505553 watercolor painting tutorials

8/3/2019 505553 Watercolor Painting Tutorials

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Watercolor Painting Tutorials 2004, 2005 Gregory Conley - www.WatercolorPainting.com Click Here to Print This Page*Click Here to open in new window

Painting a Flat watercolor wash OBJECT: Learn to lay an even-toned flat watercolor wash.

In the beg inning...

Draw a square or rectangle on your paper, or visualizethe boundaries of such as you go. (wing it)

Select a darker hue for your w ash (it's easier to see)and mix a liberal amount of medium intensity (30-50%value) paint on your palette. I'm using a 1 " (381mm)Winsor & Newton Series 965 flat wash brush and HolbeinSap Green watercolor paint for this lesson. The paper isArches #140 CP.

Charge your brush with paint, and starting in the upperleft corner touch your brush to the paper and gently pull astraight line of paint to the upper right corner.

NOTE: If left handed work right to left!

Make your second stroke

Return to your palette and refill your brush.

Start the next stroke at the bottom of the f irststroke, being sure to overlap the bead of paint now

formed at the bottom of the first stroke.

TIP 1: If the flood of the first stroke doesn't fully flow intothe new stroke, increase the angle of your board to aid theflow of the wash.

TIP 2: Increasing the angle of your work also increasesthe chances of drips running wild down your paper. If theyannoy you, work faster or keep a tissue or damp sponge inyour free hand to quickly blot them away.

Repeat as necessary...

Refill brush and continue overlapping strokes, riding theflow of the paint and keeping an even tone as you go.

TIP 3: You can use the flat edge of a wash brush to "cut"the starting edge.

TIP 4: If you want to square up the final edge of thestrokeslow down, pull the brush up, and use the sharpflat edge again. Pull it up to your line and "cut" the finaledge with a downward pull.

TIP 5: If your stroke breaks up, load your brush and

repeat the stroke IMMEDIATELY. See (Tip 7) below!
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Almost there, keep going!

Repeat steps making stroke after stroke to the

bottom. Try to keep an even tone as you go.

TIP 6: You would not believe how much variety there is in

the behavior of different brands and grades of paints andpapers. The more expensive well-known brands usuallymake your work easier by offering consistent high quality.

TIP 7: If your strokes break up and your brush is fullycharged, you are either using a rough textured paper orthe paper could be heavily sized. If you find heavily sizedpaper like this, spray the paper, sponge it off with a cleandamp sponge and let it dry before use. The surface willnow be more receptive to your paint.

I've painted something!

Rinse your brush out in clean w ater and blot orsqueeze out the excess the water.

Carefully pick up the bead of paint that runs across thebottom of the wash using the wick action of your brush. Ifyou draw up too much paint you will lift the color off thepaper.

Let the wash dry. If you've ended up with an even-tonedsquare of color, congratulations! If not, try it again. I did.And do.

TIP 8: Try practicing your flat washes with different colorsand intensities. Each color has it's own physical propertiesthat affect how they feel and flow in washes.

TIP 9: For a pronounced texture in your wash let it dry atan angle. The pigment will settle out in the texture of thepaper.

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All contents Copyright 2004, 2005 Gregory Conley. All rights reserved.

*Permission to print www.watercolorpainting.com watercolor painting tutorials grantedfor school classroom or personal use only. All other permissions must be attained bycontacting [email protected] or by writing: Watercolorpainting.com, ATTN: GregoryConley, 21228 Northwood Avenue, Fairview Park, OH 44126 USA.


Painting a Graded watercolor wash OBJECT: Learn to lay an graded-toned watercolor wash.
http://imgview%28%27flatwash/flatwash4.jpg','Painting%20a%20Flat%20Watercolor%20Wash%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/flatwash.htm#topofpage#topofpagemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/gradedwash.htm#permission#permissionhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/gradedwash.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/gradedwash.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/gradedwash.htm#permission#permissionhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/flatwash.htm#topofpage#topofpagehttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://imgview%28%27flatwash/flatwash5.jpg','Painting%20a%20Flat%20Watercolor%20Wash%205','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27flatwash/flatwash4.jpg','Painting%20a%20Flat%20Watercolor%20Wash%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Preparing to wash

Draw a square or rectangle on your pape r.

Select a darker hue for your wash (it's easier to see)and mix a liberal amount of medium intensity (30-50%value) paint your brush. In a clean part of your palette mixanother puddle at about half the intensity of the originalmixture.

