Ref 1107 Watercolor // Watercolor over Stardream vista color paper (exercise)

"The key of persistence, open all doors closed by resistance"

Ref 1100; Acrylic // Acrylic + modeling paste +pastel over canvas on cardboard

This is the result of the following technic;

Using molding paste with acrylics over canvas

Apply a light molding paste (I use Politec  Molding Paste ) with a palette knife, or any other preferred tool, to the areas of the canvas
Allow to dry thoroughly
Paint with acrylic as you normally would.  Paint right over the molding paste
When complete,  selective varnish (river áreas) an  fixative on the rest

Preparation; Frame with tape
Background modeling paste without any color
rocks, modeling paste tinted with a mix of indigo and dark Brown color giving us different grey hues with highligths of a pale color over it (once applied and texturized with a small spatula 

 

Start to add colors 

 

    

I even add suggested moss above some rocks with the help of pastel dry sticks

Final details and selective varnish, then take the tape away

Ref 1106 Watercolor//.- Seascape exercise through masking fluid and using some negative painting principles

This is the result of this particular exercise

Material needed;
cold press paper 240 gr
masking fluid
watercolors; cerulean blue; burnt umber; Hooker´s Green dark; Payne´s grey; Lemon yellow; turquoise, violet; sap & viridian green
round, fan & angular brush
absorbent paper
pencil for underpainting and sketch

1st Step.- Considering dark colors ahead within some of my objects within the painting I did a detailed rock sketch (which will be in some way my base underpainting) but I didn´t  for my background horizon to avoid further staining

 

2nd Step.- Planing ahead is quite important so wáter splashes with a dark background are the important spots to start masking the wáter splashing drops .- I utilized a plastic tip to conform them

 

 

And where there are not dark background I did use a fan brush forming some splashes (In this case I dilute the masking fluid 1:1 for easy handling) .- Do not overdue

On speaking negative painting.- Transparent colors are the best for layering – starting with one wash of color, then adding more washes of color until you build up to the depth of color you want.

In the other hand - opaque This makes them perfect (i.e.) for skin or final colors, which are very light – mostly water and a touch of paint. If you are working wet on wet, opaque colors will tend to spread more slowly than transparent colors and dry with more saturated color. Opaque colors are gorgeous, but they don’t mix well, turning muddy and ugly in some mixtures so for sea spots I will try to avoid into this exercise

 

(Tip 1.- To find if your painting is transparent or opaque, do a simple test, draw a bold line with a black permanent marker and then stroke the color over that line, transparent colors will dissapear while opaques ones will be visible)

 

Viridian, and turquoise are not transparent but you can mix it with yellow making them semi-opaque as you can see

Threrefore all my colos at the sea will be transparent or semi-transparent to work with the negative technique .--- The basic idea is to paint color around the lighter objects to define it from close to distant gradually reveling seascape shapes

 

 

3rd Step.- I start to indicate and define wave´s shapes
(Tip 2.- I have an absorbent aper in my left hand and my brush in the rigth hand, with same color I can indicate distance perspective lifting it out some color with the absorbent paper at the distance horizon)

4th Step.- Before complete seascape I define darker spots to balance ligth with my colors

5th Step.- You´ll find that is quite easy to apply colos over masking fluid (already completely dry) reveling the splashes as you progress
(Tip 3 You can leave masking fluid within the painting if results as you work are good enough, or take it away if you need to)

6th Step.- We are able to continue adding and building up colors with our transparent selection of colors darker at the bottom of the wave and ligther at the top trough glazing
Glazing is when you paint a transparent layer on top of a dry layer. Opaque paints will look chalky or muddy if used for glazing.

 

7th Step.- Final touches.- Defining shadowing into the rocks  and reafirming White foam with the help of permanent White (gouache) .- this is opaque color but really enhance brigths into the foam top waves and foam lines

(tip 4.- At this time I did use a toothbrush to spattering fine White particles "wáter drops".- to do that the best way is to wet your bristles of the toothbrush and then put the White paint not in the surface but into the bristles interior pushing with your finger, in that way the White particles are quite thinner when you run the finger along the toothbrush bristles, do in the splash direction)

 

8th Step.- cutting the interest área if you want to

 

"Welcome to the beach , no clock,  no worries"

 

Ref 1105.- Watercolor// Applying watercolor through soapy wáter

Soap gives body to the paint, preventing it from spreading. Working with watercolor mixed with soap is similar to painting with impasto. Because of the extra body provided by the soap, brush strokes remain distinct and obvious even when they overlap a previoius stroke and even when the strokes are painted wet on wet.

