Ref 1011.- watercolor // Tissue Handprint

Interesting textures can be made by pressing your hand into the damp paint. Experiment with different parts of your bare hand, however this painting (just the girl) it was made basically with my thumb, given a dotting texture, I didn´t but you can use Impress with fibrous materials: cheesecloth, gauze, netting, open-weave fabrics, string, thread, grasses, moss, nylon stockings.
Impress with various kinds of paper or plastic. The sheet of paper or plastic can cover the entire painting or a small area. Each type can be applied flat, crumbled, crinkled, stretched, accordian-pleated, twisted, folded, or cut into irregular shapes

Ref; photograph


                "Drawing my self-portrait"

Ref 1010; Gel Ink pen & Watercolor // Detail build up with ink

The reference has been taken from a similar painting which I´ll be reproducing but now in watercolor, over cold press paper.- This is my second exercise with gel ink pen (wáter base) to integrate throught out watercolor

 

 

Material needed; 3  gel ink pens;   brown; blue & black

                                        watercolor;      indigo blue; turquoise;

                                                               cad yellow médium;

                                                                ochre; cerulean blue

                                         Gouache:        permanent White

                                          Brushes;        Round fine & médium

                                         Graphite transfer paper .- just for main references

                                         Absorbent Tissues

 

Stage 1.- Transfer of main lines to work with  

 

Stage 2;  This was my first try with graphite paper, .--I did too much pressure and I had to erase some zones, leaving just the main reference lines on it .-then I start to define those lines with brown ink, and even with your finger touch you can difuminate a bit the color over the paper to start working in shadowing, I did the same for the sea with my blue ink pen  

 

 

Stage 3.- Once this definition is about 60% complete, I start to work with watercolor, mixing ochre and cad med yellow for shadowing on the ship´s sails, and raising paint with paper to integrate, accordigly, once dry I reinforce some additional darks with black ink



 

 

Stage 4.- Now I start to work with the sea and sky background with pale colors

 

 

Stage 5. Complete definition.- ropes and moorings highligthing with ink / watercolor and additional shine with permanent White either at the sails and/or the sea foam 

 

 “Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions.”

 

Ref 1009.- Ink and watercolor // Getting watercolor granulation to enhance glass appearance

Final result for this process

My reference it was a photograph which I changed a bit for my comparisson crystal purposes

I copied keeping the lines fairly loose and free (this is my first intent with this type of "colored gel ink - just silver and black colors" in a light pencil drwg as my guide over 190 gr cold press paper

Before start to work with ink lines, I gave a watercolor  wash  in a wet on wet condition
then I start yo use silver and/or dark ink in a damp condition which Works to add additional line´s texture and shadowing

 

The following step is the important one, to add granulation, because some pigments tend to precipitate or break up, when mixed with wáter, resulting in a grainy appearance, this can be disturbing if you are trying to lay a perfect flat wash, I just put the paper with tap wáter the rsult granular quality adds extra interest

Finall I start to define lines , as this is my first intent like I said the large bottle left side was made a Little be different from the larger at the right side, the granular effect looks more in the left side more alike to cristal and to complete the painting to add 3D appearance I added permanent White "gouache" into the reflections center of all bottles, cleaning up also the reflections
Note like I said it was a test and I didn´t take care and many pinture are outside its borders

Ref 1008.-Watercolor // Brush Selection for a sea reflection Project

Following is the result of this process;

You do not need a large selection of brushes, if you choose the right one, you will often find you can complete a entire work with 2 or 3, The most versatile are those know as rounds, the following painting was made with 2 main watercolors (Payne´s Grey & Prussian Blue) and a bit of Crimson red, and 3 brushes ( Round, Angle and Fan) over cold press paper 220 gr roughest side masking fluid & absorbent paper

 

Stage 1.- I start by letting pale colors blend on the paper to identify my main references and cover the White of the paper in most of the áreas to work with, once it drys // stage 2.- I masking main reflections from the center of the paper towards the sides and from small sizes to biger in accordance light reflection idea

(I use fan brush in a horizontal way with diluted masking fluid 1:1)

 

 

 

 

Stage 3.- Palette mixing .- I start by dilute prussian blue with wáter  for the sea and same color plus paýne´s grey for the sky.- with just the side of the round brush, from the side of the paper  toward the center with almost no wáter and with the help of the rough side paper the marks will appear discontinue as you can see in the image, "dry brush technic" given the suggestion of light reflections do not overdue and practice in a scrap paper Stage 4.- same round brush I did use for  the sky "wet in wet technic" the clouds are easy form with the help of paper draggin it while the paper still is wet, I also reserve some White paper withou touch it, at all .- Note at the horizon I added a bit of crimson which I fade away accordingly