MATERIALS USED: I'm using a 1 " (381mm) Winsor &Newton Series 965 flat wash brush and Winsor & NewtonCobalt Blue watercolor paint for this lesson. The paper isArches #140 CP.

Charge your brush w ith paint from the darker mix, andstarting in the upper left corner touch your brush to thepaper and gently pull a straight line of paint to the upperright corner.

Light

Dab your brush on a sponge or paper towel and refillyour brush with the lighter mixture.

Start your second stroke overlapping the bottom of

the previous stroke.

Notice that the left side of the stroke has alreadyflowed together with the top stroke. Let gravity do it'swork.

Lighter

Rinse your brush and blot it on a towel or dampsponge, refill from the lighter mixture.

Make your next overlapping stroke.
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Lightest

Rinse clean and dip your wet brush into the lightermixture, further lightening the wash.

Lay your next overlapping stroke.

TIP 1: If your stroke doesn't flow evenly or breaks up,charge your brush and repeat the stroke IMMEDIATELY.

A clear finish

Rinse your brush well and using clear water startyour last overlapping stroke.

Squeeze the w ater out of your brush and pick up thebead of paint at the bottom of the wash.

All Done.

Ask the paint settles and flows, minor imperfections intone will usually smooth themselves out before they dry.

This example shows some graining in the final wash.Cobalt Blue is a coarser and heavier pigment that settlesinto the texture of the paper.

TIP 2: Try practicing your graded washes with differentcolors and intensities. Each color has it's own physicalproperties that affect how they feel and flow in washes.

TIP 3: Practice transitioning one color into another forinteresting multi-color effects.

Perfecting a graded wash may take a little morepractice than a flat wash, but any time painting is timewell spent.

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*Permission to print www.watercolorpainting.com watercolor painting tutorials grantedfor school classroom or personal use only. All other permissions must be attained bycontacting [email protected] or by writing: Watercolorpainting.com, ATTN: Gregory
http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/gradedwash.htm#topofpage#topofpagemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/gradedwash.htm#topofpage#topofpagehttp://imgview%28%27gradedwash/gradedwash6.jpg','Painting%20a%20Graded%20Wash%206','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27gradedwash/gradedwash5.jpg','Painting%20a%20Graded%20Wash%205','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27gradedwash/gradedwash4.jpg','Painting%20a%20Graded%20Wash%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Conley, 21228 Northwood Avenue, Fairview Park, OH 44126 USA.


Glazed Wash watercolor tutorialOBJECT: Learn transparent watercolor glazing effects.

A little information

I will improvised a landscape on the fly to show theprinciples of glazing watercolor washes.

MATERIALS: Arches #140 CP watercolor paper,Grumbacher 1" flat red sable, Kalish Kolinsky Red Sable#8 round, Kolonok #4 flat Kolinsky red sable, Winsor &Newton Series 820 #8 Round, and a Kolonok #4 roundKolinsky red sable brush. A blow-dryer.

COLORS (various manufactu re): Cadmium Yellow Light,Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium RedMedium, Permanent Rose, Dioxazine Purple, Cobalt Blue,

Ultramarine Blue and Sap Green. Colors chosen aretransparent and semi-transparent.

Using my 1" flat red sable brush I used a Cobalt Bluewash to block in the sky, mountains, and river area. Ibroke up the wash and added some clear water to softenthe area that would be a waterfall.

A mountain and red clouds

This lesson is designed to be as obvious as possible.

Using bright transparent colors allows you to see how eachsubsequent wash is affected by those washes lying underit. Plus it allowed me to play with a new style of painting.

Using the same 1" brush I mixed a transparent wash ofPermanent Rose and painted a band of red clouds acrossthe sky area.

Rinsing my brush I mixed up a light wash of CadmiumYellow Light and started painted the mountain area. Icontinued to the foreground and layed in a large yellowunderwash.
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I got the blues

Staying with the 1" flat red sable I then used a lightUltramarine Blue and Cobalt Blue mix to block in amountain horizon and negatively define the backgroundsmaller yellow hill.

For some reason, after I undercut the backgroundyellow hill with blue, I then pulled a blue stroke straight

down and cut the left corner in and lifted off with a flip.

TIP 1: Allow each wash time to dry before overlaying thenext color. You can use a blow dryer to effectively andsafely dry your painting: Low setting, at least 10" awayfrom surface, keep it moving, NO STEAM!

More color!

