Pour It On!

Let's learn a new technique!

In addition to brushing on a wash, the paint can be poured! The following blog entries will show how to "pour on" a watercolor background wash.

The painting above of a dogwood bloom is an excellent subject for a pouring technique.

The dogwood was drawn with minimal details and then the white/lighter areas are masked. See the example below.

Once the sketch is complete and the desired areas masked and dry, prepare a wash of the following colors in small cups. Individual size applesauce cups are wonderful for this project. Make a wash using the following colors:

Crimson
Lemon Yellow
Windsor Blue

See the photo below with the prepared paints. These are the only 3 colors that will be needed for the background as the colors will blend to make greens, etc.

Prepare your painting surface. I use the lid of my watercolor palette to catch excess paint as well as placing several layers of paper towels under my paper.

Once your surface is prepared, start by pouring the yellow first diagonally moving from bottom to top and right to left. Then pour the red and pour the blue last. After each pour, pick up the paper and move the color around.

See the photos below for a step by step application of the colors.

Once you are satisfied with the colors, remove the painting and place on clean paper towels to dry.

You've learned how to "pour it on!" This is an excellent method for adding background to large areas and mixing colors on the paper. This technique can be used for large areas of water (such as an ocean or lake), skies, and grass/tree backgrounds. Several shades of the same color can be used for a sky or body of water. Always remember to use the lightest color first and use care when pouring the paint so that the light paint is not covered entirely by the darker colors.

Next blog, we'll work on the dogwood bloom.

Happy Painting!
Karen