blend quickly. It will be difficult to get a rich dark color if there is already a lighter one underneath. The lightest colors are best used last.
Be confident
Start with the largest brush and end with the smallest one, and don't skimp on the paint - pick it up profusely. Make confident strokes. The main principle of "Alla Prima" is that every stroke matters.
Do not overload individual sections
If you make a mistake, just strip the paint down to the canvas and start over. This will help you maintain a fresh, economical finish to your alla prima work.
Three samples
If you run out of inspiration, you can consider the work of some masters. Explore light, colorful portraits by the Dutch artist Frans Hals, as well as paintings by the great impressionist Edouard Manet, who used the alla prima technique to capture fleeting here-and-now phenomena such as clouds or sunsets. Finally, discover Tom Thompson, a Canadian landscape painter of the early 20th century. This is a lesser known artist, the author of bright miniature oil sketches.
Alla prima (ala prima) is a painting technique watercolor on wet, implying work completed in one session. The term applies to both oil and watercolor painting. Basically, it's a job at a time.
Alla prima oil
As far as oil is concerned, the technique is good for many reasons. Typically, this material is characterized by long-term work with the canvas. This is due to the different drying time of different layers. Due to the imposition of fresh smears on an already dried one, cracks subsequently appear. And when working Alla prima (or a la prima), the master writes only one layer, thus avoiding the difficulty with applying glazes. In addition, due to the lack of a huge number of layers, the work remains fresh. In some places you can even notice as if illuminated areas. This effect gives a primed canvas translucent through transparent layers of paint. In addition, such a lively manner allows you to make more dynamic and expressive work. This technique was especially popular with the Impressionists. Artists loved to paint in nature, creating in the field no longer sketches, but finished works that took place. 
Alla prima watercolor
If we turn to watercolors, we will see how this material is revealed in the hands of the master in a completely new guise. In fact, working A la prima, the artist writes in one sitting. Since this is almost impossible with watercolor, paintings in this technique are always painted in raw. Hence the bright iridescent spills of colors. The artist has little time before the paint layer dries, so he needs confidence and a steady hand to wet watercolor painting. In addition, care is needed, as when mixing a large number of watercolor colors, there is a risk of getting not a juicy shade, but dirt. However, many masters use this technique as a basis for work, later applying a few more clear strokes already dry to shade the silhouettes and sharpen the necessary areas of work. 
In short, Alla prima is a style of painting for highly effective parasites who find it difficult to sit still, layer by layer, writing out a photorealistic canvas
In technical terms, this method of painting is the best, since with it all painting consists of one layer, the drying of which, with a moderate thickness, proceeds unhindered and quite normal, which is why it is protected from cracks with an appropriate primer, just as the paints themselves retain their original freshness. But not always this method can be implemented in practice and, moreover, it is not always included in the task of the painter.
The primer for painting "alla prima" should not be too pulling, as well as too impenetrable and slippery, which is why when using adhesive primer, all necessary measures are taken to prevent too noticeable a change in colors on it in tone due to loss of oil. An oily soil, especially one that has dried out and is therefore impenetrable, is given some permeability, which is achieved by rubbing it with alcohol or pumice; in addition, choose a soil with a rough surface. As for the color of the ground, the most suitable in this case are light grounds with different shades, according to the painting task, as well as pure white ground. Pinkish, yellowish and other shades of ground are obtained by painting white ground with transparent paint.
The described method of painting often does not require the execution of an ordinary drawing, and the artist can proceed directly to paints and writing, depending on the painting task and the experience of the master.
If the drawing is necessary, then it can be limited to a light charcoal sketch. Black charcoal drawing with its fixer should be avoided, as any sharp black contours will later show through a thin layer of paint and thus spoil the painting. The composition of the fixative is also not indifferent to its strength.
The drawing can be executed separately on paper and then transferred to the canvas to better preserve the purity and color of the ground.