Same brush, different color. Needing to detract andbalance the blue I had just finished, and making someinteresting colors along the way, I mixed a straight washof cadmium orange. I made orange banks in theforeground and then laid the orange over the rose andblue in the sky.

You'll notice the jewel-like qualities of working withpure colors in a transparent manner. The glazed washcould just as easily be a faint muted gray on a solitary rockin a large, photorealistic landscape painting.

Hey! A different brush

Switching to my #8 round red sable I mixed up a verystrong Cobalt Blue wash and strengthened the line ofmountains at the horizon, varying the width by twistingand changing pressure on the brush as I went.
http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/blowdryer.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/blowdryer.htmhttp://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash5.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%205%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash4.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%204%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash3.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%203%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Creating on the fly

Using the same #8 red sable and Cobalt Blue wash Istarted playing in the waterfall after stopping on a farbank. Sometimes visual clichs are your friends, a few bluecircles at the bottom of an apparent blue hill can becomethe bottom of a waterfall.

Rinsing well, I made a puddle of Cadmium Yellow

Medium and used that to paint some areas on the banksand some repetitive circles inside the blue on the bottomleft.

A few m ore bubbles

After the previous washes dried I used varying valuesof Dioxazine Purple to add color variety to the foregroundwaterfall bubbles.

A consideration and a deep breath

I w anted some major elements to start pulling thisthing together so of course I though: trees. I rummagedaround my studio and found items I could trace circles offofI found three different sizes.

Using the #8 round red sable I mixed up some bright,

transparent Sap Green and painted three circles.
http://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash8.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%208%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash7.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%207%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash6.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%206%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Flora and lumberjacks

Staying w ith the same brush , I mixed a light wash ofCadmium Red Medium and layed the lumber under thelovely green foliage.

Rinsing and picking up some Cobalt Blue, I addedsome minor accents on the water near the background andforeground banks as well as a shape in the sky. A small

orange rectangluar area was added to the left foreground.

I then alternately used Cobalt Blue, Permanent Rose,and Sap Green washes to paint some icons of grassrandomly around the foreground.

Details to Final painting

Permanent Rose and Cadmium Red Medium wereused to add the final details. The trees were found to befruit trees with red fruit, some on the ground. And eachtrees trunk was striped like a barber's pole.

If you look closely at the enlarged version of thefinished painting, you can see how each layer of paint youapply affects all that came before. Values change for thedarker by default, but the colors created by glazing washesover one another can be truly beautiful and effective.

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Wet-in-Wet watercolor tutorialOBJECT: Learn wet-in-wet style watercolor technique.
http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/glazedwash.htm#topofpage#topofpagemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/wetinwet.htm#permission#permissionhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/wetinwet.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/wetinwet.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/wetinwet.htm#permission#permissionhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/glazedwash.htm#topofpage#topofpagehttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash10.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%2010%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27glazedwash/glazedwash9.jpg','Glazed%20Wash%20Watercolor%20Tutorial%209%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Set-up and start...

MATERIALS USED: Spray bottle of water, a clean sponge,Arches #140 CP watercolor paper, Grumbacher 1" flat redsable, and my trusty Kalish #8 Round Kolinsky Red Sablebrush.

COLORS USED (various manufacture) : CadmiumYellow Medium, Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, BurntSienna, Pthalocyanine Green, Hooker's Green Dark, SapGreen, Lamp Black.

I start by spraying my mounted paper with water tosaturate the surface.

Even out the moisture

Using a CLEAN damp sponge lightly smooth your paperand sponge off any excess water.

Repeat until paper is evenly saturated, it with a dullsatin finish.

If your paper is shiny after soaking in the water, thepaper is too wet. Wring out your clean sponge and smoothoff excess water.

Where to start?

Creating a landscape "on the fly" I decide to start withthe sky.

I mixed up some Cerulean blue and used my 1" flat

red sable to form the clouds. In a full wet-in-wetpainting it is easier to work from the background forward.

Using a twisting motion I start applying the sky

washes in a calligraphic fashion trying for someinteresting shapes.
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S'cuse me, while I kiss the sky

I continue the sky area with the blue wash, making itlook nice.

The initial strokes you lay down in a wet-in-wetpainting diffuse and disperse widely in and on the moistpaper. Watch your strokes spread as you paint.

Well grounded foreground

I w anted the foreground fairly diffuse so I quicklymixed up some Sap Green and a bit of Cadmium YellowMedium and formed an interesting spread of wide strokeswhich I finally decided looked like brush and bushes withsome gaps for rocks.

