Painting 33

Ref 896.- Watercolor .---- Freezing Technic

Frosty patterns can be captured on watercolor paper by actually freezing liquid watercolors on the paper , However, I took advantage of this technic, in order to make some layers over it, with transparent and opaque (gouache) properties of  watercolor), Through this particular exercise, I used a large sheet of plastic  to cover the entire painting while it was drying. This will not only give a unifying texture of exposition but will slow the drying process so that I can add more colors layers with the help of additional water right under the plastic

Final result of this process

How I did it
The refference was taken from a picture from the WEB so this is a reproduction but with a different technic

Step 1.- pencil minimal lines for sketching;  in this example over cold press paper 240 g/m2 rough grain Gvarro gummed on one side, acid free

Step 2.- Basically dark watercolor colors keeping white áreas some of them cover it with masking fluid

Step 3.- With transparent watercolor, I prepared a blue color puddle, which I spread widely, but before that I took away the masking fluid over fine detailed white spots

Step 4:- Before dry I overlaied a plastic over it but before that I sprayed additional wáter to kept wet then I put into the fridge, as this is my first exercise with this new technic, my painting is relatively small

 

Step 5.- After a couple of hours on the fridge I gently mopping up the excess water and ice as the painting begins to thaw,

 

 

 

Step 6.- I decided to do it again but now with gouache watercolor paint (less transparent), you can see now, more vivid colors on this layer  and more satisfactory  for the underwater view purpose

 

 

 

 

Step 7.- Final Touch .- thaw brands now were not so marked, but instead left so many color tones and interesting effects, some of them I enhanced again with additional clear tones and/or pure White  now I used more transparent watercolor for the final touches giving the senation of see the fishes through clear multicolor wáter in movement

 

Final thoughts

1. I need to work more in this technic, but mixing transparent and opaque watercolors are giving me a lot of blending  ideas.- the correct freezing method should be: dip the paper in wáter .- pour paint into the very wet paper and fridge and/or put outdoor if you live far in the North to Works its magic; for a frost pattern to form.- bring in the paper and thaw it out. when it dries completely, you can enhance the pattern by exaggerating the fractures with detailed brushwork