If you are a beginner to watercolors, the following demonstration will help you with the wet in wet technique. I have been teaching this painting method for many years with considerable success. The painting on the left was completed in less than 20 minutes using the wet in wet technique. Wet in wet simply means paint is applied to a pre-painted wet surface, color mixing is done on the paper. In the following demonstration only 3 colors were used.
Paint and paper - technical stuff
Colors used: Aureolin, Rose Madder, Cobalt Blue. These are transparent colors and give a wonderful translucent quality to the painting.
Good watercolor paper is a must if you want good results. There are many excellent papers available and over the years I have tried many. I personally prefer Arches 140 lb. weight. Paper thickness is designated by weight, the higher the number the thicker the paper.
The finish of the paper is also a necessary consideration. Most papers are available in Smooth (Hot Pressed). Medium (Cold Pressed) and Rough. For most of my work I use a Cold Pressed Paper. This is a nice surface for detailed dry brush work as well having a good tooth for washes.
I recommend that watercolor paper of less than 300 lb. be stretched when attempting a wet-in-wet painting. If the paper is not stretched, it will buckle when washes are applied, leaving puddles of paint. The procedure for stretching paper is as follows.
Paint applied to a dry surface will give a sharp edge; when applied to a wet surface it gives a soft edge. Study the finished painting and you will see how the wet-in-wet technique was used for the sky and foreground. The mountain silhouette needs a sharp edge, so pigment was applied with the paper dry.
The supplies you will need are:
140 lb. CP watercolor paper about 11" x 15"
Watercolors pigment: Transparent or semi-transparent colors: red, yellow and blue. I recommend tube paint as it mixes more readily than pan colors.
3/4" flat watercolor brush (short handle).
No 6 round watercolor brush if you want to add detail
Palette or large white plate and 4 white saucers.
1 1/2" wide gummed paper tape.
Paper towel.
Large water container.
2 small household sponges.
Scissors.
A piece of wood or books for a prop.
Sharp utility knife and metal rule to remove painting from support.
Support: 1/4" hardboard is ideal for the support. The support should be cut to give a 2" border from the four edges of the paper.
When cutting a full sheet, mark the painting side of the sheet will a pencil at all four corners before cutting. If the paper has a watermark, the painting side is the side that one can read the watermark. It is quite permissible to use the other side but there is a slight difference in surface quality.
Cut four pieces of gummed paper a little longer than the length of the paper. Place the support on a flat surface and lay the watercolor paper with the painting side down on the support. Wet the sponge thoroughly and wet the paper evenly, do not saturate the paper. Turn the paper over and leave it to absorb the water for a minute or two. Do not let it dry out completely.
Place the sponge in the saucer, ensuring that there is plenty of water in the saucer and that the sponge is saturated. Pick up a length of the gummed paper and wet it by drawing it over the sponge, see photograph. Do not pull it through too quickly.
Place the tape along one edge of the paper ensuring that half of the tape is on the paper and half on the support. Squeeze out most of the water from the sponge and run it along the tape to help the tape bond. Repeat this for the other 3 edges.
Lay the support flat and allow to dry completely. The paper must be totally dry before painting. Check the surface with the back of your hand for any dampness. If the paper feels cool it is still damp, wait a few more minutes and check agin. Do not use the palm of the hand as this would transfer natural oils from the fingers which could impede the flow of the washes.
Painting Tips
To lighten a color (referred to as value or tone) add more water.
To change a colors' intensity (referred to as chroma) add a little of the colors' compliment or an earth color. I have found burnt umber works well.
Watercolors dry lighter so allow for this when painting. Test it on another piece of the same watercolor paper and let it dry to see the final result.
To prevent backruns,use color that is more intense than that already applied. If the color is too weak, it will create a washed out area and will not mix well with the color already on the paper. Back-runs are often used by artists positively, so do not panic if it happens in your painting; you just might like the effect.
To make corrections to watercolors. Have available a stiff brush, I use an old tooth brush, clean water and several sheets of paper towel. Ensure that the painted area to be removed or softened is completely dry. Gently rub the area with the moistened brush. When you see the paint breaking down, lay a sheet of paper towel over the area and immediately brush across with the back of your hand, pressing evenly. Remove the paper towel and check to see if enough pigment has been removed. The process may have to be repeated, depending on the intensity of the color. This works well for transparent colors, opaque and staining colors are more difficult to remove. Be aware that different papers act differently, thinner papers do not stand up to too much scrubbing. Check on a scrap piece of paper first.
Do not be tempted to work over an area that is still wet. Leave it to dry completely, then make the changes.
Preparation for Painting
Squeeze a little paint of each of the 3 colors onto the dinner plate or into a small well of the palette. Starting with yellow pick up a little paint using the No 6 brush and place it on the palette. Add water with the flat brush so that the pigment mixes into a light wash. It is always better to prepare more than what you think is needed. The more water you add the lighter the color so add more pigment if it gets too weak. Do the same for the other 2 colors. The intensity of the red wash should be stronger so add more pigment.
The sky will be painted first with the paper wet at all times, one color being applied into the other.
Clean the flat brush of any pigment and use it to wet the paper with clean water, do not saturate. Dry the brush.
Load the flat brush with yellow paint. Start the stroke off the paper. The first band of color should divide the paper equally. Apply the brush stroke evenly from left to right, the reverse if you are left handed, do not stop or lift the brush until the stroke is off the paper.
Repeat this a little higher up the sheet with another loaded brush of yellow. Allow it to mix with the first band of yellow. Apply clean water, with the flat brush, along the top edge of the band of yellow to feather it out and to keep the paper moist. Tilt the support up at its' bottom edge to prevent the the water from running back. Clean the brush. It is important that the washes do not dry out, so work quickly and do not panic, remember to breathe!
With the paper still wet, apply the red wash into the yellow area as shown. Working up from the band of yellow add 2 or 3 more bands of red, feather the top edge with clean water. Tilt the board up at its' bottom edge to prevent water running down in to red and yellow washes.
The final stage to complete the sky is to apply the blue wash into the wet red area. Check that you have enough color mixed and that it is intense enough. (See painting tips)
To feather the blue, lift the brush off the paper while it is still moving. Adding darker blue at the top of the sky will add to its' depth.
Do not be tempted to work over an area that is still wet. Leave it to dry completely, then make the changes.
The final stage
The mountains and foreground will be painted at the same time
As a crisp edge in required for the mountains it is important that the paper be completely dry. Prop up the top edge of the painting support so that it gives a good slope from top to bottom.
For the mountains, make up a wash with blue and a touch of red. Test the color before applying it to your painting.
The color for the foreground is made from yellow and a small touch of blue. This has to be quite intense as it will be applied to the wet surface which will dilute the wash.
Charge the flat brush with the blue wash and apply the color, making a shape similar to the the example. Do not hesitate as you move the brush across the paper. Best results are achieved by not stopping or going back to alter a shape. Add a small amount of clean water to the saucer and apply this as you get to the lower portion of the paper. Don't be too frustrated if it doesn't work out first time.
While this wash is still wet, apply the foreground color using the flat brush. Modeling shapes of trees or shrubs can be done at this time using the corner of the brush. You will find that the color will blend with with the mountain and gives a soft tranquil quality to the painting. If you want more defined shapes in the foreground, wait for the paper to dry and then paint in the details using the No 6 brush.
When the painting is completely dry cut it off the board. Using a sharp utility knife and straight edge as a guide cut along the edge of the gummed tape and watercolor paper.
To Contact Brian Email: brianwbanks@earthlink.net
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