Ref 1133 color pencil & gouache // Exercise with color pencil over Stardream colored paper

This is the result of the following exercise
Ref illustration found into the web performed now with colored pencil

"One Cold Winter's Night"

Main Steps;

Sketching with color pencils

I did use a rule to reinforce and make some straight lines 
and keep adding colors on it

I added an artistic fixer in all the paper as son as I completed the idea and I let it dry thoroughly

Then I added artistic varnish just into the cristal areas

Then with a toothpick I suggested rainy lines into the crystals, the painting for this case it is gouache a mix of Green and White

Ready

Ref 1132 Mixed media Acrylic & watercolor

Acrylic and texturing médium as underpainting and watercolor and Epson salt for final touches over Stardream pach color paper

                               "Walking on untouched glowing snow"

Notes, After completed with watercolor, (transparent médium) I relized that gouache could be a better option (opaque option) .- but this will be made into another exercise
I did with watercolor base on Epson salts, but can be done also with gouache

Ref 1131.- Watercolor // Painting with the help of a paint-dropper bottle, and table salt, (ground powder) added to the paint to get and interesting effect with some ligth reflections

This is the result to apply this technic
Material needed are indicated through main steps

1st Step.- There are many photographs of wáter splash in the web, to get an interesting reference to work with; therefore with a watercolor pencil I sketched main interest features over Fabriano paper 140 lbs
I also masking White paper áreas as much as posible with masking fluid + wáter (1:1) ,
Then I wet the paper below the surface line with a sponge and added the paint (cerulean blue + a dab of turquoise ) with my dropper bottle tilting the paper toward de surface line the paint will flow by gravity  and let it dry throughly

2nd Step.- I added with round brush turquoise color at the surface line and in some bubbles, base on my reference and then I added salt table crystals basically through out the surfaces line, and let id dry again

3rd Step; Once dry .- I took away the crystals salts from the paint and then wet it again with a wáter pump spray in this ocassion before it dries completely (let´s say 75% of this process) I add finely ground salt so it won´t dissolve completely .- some crystals will keep attached to the surface giving us ligth reflections as fresh wáter suggestion  (the photo  doesn´t catch those flashes)

4th Step.- Final and intersting touches.- Now I can guide the different color values through the paint flow,.-  wetting accordingly and releasing the paint with my dropper bottle as you can see in the following practicing scratch paper the color (turquoise color) will fade in a more natural way than with a brush you just need to tilt the paper and gravity will help

Take away the masking fluid and make the coin with deep yellow burnt umber and White integrating colors with and absorbent paper I also added White (permanent White of gouache) to some drops and here and there  to get better light reflections

                          "Things become possible at the wishing well"

Ref 1130 Watercolor & acrylic // Exercise now with a paint-dropper bottle with different colors

         "photography is an immediate reaction, painting is a meditation"

Ref 1129.- Watercolor // Exercise in a thin paper Canson 98 lbs
                                                           The Swan Lake

Ref 1128; Watercolor // Watercolor + (texturing & iridiscent médium) over Stardream aquarium color paper

Transparent watercolor in essence is painting without the use of white
  paint, any opaque paint or wash, and nothing else. Whether it is in tube
  or cake form, watercolor is a blend of pigment (colored powder), gum
  arabic (a water-soluble adhesive), and enough water to make the mixture
  workable. Base on that, this technique is not quite a watercolor purist technic, but needs of watercolor instead i.e. gouache, tempera or acrylic, due its transparency to achieve a blend of deep colors on it

This is the result of following next graphical steps
(Note: see ref 1127 my first similar exercise)

1st Step.- Watercolor loose idea - sketching;  over this particular type of paper with a round brush

