Daffodils Are Blooming - It's Almost Spring!

Daffodils are blooming here in West Tennessee--daffodils and sunflowers are my two favorite flowers. If daffodils are not blooming where you are, paint the picture above and bring an early Spring into your home!

This painting uses a technique that gives the painted picture a batik-look achieved without the traditional batik use of wax.

Batik is a wax resist dyeing technique used on textiles usually found in several countries of West Africa, such as Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mali, and in Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Indonesia it is considered a national art form.

Instructions for painting this picture using this technique:
1. Do not tape down your paper before you sketch. Sketch in the flowers and leaves with little detail. Make the pencil lines dark enough on the flowers to be seen after the crumpling and wetting technique, but do not press hard enough to indent or scratch the paper.

2. Here's the hard part.....crumple the paper up in a ball as though you were going to throw it away. Concentrate on making wrinkles in all ares of the paper without tearing it....crumple it easily.

3. Submerge the paper ball into water making certain it is evenly wet. Remove from the water and unfold carefully. Smooth onto your sketch board and tape along the edges. The tape will not stick well to the wet surface; however, it will hold enough to keep the paper in place.

4. While the paper is still very wet, float in the background of green and blue working around the flowers. Use a large flat brush or mop to place in the background except for working around the flowers. Use a #6 round or similar size brush to work in the background around the flowers.

5. Let this dry COMPLETELY!

6. Once the background is dry, paint in the flowers using a wet-in-wet technique. Some of the blue and green from the background will be found in the wrinkles and creases of the paper and will look like veins in the flower petals. Also the wrinkles and creases will allow the flower colors to bleed into other ares. Don't despair that is what you want to happen and is part of the beauty of this technique.

7. The leaves are painted in only after the flowers are dry. If your leaves have become hidden under the washes, lightly sketch in some leaves. Using a mix of colors: gold, green, and blue - add leaves using deeper colors to indicate shadows. Some of the leaves are simply painted with a wash of water to lift paint and give the appearance of flowers fading into the background.

8. The painting can be matted on top of a mat board with a torn edge in keeping with the batik look.

Enjoy creating an early Spring at your house!

First Aid or Watercolor Painting? Part 2

The following will answer a question from Gin on how to paint the picture below:

The large trees are masked in using liquid masking fluid before any watercolor is placed on the paper. Then I painted in the following order:
1. The sky was put in down to the background foliage. The mountains were added on top of the sky at a later step.
2. The background foliage was added using the surgical gauze technique.
3. The background mountains and distant evergreens were added.
4. The snow shadows were floated in.
5. The masking was removed from the foreground trees and then they were painted.
6. Details were added last.

First Aid or Watercolor Painting?

When you see the photo above, you might wonder if my blog today is about first aid. Actually, this blog discusses a watercolor texturization technique using surgical gauze. The background foliage in my painting above titled, Winter Aspens, uses this technique.

Adding texture to a painting can be accomplished in many ways. One interesting way to add texture is the use of surgical gauze.

How and why does it work?
The gauze will absorb the paint and leave a mark when lifted. The difference in color from light to dark formed by the weave of the gauze will leave an interesting design.

What is important to remember when using this technique?
Manipulation of the gauze to make irregular patterns will create more interesting designs. The watercolor paper must be wet to hold the gauze in place before the paint is applied.

When should this technique be used?
This technique can be used to create spider webs, foliage, basket weave, etc.

How to texturize using surgical gauze
(1)Wet your watercolor paper with clear water. This will hold the gauze in place.
(2)Use a single layer of gauze if your gauze is doubled.
(3)Using your hands, manipulate the gauze into place purposely placing it irregularly on your painting unless a regular pattern is desired.
(4)Rewet any areas that may have dried.
(5)Using a flat brush, apply the paint. One single color or several colors can be used depending on the result you are trying to achieve.
(6)Let the gauze dry and remove it.
(7)Add any details with a round brush if there are areas that are not the consistent color or pattern you would like.

Texturization can add much detail and interest to you paintings and create designs that are not achieved easily by other methods. Use of surgical gauze is one of these methods.

Watercolor Tip on Using Surgical Gauge
Buy the cheapest gauze you can find. I purchased a name brand gauze and I am certain it would do a wonderful job on bandaging on injury. However, it had too many "good" qualities for painting. The best type gauze is one that contains no elastic or other material to make it return to its original shape. My first attempt using this gauge resulted in it returning to its original shape after it dried....while on my painting. I crept back to its original shape and did not leave the desired marks on my paper.

In addition to rolled gauze, gauze pads can also used.

Breakfast Anyone?

The painting above is a fun one to paint; I enjoy the way the watercolors blend.

Painting the reflections in the coffee pot is much easier than it looks. The secret is using a wet on wet wash and once the paint is applied...leaving it alone. The problem with many of us is learning when to let the paint alone instead of trying to help it along. The paint will blend and look much different when dry than it does wet.