Drop soapy water onto a wash and then paint across it with a brush. The soap will disperse the paint and stop it from flowing back into the área
And this is the result to paint with soapy wáter into the Green background:

Graphical steps
Planning ahead .- masking fluid location and payne´s grey watercoloring sketch

Adding soapy wáter into the background (delimiting áreas for painting addition as next step)

The colors addition make some lumps making more easy to suggest varied vegetation

Making color variation as it dries, and defining shapes

Final steps; take away the masking fluid for additional shadowing here and there
to créate distance perspective I moistured paper to lift out color from the distance (upper side of my painting)

                         " - Delta Uniform Charlie Kilo, cleared to land.
                                              -- Roger that "

Final thougths.- I practically undo the soapy wáter effect with color paper lifting out.-  so I´ll be practicing in a different next painting again either spattering soap onto the wet wash. Where ever the soap lands, it will push the paint away and/or mixing the soap and paint so there are lots of bubbles. Paint with this bubbly mixture. When the bubbles pop, they create additional texture. (If you want to avoid the effect of bubbles, and also mix the soap gently or allow it to stand until all the bubbles have burst before you paint

Ref 1104.- Watercolor // Texturizing a beach with scotch tape help

This is the result of this exercise;

Material needed; paper cold press 240 gr

watercolors used; Raw umber; Payne´s grey; turquoise; White; phtalo Green

 Scotch tape

round brushes 12 & 3

Masking fluid

 

1st step.- The sand área has been washed with raw umber & payne´s grey mix in a random shape way, over previous Little different shape drops of masking fluid all over this área

Payne´s grey has been using to delimit sand from wáter foam, and to créate some closer wave shadowings

2nd Step.- For the sky the color of the sea its going to be reflected on it, so I mix again Payne´s grey with a dab of turquoise and I start to added from left side in a previously wet área of this paper which I did with the help of a sponge then I tilted the paper so the gravity will help for color transition thru all sky section, as the paper dries I didn´t touch anything but I suggest some clouds with the help of an absorbent paper  .- (then let dry throughly)

3rd Step.- Above the sand wash as it is.-  I added more dots of masking fluid (diluted 1:1) to spattering into the beach surface (protecting previously the sea and sky áreas with another papers)

 

4th Step; the tricky part;(I recommend you need to make some tests previously) there is a moment not so wet but also not so dry where you can pull out color leaving different spot tones behind .- just put the scoth above the sand área and pull out in a perpendicular way (see results within the next picture) it all depends in masking fluid location to help you out with texturization

 

 5th Step.- painting needs some subject of attention so I added a figure as its gona be dark there is no problem to add into the sea beach (you can planning ahead with masking fluid also will be better)

 

 

6th Step.- Final and reinforcement color touches (and take away all masking fluid from the beach)

 

 

 

Ref 1102.- Watercolor// .-Using molding paste with watercolors to paint over canvas

This method is quite simple, but results are amazing
I prepare a graphical step by step painting, mixing just 2 watercolors raw umber and ultramarine blue
Material needed is canvas on cardboard, masking tape and 2 spatulas and 2 round brushes médium and fine sizes, light modeling paste, pencil and pen
This is the result to apply this technic;

 

 

1st Step.- There are many brands of modeling paste, like Golden, Politec etc. I rather use the ligth one among them, all you need to start is to frame your canvas in cardboard with grey masking tape, and with pencil sketch the planning idea

  

 

 2nd Step.- Once you has been pencil sketched,(I do not recommend using graphite transfer paper as it leaves behind a greasy residue that will not lift.) Rather reafirm the minimal lines you need with a pen, The light modeling paste (MP) texture once applied and dried is semi- transparent .- the pencil is difficult to see but the pen is still visible after MP application and it is flexible in case you want to paint over paper instead canvas with none issue at all 

 

 

 

3rd Step.- Apply a light MP (like Golden Light Molding Paste or similar brand) with a palette knife, or any other preferred tool, to the areas of the canvas.-allow to dry thoroughly
Paint with watercolors as you normally would.  Paint right over the molding paste

Tip 1.- you can start to give color adding watercolor into the MP and take advantage of the MP White natural color to cover the lighted áreas