Note.- Blending is everything in watercolor painting and anyone who is able to paint a good sky, e.g., without showing the strokes, may be ranked high  in technique in watercolor. I personally believe it is what makes a watercolor sing...
  The beauty of water color painting lies in its transparency and brilliancy however with this technic you don´t need to take that care within these initial steps (we are looking for texturing blended and deep colors) So the underpainting will help us later on to get deep colors
The following picture shows how it looks the first step once is dry

2nd Step.- Now lets work with texturing médium, You need also a scouring plastic sponge to texturize, this médium can be added mixed with watercolor or as it,  this is up to you (try it before to check what will be better for your idea)

Note; I blended the texturing médium with watercolor paint and then I added with a small spatula taking care to do it in base the illumination source planned for my painting, I like to add different colors which with this technique is more easy because in normal watercolor blending when many colors are added they become a grey muddy tone

The only condition to add different colors  is to let dry the different layers among them
3rd Step.-In the following picture I start to add volumen through the figures contourn remarked with a pen to follow easily the lines (just texturing médium without any color, so with this step will have  also a ligthly 3D appearance

This type of media dries quickly so let me work rather in a fast way
At this moment the following picture shows my underpainting to work with

4th Step.- Now everytime I add watercolor with my brush the color become deeper, base un the underpainting below and also I integrate colors with the help of an absorbent paper

 Pictures as the painting are progressing:

I mixed iridiscent médium with the blue color to produce a kind of glosy effect which I added once past layers are throughly dried

5th Step. Final touches with a fine brush to define shadows and highlights
Some White highlights were made with opaque permanent white of gouache, but all painting needs to be do it with watercolor because if you use acrylic or gouache the transparent condition will be missed


                                                 "Watching TV News"

Ref 1127.- Watercolor // Watercolor + texturing médium over Stardream Peach Color paper


Applying a medium to your artwork can be nothing short of transformative. From slowing drying times to adding texture, mediums are the perfect complement to your colour choices. and texturing médium gives  texture and can be used to give the impression of depth and structure to water colour paintings
This is the result to apply this technic:

1st Step.-  Underpainting I sketched the figure with pencil which then main features were reinforced with  pen of gel ink color Brown, which is soluble with wáter in order to apply the  texturing médium above, with a small spatula, that color will be disolved but allows me to apply the texturing médium were need to be located as a guide
By past experiences in order to create easily a dark color into the floor-- I reinforced the underpainting with just black color knowing that everything will covered again with White texturing médium .- I can mix color with texturing médium, but I don´t wanted due I´m looking a 3D dust appearance and high colored contrast will be one of my goals (after apply the texturing médium getting out from the figure towards the sand floor  I pressed a scouring sponge to conform sort of sand particles into the wind  .-  Thus the following picture represents my underpainting to work with

From here I start to define the figure with a fine brush

And then combine and integrate colors accordingly
As you can see the dark color I wanted for the floor was easy to get to contrast the ligth color sand coming out from the figure

 

Final touches

                                                 ♫ Dust in the wind
                                        ♫ All we are is dust in the wind

 

 

Ref 1126 Watercolor // Exercise Over Fabriano Paper 98 Lbs

Easy simple childhood wonderful life

Ref 1118 & 1119  Watercolor // Granulation médium through watercolor pencil as underpainting


Exercise to work with granulation médium over watercolor pencil previos sketching
This is the result after complete this particular technique:


                         "Even a snail eventually reach its destination"

1st Step.- Pencil watercolor rendering over Stardream colored paper

2nd Step Working with granulation médium either mixing 1:1 with watercolor paint or preparing a granulation médium over the damp paper and then painting over

Works better if I mix the granulation médium with watercolor paint in a container, so I reworked  some paint addition on it

As the paint dries the granultion can be observed and also I lift some paint of with an absorbent paper to give additional ligths and fancy texture as I´m working with

I´m preparing paint mixed with granulation médium to define contourns, shadowing  and shapes

Below the snail the flow of additional paint eliminates the effect as you can see, so is better to do everything since the begining without try to define to avoid that condition .- finally I added permanent White of gouache to highlight lines, shapes and general ligth integrating and fading again with an absorbent paper