 

 

 

Stage 5.- Now with the angle brush I did all the dark figures with just Payne´s Grey

 

 

Stage 6.-  Final touches.- I removed the masking fluid and again with a pale color around I reinforced the lightest zones

 

                                        " Come With Me "

 

 

 

 

Ref 1007.- Gouache // Gouache over colored paper

Reproduction with opaque watercolor (gouache);  from a pastel similar painting

                                       "Meowwwww"

Ref 1006.- Watercolor // Double wet paper process

In searching and experimenting different technics I discover a way to
paint which allows me to lift and define colors in a easy expressionist approach

This is the result to follow this process;

This process requires keeping paper moist so it is recomendable to strech it first
Stage 1.1.- I like the texture given by diluted graphite so I applied with brush just over the dress of the subject previously sketched in a loose way (no definition at all); 1.2.- Apply fixative just over the dress to avoid to dirt the rest of the painting with that graphite; 1.3.- mask the dress and additional points according your sketch; 1.4.- I applied a selective wash of yellow for  light purposes; 1.5 Let to dry completely
Note.- points  1.1; 1.2 are optional and I did because I like graphite texturing

 

Stage 2.-  I start painting in abstract approach without preconceived idea in a first wet on wet condition, dealing with warm and cool - ligth and dark values

Stage 3.- When I am satisfied with the abstract background I add permanent White (gouache) to highlight some áreas as sections, this is important for following stages and let it dry completely one day

Stage 4 Second wet paper process .- I´ll take the masking away from the painting and put the paint down a water tap with running water (second total wet) where enough paint maintainig are kept with soft edges and unified background  and let id dry again

Stage 5.-  Now I further develop the overall painting  colors and values relationships and define all details adjusting the composition accordingly


         "A painter paints over a canvas but musicians paint over the silence"

Ref 1005.- Watercolor Creating and transfer and exact shape to watercolor

I wanted to re-créate  a exact "shape" from an airplane photograph --- however "the lesson learnt during this process is what I really like to share with you this time"
This is the original photo reference and the painting result of this process
over cold press paper

First I made a scan of the figure I wanted to paint; most of my past painting are not concerned with details or fine accuracy so I didn´t have experience in transfer exact "outlines scale" onto the paper, (but a plane like this needs to be accurate at least in the contourn and then make FreeHand in inside details ) my mistake it was to use plain carbón paper to do it, and after I masked light border lines and Little details; here and there .- following is what happens when I start to work with wáter
I couldn´t get rid of the lines and at the sea started to dirt the paper

This is not what I expected but I tried to take advantage of the dark colors to start from there

(Most colors used are cerulean, ochre & Payne´s grey at the sea, but I added some touches of viridian and sepia and at the end after taking away the masking I added and integrate the foam with  permanent White (gouache)

 

 

Then I tried to take advantage of the few main lines I did at the airplane,(with carbón paper)  which were mixed in some way when I start to add the watercolor, finally some of the fine lines (rigs and another small details) were made with ink previously diluted

 

The point I wanted to share is that base on this issue, I start to check in the best way to transfer a image onto a paper, and following are some of the main methods I found:

1.- Made your own graphite paper.-  rub the back of your paper drawing with a very soft pencil, like 4B or softer, then dip in alcohol, remove some of the excess, then gently rub the back of the drawing with it, wait a couple of minutes for the alcohol to dry and its ready.-The advantage of this method is that you can adjust the drawing if you're not happy with it because unlike carbon paper, you can erase easily with this stuff.

2.-Use the computer bright screen and/or your window  if the paper is not so thick taping the drawing and the watercolor paper so you can see and transfer the main referece lines and/or contourn

3.- Trace by placing your printed image over your final paper and drwing over the main lines, pressing indents into the watercolor paper underneath

 

Probably there are many ways --- I like drawing so I usually sketch out a few of the main structural lines and go from there. If I'm doing something really complex or realistic, then I take my time to get proportions correctly established, perspective worked out and so on. I personally think that by drawing the subject you learn how it works; shapes, forms and values. I always feel that if I can draw something ,I can paint it too. So, if there are another easy way to transfer please share with us