Watercolor Tip
After sketching the coffee pot, dampen one section of the pot with clear water. Lay on stripes of color and let them bleed together. This is the tip.....leave it alone...let the paint work its magic for you.

After each section is dry, do the next section of the coffee pot in the same way.

I think you will be happy with your results. Then you can relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee!

A Painting Only a Fisherman Could Love!

The painting above might be one only a fisherman could love! But, it demonstrates a technique that is useful in watercolor painting - using alcohol to add interesting texture. Alcohol was used to create the bubbles in the water surrounding the fish. The largest bubble was made using a dropper, the medium sized bubbles using a fingertip, and the smallest bubbles using a Q-Tip.

Use of alcohol is an interesting way of adding unique textures to your painting. As with most alternative techniques, the result is varied and is not easily controlled. This technique is best used when accuracy and a set result is not required. "Fish eyes" are a signature of this technique and cannot be achieved using any other technique.

How and why does it work?
Alcohol and watercolor paint do not mix well. Alcohol repels the paint pushing it away and leaving a lighter tint of the wash exposed. The results of this "fight" on the paper are organic in nature and not achievable using any other technique.

What is important to remember when using this technique?
The alcohol must be added while the wash is still wet. As the wash dries and the water evaporates, the result is not as impressive. Although results can still be seen as the wash dries, once the peak time of wetness has passed, the results are not as dramatic.

When should this technique be used?
This technique can be used in many ways to give the illusion of bubbles either int he water or on the surface of a point, lake, etc. The technique also lends itself to mossy surfaces on trees or rocks or ground surface in boggy areas. This technique is only limited by your imagination. Once you have used this technique and know the look that is achieved, it can be incorporated in many different ways.

How to texturize using alcohol:

• Lay in a wash using colors of your choice - deeper colors show more dramatic effects...blue, purple, red, brown, etc.
• The alcohol can be applied by fingertips, dropper, or a Q-Tip.
• While the wash is still wet, drop or tap the alcohol directly into the wash.
• As the wash continues to dry, continue to drop in alcohol for a variety of effects.
• You will notice a "fish eye" effect in the middle of most of the lighter areas when the color slightly darkens.

Use as much or as little of the alcohol you would like...to achieve the results you want...have fun!

Fence Posts in the Snow

FENCE POSTS IN THE SNOW

Our area saw some winter precipitation this week, so I wanted to share with you one of my favorite paintings. This painting is one that I teach my beginner students....it uses many watercolor techniques and is a painting fairly easily to execute as a beginner. This painting demonstrates the use of a wash as well as some sponging in the trees, shadowing, blending colors in the fence posts, and some basic instruction on picture composition and interest. Several different sizes of paint brushes are used: a large flat, a medium round, and a liner brush.

Watercolor Tip:

The trees are painted while the sky is still wet so that the trees and sky can blend. Color is sponged in after the wash; and while wet, the branches are scratched in using a palette knife or the edge of a credit card.

Enjoy the beauty of winter and capture it on paper. When July comes, we can cool off by looking at our winter scene.

Stamping Techniques

The painting above illustrates all three stamping techniques discussed below.

Watercolor painting lends itself to stamping techniques to apply paint to create rocks, trees, and texture patterns in paintings. This technique is especially useful for backgrounds in detailed paintings or in any area of an Impressionistic painting. Stamping was used by the Japanese in making fish prints which were made by inking the side of an actual fish and stamping it on paper to leave behind an impression of not only its shape but also its scales and other surface textures. Stamping can be used in watercolor painting to create realistic results that are easier accomplished with stamping than with a brush. This a very effective means to achieve realism in one's work.

Stamps can be made from pieces of mat board that can be made in any size or shape you need. I will discuss three uses of stamps:

1. Stamping rock textures,
2. Stamping trees,
3. Stamping grass.

How to make the stamps
Cut a square or rectangular shape from mat board of any size you need. However, to begin start working with a piece about 2" x 3" or 3" x 3". Turn it colored side up and attach a masking tape handle to the piece of board.

The picture below shows both sides of the stamps and examples of their use.


Rock Textures
To stamp rock textures, there is no need to do anything else to the stamp. Apply a variety of "rock" colors on the white side of the stamp or on your painting. Next, press the stamp on the painting surface. When you press it down, it should feel "squishy." Lift the stamp and you will see texture like the surface of a wet rock covered with lichen and mosses. The stamp can be presseed several times without applying more paint. The dryer the paint the more the stamped pattern will resemble rocks in fields or cliffs and mountains. You can make a scratch or two on the surface to create more realistic looking rocks.

Stamping Pine Trees
Prepare the stamp with the masking tape handle. Then draw a pine tree on the white side: start with a trunk and add all the branches. Scratch or dig this drawing with the corner of your utility knife. You do not have to be precise in this cutting. You can make serveral using different shapes to utilize in the same paniting or simply adjust the colors to add variety using the same stamp. Each stamp will look different when applied.

