This is the simplest wash. It is usually applied with a series of horizontal brush strokes laid down with a broad flat brush. The tilt of the board causes the paint to run down and accumulate in a bead at the bottom of each stroke, but this is taken up with the next application of the recharged brush. Large areas can be covered in a short space of time and provided the pool of liquid paint is well mixed, applied quickly and firmly, then the result should be a smooth, even area of uniform colour. With some softer and more absorbent papers, successive brush strokes may not merge together completely. Hence, a streaky appearance may become apparent on drying.
Dampening the paper initially may prevent this from happening. Also, if the brush is too heavily loaded, then the liquid may stream down the paper and spoil the evenness of the resultant wash.