In order to be able to finish painting in a wet way, that is, before the oil paints begin to dry, all sorts of measures are taken, but harmless to painting, starting with the selection of paints. Slow drying paints are preferred here. So, zinc white is more appropriate here than lead; in addition, the composition of the binder of paints is also of great importance here. That is why paints grated on slow-drying oils are most applicable here: poppy, walnut and sunflower; paints on linseed oil are suitable only for quick, short work.
In order to delay the drying of the paints as long as possible, the painting being performed is placed in the intervals between work in the cold, in the dark, and, if possible, the free access of air to it is blocked. The implementation of these last measures, unfortunately, cannot always be used, especially when the size of the painting is large, while these measures are very effective.
Essential oils are used for the same purpose, slowing down the more or less strong drying of oil paints, which are mentioned above. The most energetic in this case would be clove oil. There are, however, authoritative indications of the harm from the use of these oils for painting in large quantities.
Painting by this method is carried out differently and depends largely on the individuality of the artist; that is why, in presenting this method, one can confine oneself to the most essential and important indications.
Under the painting "alla prima", in the direct meaning of these words, one must mean one of the methods in which the artist sets himself the task of immediately reproducing in paints everything that he sees in nature, i.e. color, shape, chiaroscuro, etc. , without resorting to the division of this complex task into separate moments of work. The difficulty of solving this problem is, of course, great, and becomes all the more so if the artist strives to finish his work “in a raw way,” that is, before the colors dry.
Painting is done differently. It can be started with smears of semi-thick paints, applied freely, tone to tone, without mixing them for a long time on the palette, until the entire canvas is revealed. At first, it is beneficial to keep the shadows lighter and warmer than they should be in their finished form; light, on the other hand, is darker and colder. The strongest lights and shadows are applied at the last moment, when the painting comes to an end. Decisive and final blows with impasto paints are very appropriate here.
Painting should be done with tube paints as they are, without the addition of fatty oils to them. When using black paints (light in weight), they should not be applied in a thick layer, since heavy paints applied over them drown in black, polluting the painting.
When applying too thick a layer of paints that makes further work difficult, you should remove their excess with a palette knife, spatula and knife, as well as applying clean paper to the layer of paints, which is pressed against it with the palm of your hand and then, upon removal, takes on all the excess paints . It is possible, when painting “alla prima”, to start it by rubbing, diluting the paints with turpentine and applying them liquidly, like watercolors. This laying is carried out flatly, without modeling forms, having the task of only a broad overall effect. For her, it is better to use body paints, introducing white into them. Then, in further work, pasty colors are introduced, and real painting begins.
When working "alla prima", on a too pulling ground, oil paints give a matte painting, which is inferior to tempera in terms of color and, moreover, if the paints are too strongly de-oiled, it is devoid of strength.
The painting performed by "alla prima" has a peculiar beauty, it is pleasant with its freshness and immediacy, revealing the "stroke" of the author and his temperament. I. Repin's sketches for his painting "The State Council" can serve as examples of this kind of painting.
Watercolor is a very popular and relevant painting technique today. Sometimes it seems that absolutely everyone works with watercolor and, it is worth noting that everyone works differently! There are many well-known techniques for working with watercolor, and new effects and techniques are constantly emerging. Often, novice authors try to work with all possible techniques at once, apply various effects, experiment in the vastness of watercolor painting and, as a rule, sooner or later find their own combination, which later often develops into their unique author's style. I think the main advantage of watercolor is its diversity... I like to work in new genres and hone my skills in old ones. I always want to be able to choose a painting technique for a specific task, because I find it boring and wrong to approach a portrait or a landscape in the same way and paint them in the same watercolor technique. Today I'm going to talk about five different ways to work with watercolor using the example of a botanical illustration of a fly agaric mushroom. I will try to draw five identical motifs, in five different ways of watercolor painting: 1. Watercolor technique “glaze” 2. Watercolor technique “A la prima” 3. Watercolor technique - use of masking liquid 4. Combination of several watercolor techniques 5. “Wet watercolor” technique or "Watercolor in a raw"
Watercolor technique "glaze"
The first fly agaric I painted was made in the watercolor technique "Glaze" (from German Lasierung - glaze). This technique is very suitable for beginners. She often works in art schools. It consists in layer-by-layer application of paint on the drawing. From the lightest shades to the darkest. Each layer must have time to dry. Working in this watercolor technique, we gain the tonality of the subject gradually, and we always have the opportunity to correct the color at each stage.