Ongoing process

Process completed

Tip 2.- As you can see MP left a rough surface, so I wet my fingers a Little bit and before the MP became dry - I smooth the surface to make easier and better my paint (depending in what you are looking for)

A better picture of this condition;

4th Step.- After allow to dry thoroughly (8 hours at least) with a small spatula I´m adding more MP body to this painting (I´m looking for a 3D expression), trying not to overdue

 

5th Step.- Again wait to be completely dry .----- Then brown and ultramarine blue watercolors works fine together to produce shadowing without any mate or opaque colors so I´m mixing accordingly regarding the figure and light sourcing

Tip 3.- Carefully lift off any mistakes with a damp (not wet!) brush. For correcting larger areas, lift in small sections at a time with a firm brush, then blot gently with a paper towel to remove pigment.  You can also scrub or scrape as a texturing technique or to remove mistakes. The ground is soft enough that you can scrape with your fingernails if nothing else is Handy

 

6th Step.- Even you can still add MP as you need to highlight some needed spots after watercoloring

7th Step.- Final touchs and take away the tape masking frame

                                            "The First Kiss"

  Bonus Painting (same technic but now over Stardream colored paper 105Lb

Same colors plus a dab of viridian, cerulean and light yellow for final touch

                          "Art expression lies in conveying emotions"

Ref 1101.- Watercolor// Watercolor through selective plastic wrap technique

Impress plastic wrap into wet paint. The plastic wrap can be crinkled beforehand or it can be laid on flat. Plastic wrap can be stretched to form parallel lines or stretched from one point to create a fan-like pattern. Soft edges will be achieved if the plastic wrap is removed before the paint dries. Hard edges will result if it is left until the paint has dried

This is the result to apply this technique into the ballerina dress

Main Steps;
1st Step.- Planning .- This plastic wrap technique will be applied just within the ballerina dress, so I´ve got the idea to Position the plastic wrap in a radial way in order the resultant folds create basically directional lines. Therefore after my main lines figures I concéntrate basically in the área in which I planned to créate that particular texture
I lay a viridian and ultramarine blue wash on the paper wet on wet for my background in a tilted way in order to crate more color at the bottom for shadowing
the initial graphite sketching start to dilute towards the bottom of the dress when I start to add the rose madder color into the ballerine dress main area 
Mix a rich, dark puddle of paint in order to créate more body in this particular paint

2nd Step.- I start to delineate the figure lines in a semi-wet condition, I don´t need neat lines at this stage just location
I darker the shadows with the help of dark Brown mainly at the bottom of this painting to créate atmosphere

3rd Step.- Wet again your paper (with a wáter sprayer) and drop in fairly mixed paint *  where you want the dress (I added with a small spatula). The wet paper will dilute the colors, so use a good amount of paint for this

(mixed paint is rose madder - watercolor with permanent White - gouache <-- because it has more body) 
Put a spot of this mixed color in the center of the your dress area with very thick paint. Don’t let this dry – you want to add your plastic wrap while this is still wet

 
4th Step.- I’m using several square piece of wrap to créate a radial effect. .
You could just mash the crinkled wrap onto the wet paper, and that will give you a nice pattern.
To guide the plastic wrap into the dress shape – use your finger to hold the middle of the wrap

5th Step Wait to dry ( I added a fair weigth above the plastic pieces)  Evaluate. ---Can you imagine the dress shapes in the pattern that the wrap created? In order to make shapes that look like folds, you want to paint behind the shapes.This is often easier if you use a pencil to draw in where you imagine shapes I did with additional paint (see 3rd step)

Tip – Negative painting is a very valuable watercolor skill. If you want your paintings to be the best they can be, take the time to learn this technique

Beware of the all or nothing mentality that often ruins beautiful washes! Just apply some paint behind folds then wash the color out of your brush and paint beside your applied paint with clean water to let the color blend softly out and disappear. You don’t want solid dark areas, but mysterious folding áreas

6th Step.- Details work .- Then use a brush to do ‘negative painting’. This is where you don’t paint a fold but paint behind a fold shape. The color that’s already on the paper becomes the fold when you outline it or paint behind it with color and wáter
Remember that texture is less important than shapes, values, and colors. Texture should not draw attention to itself

Each painting will be something unique that’s truly your own, so use pretty colors and have a colorful day!