Ref 1015; Watercolor // Working with a different type of paper

Most watercolorists stretch their paper before painting, also. The process makes the fibers of the paper expand, helping to avoid buckling and warping. It’s much more enjoyable to paint on a flat surface and be able to use as much water as you want. Also, it’s easier to paint a flat wash if the paper is stretched No matter what kind of painting suits your fancy the most, painting is an enriching and fun experience. With this medium, you never really know what the outcome will be, and it allows mistakes to become “good accidents.” You can achieve very unexpected paintings by letting the water and colors speak to you and guide you through the painting. But, in the case of watercolors, using the right (or wrong) type of watercolor paper can truly make or break a painting.
Now I´m working in a total different one brand´s name is Stardream,
In this ocassion I stretched the paper  in order basically to take away the surface glow and/or try to be more wáter aborbent and this is the result base on the following exercise.- so far worked better than previous references (see ref 1014 & 1013) where I have to combine with gouache, however in this particular case is just watercolor medium

Ref 1014.- Watercolor & Gouache // Different Approach of Mixed Combination

Gouache dries very quickly, both on the painting and on the palette.  However, it is rewettable, and remains active, so combined with watercolor you need to take some considerations; unless it is fixed in some way, wet paint – or a wet brush – stroked over it will activate the existing paint, and the existing paint can mix with the fresh paint that´s why in this particular Project I did use fixer
This is the result of this process:

Material needed;
Darck color "Stardream paper"
Transparent watercolor.-
Opaque watercolor.- (gouache); permanent White; lake blue; médium yellow
Fine and regular round brush & fan brush
Fixer; mate True Film

Step 1 Watercolor has been the main ingrdient to handfree-sketching over this dark colored paper in a pretty loose way

Step 2.- I start to add permanent White (gouache) mixed with watercolor to start forming shapes, basically within the flowers,

Once it is semi-shaped I fix and let it dry completely, this is basically the underpainting base

Step 3.- This part of the proces is to highlight main colors, so I use just basicaly gouache and or gouache mixed with watercolor and again once dry apply fixer in spray

Step 4 Final completation with watercolor (transparent properties) .- the bright lines and dots were made with watercolor trying do not re-actívate the lines underneath, that´s way the fixer so extra care is needed with not so much wáter on it, dots were made with a fan brush load of paint then run a finger over it to reléase the paint, spatter from one point to give a pivotal direction to the plume
Note.- real color of this paper base. can be seen upper side right, without touch

Ref 1013.- Watercolor & Gouache // Mixed combination

Gouache is the opaque versión of watercolor, is sometimes used on its own for small highlights , but it can also be mixed with watercolor to make a semi-opaque paint, that retains much of translucency of pure watercolor but does not have the chalky quality typical of gouche itself. I have to do it cause the paper I use it is silver colored and is not so much absorbent

This is the result of this process

As this is my first time with this cardboard paper I´m making some previous tests mixing on the paper, a lively mixture can be created by letting the colors blend on the paper surface, rather tan mixing them in the palette, although they do not mix so throughly each color retains its identity.
However by the result I could see the lack of covering power or lack of pigmentation

1st step; Base on previous results I decided to mix watercolor with gouache so let´s work on the underpainting first so as I thinking to do White flowers I´ll need to contrast it, the source light comes from left side so my watercolors are the transparent ones and in the dark I´ll apply darkers colors mixed with gouache to créate a semi-opaque base - to do that; I´m mixing with it´s gouache same or similar color counterpart, the violet and blue hues to make the darkest color I mixed ultramarine blue with Brown (for all background I´m looking fro transparency so it is more watercolor than gouache 2:1aprox)

2nd step .- Now it comes the tricky part to highlight White watercolor, the flower base is more White watercolor than White gouache, so I apply it, in a random but harmonized way
Note in this photograph  you can see a dotted background condition, this was posible spraying wáter over the paint (just a Little bit and let it dry completely, basically over dark zones to créate a transparent atmosphere touch)

 

3rd Step.- .- To ceate a more misty effect I added more watercolor White and spray wáter again and I lift some painting with an absorbent tissue

 

 

4rt Step.- I reinforce with some additional colors (watercolors) part of the background as a glazing

While White color (White watercolor to White guache 1:1)of the flower dries in a misty and/or faded way

 

 

5th Step.- Till now I´m working with round brush but next finish part will be with a mop brush, because now I´ll be painting just with White gouache to conform each of the flowers  with more highlight color and definition

 

 

 

6st Step.- with a fine brush I define some branches

 

 

7th Step.- I complete some additional contrasts here and there until be satisfied

 

 

 

Ref 1012.- Gouache // Gouache over silver cardboard defined with gel-ink pen (wáter-base)

This is my first try-out; with this new ongoing technic
As soon as I develop the best methodhology to work with I´ll write down some useful tips
 Reference;  Deviantart illustration

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