Watercolor technique "A la prima"
The second mushroom is drawn using the "A la prima" technique (or "Alla prima", from Italian a la prima - "in one sitting"). This is a more expressive technique, and is very suitable for those who know how to knead beautiful colors the first time. Drawing in this technique is done quickly in one layer, in one session, without further additions and alterations. We immediately receive the finished drawing. Here you need to be careful that when mixing a large number of watercolor colors, you do not get dirt, and the colors are bright and clean. Watercolors made in this technique, as a rule, are very colorful, colorful! This watercolor technique is fast enough to perform and is loved by those who don't like to work for a long time.
Watercolor technique - use of masking fluid
I drew the third mushroom with the help of a reserve (mask) liquid. In order not to bypass the white spots on the mushroom cap, I “hid them in reserve”, that is, I applied a reserve liquid to the spot spots (on a dry sheet, before starting to work with paints). Of course, this cannot be called a watercolor technique, it is rather an effect. Today, all kinds of reserves (masking fluids) are very widespread. If you do not want to paint over every speck or are afraid that in an emotional outburst you will paint over some highlights, then you can apply a reserve.
The work with the reserve goes much faster. But it is worth noting that this approach has its drawbacks. The main disadvantage is a very sharp edge. Your work will always have a sharp border where the white sheet, which had the reserve liquid, goes into the area painted over with paint. This will give you away. Many artists are not embarrassed by this, and sometimes even help to make additional effects! Also, the reserve is sometimes problematic removed from the paper, and sometimes not removed at all. Therefore, before using the reserve in your work, try it out on a small sheet of similar paper.
A combination of several watercolor techniques
The fourth mushroom is drawn with a combination of effects (watercolor technique). Before starting to work in color, I "hid" the entire mushroom with a reserve liquid. This allowed me to create a dense layered background with paint. I applied the paint in 4 layers. Only by layer-by-layer glazing is it possible to achieve a sufficiently dense, deaf, but at the same time not a black background. After waiting for the background to dry, I removed the reserve and painted a mushroom using the same Glaze watercolor technique.
Wet Watercolor or Wet Watercolor Technique
With the fifth mushroom, I worked with the most "watercolor" technique of all. Looking at it, it is immediately clear that we are looking at watercolor. This is the Wet Watercolor technique (often referred to as Wet Watercolor, Wet Watercolor) and it is certainly impressive. In my opinion, this is the most difficult side of watercolor painting. The skills of the artist, exclusively personal experience, are very important here. The “Wet Watercolor” technique consists in the fact that before you start painting, a sheet of paper is completely moistened with water, and then you quickly write on a still wet surface. Spreading, watercolor paint can convey soft transitions from one color to another. If you want to draw small details, then you need to wait until it dries completely, and only then make additions.
Wet watercolor is particularly sensitive to the quality of the materials used. Paper, paints, brushes - everything is important here. In this watercolor technique, you have to work quickly and confidently. The artist must be as concentrated as possible, and ready for anything. We have to give watercolor some freedom, but at the same time create conditions in which it will spread exactly as we need. And the watercolor should dry when we need it. In this watercolor technique, the most common mistakes are a poorly wetted sheet and a misunderstanding of the depicted form. And most importantly, wet watercolor is beautiful for its lightness and ease. But we are often afraid to “let go” of paint, we try too hard to control it, we try too hard, thereby losing that very lightness and ease. This technique requires constant practice, and if you want to work in the wet watercolor technique, then I advise you to practice it more often.
Conclusion
In this article, I have described the main watercolor effects and techniques that I work with. Of course, this list can be continued for a long time, and I am sure that there will always be something that I have not tried yet that will inspire me to new works and experiments. I wish you creative success and inspiration!