Stamping Grass
Prepare the stamp with the masking tape handle. Scratch and gouge lines for a grass pattern keeping in mind that the stamp will print in reverse. This is especailly important if you have grass blowing in a specific direction.

With all of these stamps, one can spray water to blend the stamp into the background. The tops of the trees can be sprayed to blend into the sky; the rocks can be sprayed at the bottom to blend into water or a misty mountain; and the grasses can be sprayed at the top to blend into a mist, etc.

Stamping is ideal for background painting or adding texture to any part of your painting. Stamps can be made to use in stone buildings, brick walls, etc. in addition to landscapes.

Let Salt Season Your Painting!

I am always looking for new painting techniques and plan to share techniques with you in my blog. Many of these techniques may be new to you or old favorites, or you may have tried the technique and did not like it. I have found that each painting will lend itself to a specific type of technique and it depends on the result one would like to achieve which technique to use. I like Impressionist painting, so many techniques suit my painting style. The painting above illustrates one of my favorite techniques - the use of salt spatter. In this painting, salt is used to add texture to the feathers on the owl.

Use of salt spatter is one of the most exciting ways of creating texture and surface interest, or both. If salt crystals are scattered into a wet wash, they will gradually absorb the paint, drawing it into the salt crystal, to leave an interesting shape when dry.

The effects will vary according to the following factors:

• How wet the paint is,
• How thickly or thinly the salt crystals are distributed,
• The size and type of salt crystal used,
• The color of watercolor paint used (deeper colors show more effect).

How and why does it work?

Salt will leach the color out of the paint leaving mottled marks.

What is important to remember when using this technique?

Timing! Sprinkle the salt just as the shine of your wash goes dull; you have about 30 seconds to do it. If you act too soon, the salt will dissolve and create funny patches…however, these can be interesting too. If you put the salt on too late, nothing happens. The effect takes about 15 seconds to start showing. Don’t be impatient and throw on more salt.

When should this technique be used?

Use this technique when a painting calls for one of the following:

• Snow flakes,
• Texture, such as pitted or barnacle-encrusted rocks on a seashore, old stone walls, etc.,
• Foliage where you would like “suggestion” rather than precise definition,
• Feathers – to create spotting on bird feathers.

What types of salt can be used?

All types of salt can be used based on the result you would like to achieve. Practice with various sizes of salt crystals and keep reference sheets. The following are some of the types of salt that can be used: table salt, rock salt (ice cream salt), sea salt in various sizes, pretzel salt, etc.

Below are examples of salt spatter using three different types of salt: from left to right : large sea salt on the feather; medium coarse Kosher salt on the rocks; and small "table" salt on the leaf.

So, season you paintings with a little salt!

How to Prepare a Watercolor Palette

I received a new palette for Christmas. A good watercolor palette will last a long time; however, mine had seen many years of good painting, had a few cracks in important places, and needed to be retired.

For those of you new to watercolor painting, I thought you might appreciate this entry on how to prepare your palette.

One aspect of watercolor painting that I appreciate is the fact that a watercolor palette can be prepared one time and not have to be cleaned after each use. One can simply add more paint when the wells get low and mist with water to moisten the paint. I like a large covered plastic palette; mine is 14" x 18."

One important step that many new artists don't know about is preparing the mixing area (including the top mixing area if your palette is a covered one). The shiny finish on the plastic will make the paint "bead up" and it will be very difficult to mix colors. To prevent this "beading up", take a kitchen pot scrubber and scratch the mixing area until the surface is no longer shiny. Wipe off the "dust" with a damp paper towel. It is not necessary to scratch the paint wells, only the mixing area. This will make mixing colors and preparing washes much easier.

Once the surface is prepared, use a permanent marker to write the names of the paints under the wells. If you are new to painting, it may be difficult at first to recognize the colors and many colors look similar when in the wells. You will never have to guess which color is which and you will be able to the replenish the colors more easily.

Place the paint in the wells and let the palette dry before covering. If a palette is covered before it is dry, it will sour and mold. In addition to an awful smell, you will not be able to use the paint. The paint will have to be completely removed; the palette cleaned and set up again from scratch.

A new palette prepared in this way with bring you many happy years of watercolor painting!

It's Winter! Let's Enjoy It!

With winter comes cold, snow or rain, less daylight and not as much time for fun activities outdoors. But, plenty of time to sketch and paint. With our paintings we can travel to warm climates or create cold ones with just a stroke of the brush. So let's enjoy winter - pick up that brush and paint!

On this winter day, the painting below will transport us to summer with hummingbirds enjoying the nectar from our garden flowers.

Watercolor Tip:
The background foliage was painted on very wet paper so that the shape of the leaves and stems blended into the background to shift the focus of the painting to the hummingbird and the foreground flowers. This blurred background makes the bird and the flowers the focal point of the viewer's eye.