Counter-change is simply the placing of dark colours or tonal values next to light ones. That is all it means! However the effect that it causes within your watercolour painting is critical to the end result and so vital in order to achieve the impact that is so very important and can make or break the finished painting.

Placing light next to dark will make the dark areas appear even darker and the light areas even lighter. This counter-change effect brings light into a watercolour painting and this vital element is so important to help bring a painting to life, draw in the eye and focus of the viewer, as well as making a finshed painting "pop", as they say.

Accentuating dark areas in this way within a painting also helps with adding depth which is so important as it helps to create a feeling of perspective and distance in the finished painting.

This is a useful tool both to use and make use of when you are creating a painting. Spotting where within the painting this can be done becomes more obvious with practice. When you become proficient at including this technique in your watercolour paintings you will see just how much difference it makes to the final result. It just takes a little bit of thought and planning before you begin the painting process.