 

The following painting was made with different granulation médium ratios to watercolor experimenting with its effect power

 

The effect can be seen as it dries I start with 1/8 to 1:1 , Works preety good as 1:1 mixed previously for addition with brush

 I added finally  a figure to give more mistrious effect to my painting

 

Ref 1120 & 1123 Watercolor // Exercises with granulation médium over Stardream colored paper


                            Ref 1123 "Owl we need is love"---"It´s owl good"----"Owl miss you"
                                       "In other words It´s time to be owlsome"

 

 

                               Ref 1120 - An "Ole" for the Flamenco Dancer -

 

 

Ref 1125 & ref 1124 Watercolor // Diluted graphite as underpainting then granulation médium over cold press Fabriano paper 140 lbs

Granulation medium.- will occur naturally basically on certain blue and earth pigments separate from the wash and settle on the support to create an interesting granular texture. However the effect can be artificially triggered in any color with the use of granulation medium. You can vary the level of granulation and tailor it to your subject

The following exercise, was made after some tests and intents to reinforce the effect, therefore I started by sketching through diluted graphite with a brush, to get the most of it;  Color and materials needed are indicated through the following main steps

1st Step preparation.- In order to reinforce the background texture we need powdered artist´s charcoal which will be added in a pool of wáter, in order to sketch some background reference lines onto dry watercolor paper

1st Step loose sketching activity

2nd Step.- The result is an interesting texture after you spray the área with  a pump sprayer (this will help set the texture) also I added a Little bit of yellow color to start adding background color, once has been settle rinse off the entire paper with clear wáter from a gente sprayer or in a sink, let the paper dry and assess the pattern (you can repeat the technique for more texture if you want to)

3rd Step.- Planing Step.- to add masking fluid, at the upper side (branches) the masking fluid has been diluted 1:1 for random spattering at the lower side masking it is added to start conforming the rocks and save shape ligths

4th Step.- Granulation ; Some pigments, tend to precipitate or break up, naturally when mixed with wáter resulting in a grainy appearance, However I´m triggering artificial granulation through a comercial medium which is applicable when you want to add interesting dimensions to otherwise flat areas, as it gives a marbled appearance to colors that normally have a smooth wash, or improves the granulation effect of the colors, for me works best if you Make a paint pool + granulation medium then apply paint

4th Step application, I did a combination of sap Green, and ultramarine blue,  to start applying accordingly

 

Close up of this effect as it dry

5th Step.- Once it drys throughly, I start adding yellowish color to suggest leaves

6st Step.-  As I´m working trying to darker more some shadows and spots, I´m passing a round long brush tilted enough (almost horizontal) to lift out color of this application step,  to start suggesting sunshine ligths

 

7th Step.- Final details; I take away masking fluid I shape the rocks playing with Payne´´s grey + ultramarine + White then let dry completely again before add the final sunshine ligths with same long round brush handeled in almost horizontal way to conform the gleams of ligths this time with permanent White gouache integrating with absorbent paper to fade away all surroundings

 

 

Additional Notes and Bonus Painting:

 - Granulation médium works pretty fine in semi-opaques color

 - More médium + less paint = granulation  

 

 - So sad to say, yellows did not show granulation, or oranges. Although, when I swiped some non-granulating Ultra Marine Blue (Green Shade by Da Vinci) into some yellow, it showed granulation. It may be a perfect way to granulate your favorite mixed greens

 - My tests will compare the paint pre-mixed with medium in a puddle of water and in a puddle of medium. Both worked well with most colors, but the puddle added more granulation.

 - You can paint wet on dry with the pre-mixed Medium/Paint and get granulation, although either some damp or wet paper worked best for me.

The following painting is made just with granulation médium without diluted graphite  but with masking fluid to protect whites as underpainting

                       Ref 1124 "Forest Dance"