Watercolor, spatule and Molding Paste
Molding Paste; is a thickening gel that increases the body of the paint, reducing its flow. Mix molding paste with the paint or use it pure by applying it in several layers with a spatula on the surface of the paper prior to painting.
Texture medium contains fine particles that add texture to the watercolor. It can be applied directly onto the paper or mixed with watercolors first.
I use molding paste on occasion to add texture to paintings.  On the ref painting 342, I used it to mold the rocks on the cliff and for the pure sky colors.  This added emphasis to the paintings.  Here is how I do it

1. Prepare paper 140 lbs coarse side with some prior humidity and before dry it.
2. Apply a light molding paste blend it with any watercolor  (I use Light Molding Paste) with a palette knife, or any other preferred tool, to the areas of the paper you wish to have textured.
3. Allow to dry thoroughly.
4. Paint with additional watercolors as you normally would.  Paint right over the molding paste and fade with sponge, paper, napkins  add or take away wáter as you require to complete the idea
5. When complete, spray with a  fixative

          Ref 841 In the nature, light is the color in the canvas color is light

A woderful sunset a nice music and my best regards for you

 

Watercolor.- Pencil and brush with watercolor
Watercolor pencils look the same as regular colored pencils and can be used the same way. The magic happens when water is added, transforming the pencils and causing them to behave like watercolor painting.- Here are a few ideas and techniques you can try with this exciting and versatile médium
Technique #1: Color your drawing by layering colors, and then paint over the area with a brush and plain wáter.
The first thing to consider when using watercolor pencils is that colors will look different after water is added. It’s generally a good idea to make a chart on a piece of watercolor paper to see how the colors will look once wet, as the water will usually make the colors appear much darker and more vibrant.
A variation on this technique is to spray water instead of brushing it after your drawing is complete
Use the pencils dry to add details on a watercolor painting.
Technique #2 Watercolor pencils can be used on top of a watercolor painting to add designs and fine details. I find this technique really useful when painting cityscapes, for example, to create very fine lines like electric wires or buildings details.
You can use the watercolor pencils dry or dip them in water before drawing to make a darker bolder line. Or, you could even try drawing with the pencils on wet paper, which will produce a soft line
I did my following painting first background and raven underpainting with brush,
I added details with technique 2 with pencils previously dip in wáter, paper always semi wet regarding the eye first dry pencil and then wet technique 1

Ref 840 A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience

Watercolor.- Making watercolors glowing
wet on dry technique is causing too much opacity in the stroke. There are lots of theories as to why, but few argue watercolor benefits from washes very much, arguably much more than dry strokes, pigment crowding, paper shine, whatever.
I lay down three washes of blue for a sky and it always looks better than one pass of a heavy wash.

Two: My personal problem is fussing too much when wet, if one over mixes two colors whether on palette or paper a hard to define grayish sheen seems to come over the mix, creating what can't be called muddy but is dull nonetheless. The very best wet workers
I've seen never ever fuss too much, they drop in and GET OUT. One my good days I can hit a passage like they do.

Three: I have an instinct to paint in a mid to low key range, and truly high key luminous paintings are hard for me instinctually. Perhaps for you as well. I love the exercise where one flips all the colors around, like a yellow sky, blue house, purple trees white water and carmine fields sort of thing.
Could loosen up your color spirit.

When i start to build colors I may use thin opaque for the first wash and then apply transparent on top .So for the following painting I did a underbase with molding paste (mixed with watercolor accordingly), keeping white zones absorbing or lifting color with a napking, then after dry I apply transparent colors; within the rainbow example ref 839
Note ref 838 at the bottom of this entrance  was my first attempt but the wet on wet without care, cause too much opacity as I said early

                            Ref 839 My favorite color is the rainbow

              Ref 838 An optimist always look for a rainbow after the rain

Watercolor.- Masking fluid "left in the painting"
I find that when I use Masking Fluid to retain the white areas in a painting, on removal that area is so stark with hard edges to it, that it seems to negate the benefit of using it

To take it away
You could wait for the paint to dry totally, then after removing the masking use a little water on a brush and carefully soften the edges, the results will depend on the pigment/s used and the type of paper   I keep an old cheap synthetic brush for softening edges so I don't ruin my sables

Might be best to try it on a spare piece of the watercolour paper you are using first with the colours you are going to use. That way you'll know if it will work on the painting

For the following painting I left the masking fluid on it, (on purpose) with masking fluid left in the window.-It gives a more realistic effect to apply paint at an angle on this type of shiny paper

                                Ref 836 Portrait of my Neighbor

Watercolor.- Glazing
Glazing is a term for layering or stacking color, for instance think of different sheets of colored glass or tissue paper one stacked on top of the other. You are able to see through the transparent layers to the ones below, glazing in watercolor is the same idea but instead using thin washes of transparent color. For the cleanest color mixing and purest glazes use only the most transparent color. The reason is these colors allow light to pass through and reflect off of the papers surface leaving beautiful jewel-like effects


How to Glaze

Each layer must be completely dry before the next is applied, remember you are stacking multiple layers of color and if you apply the next layer too quickly you can easily lift the previous layer and mix it into the current one ruining the effect, and depending on the colors you have chosen possible turning the color into mud. How you check if a wash is ready for the next application is to touch it with the back of your hand and if it is cool to the touch it is still too damp. Another thing when using this technique is that to use soft brushes because if the brush is too stiff you can easily lift color and end up with unwanted brush lines

 

"Painting is something to say, with its own words"
Glazing technique; over cold pressed paper ref 835

 

Watercolor "Today I´ll run for pure absolute joy"
   Painting over hot pressed paper ref 834

Watercolor (with spatula) ref 833
For the following watercolor painting I used again a modeling paste médium, to build up textural and three-dimensional effects. this paste it’s perfect for giving a raised effect to subjects such as flower petals, stone walls, and buildings. Apply it on the surface with a spatula, let dry, and paint over it with watercolor — paint will adhere well to the surface. You can also make an imprint into the paste or scratch into it before it dries completely in order to create desired textures. This fine paste has a creamy consistency and may be tinted with tube watercolor or acrylic color, I did just for all petals over watercolor paper Canson 240 gr
                                     Ref 833 Blue hydrangea
                         "Color in a painting is like enthusism in life"