The foreground paint was a thicker w ash than the firstblue washes and spread a little less initially.

As the paper continues to dry the painted strokesspread less and less.

Adding a little form

I w ent to the palette and mixed some PthalocyanineGreen and Alizarin Crimson to get a grayish cool green.

I started implying some pine trees across the horizonusing my #8 round red sable .


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Intensifying the structure

Having added the trees across the horizon, varying theintensity a bit as I went, I decided to use some darkeraccents to start pulling the design together.

Using a straight heavy mixture of Hooker's Green Darkand my round brush I picked out details and shapes tofinish the tree line.

A Rock and a hard place...

To imply some rocks and such, I used a mixture of LampBlack and a bit Burnt Sienna to create a light warm gray.

I pulled the wash across the existing foregroundwash with some white paper showing through. Thewarmer color helps to pull the foreground together andforward.

Making a major point

I liked the overall look but it needed some jarringaccents to pull it off as an actual "painting."

Using a thick mixture of Alizarin Crimson with a touchof Pthalocyanine Green to darken it. I started from the leftadding some "florals" in the foreground area.

Even as the red dots spread out I could tell they wouldover power the rest of the painting.

I let the red spread a bit and then, using a clean, rinsedand blotted #8 red sable brush I lifted some light centersout of the red dots.


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The final product

I then dripped a few drops of clean w ater in thecenter of a couple of the "florals" to let them spread andmingle with the surrounding colors.

One of the hardest parts in working exclusively in thistechnique is knowing when to stop. You cannot get finedetails initially and as you keep working the previous

washes you've layed in continue to spread, mix, andmingle which may muddy some colors if you are notcareful.

Wet-in-wet watercolor technique is at timesfrustrating, but always exciting. There is host of hypnoticpossibilities as the paint spreads and mingles on your wetpaper.

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Dry Brush watercolor tutorial OBJECT: Learn dry brush watercolor painting techniques.

The parched painter

MATERIALS USED: Arches #140 CP watercolor paper,Grumbacher 1" flat red sable, and Kolonok's #4 flat and#8 round Kolinsky red sable brushes.

COLORS USED (various manufacture) : CadmiumYellow Medium, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Medium,Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, UltramarineBlue, Hooker's Green Dark, Burnt Sienna, and BurntUmber.

First off, I lightly sketched a random landscape

design on the watercolor paper using a #1 pencil.

With a light wash of Cerulean Blue I scumbled a roughsky in, dragging and pushing my 1" flat read sable tocreate texture.
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Laying some foundation washes

I w anted some underlying tones to dry brush thesubsequent strokes over.

I made a light wash of Hooker's Green Dark grayedwith a touch of Alizarin Crimson and I painted thebackround tree line around what is now determined to be alake using the #8 round red sable .

Using a w ash of Dioxazine purple I painted the shadowareas of the tree, keeping the edges rough with brokenwashes.

While this was stil l wet I added some blue accents witha mix of Cobalt blue.

Letting the underpainting dry

I tried to keep the underpainting as dry and brokenlooking as possible, except for the lake area which neededsome suggestions of the reflections and flow of the water.

Using a gray made ofBurnt Sienna, Cobalt blue andHooker's Green Dark I scruffed in a foreground bank area.

I let the underpainting dry.

A tree emerges

I mixed up a strong blue w ash from Cobalt andUltramarine Blue using a #4 flat red sable.

Holding my brush at a rather severe angle I let it layon the paper with varying pressure as I dragged strokes tocreate the shadows and texture on the tree trunk.
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It's Fall!

After finishing the large tree trunk I decided it was fall(which it was at the time) and using all the Cadmiumcolors; yellow medium, orange, and red medium, Iroughed in fall foliage with some rather garish colors.

I used the Kolonok #4 flat red sable for these washes.

A change in plans

As I finished the riot of color on the far banks I added alight wash of orange as a reflection in the lake of the largebackground tree followed by a run of pure Cadmium yellowmedium down the bank under the far tree. I mixed a darkbluish gray from some Cobalt blue and Burnt umber andquickly drew in some dark accents strokes on the largetree trunk.

At this point I considered the flaming trees andthough of the dark maroon maple trees across the street.Using the underpainting as a base I scrubbed in the maintree shape with a mixture of Alizarin crimson andPthalocyanine green which gave an adequate marooncolor.

As I w orked on the big maroon tree in I relied on thenatural spread of the #8 round red sable brush to helpcreate convincing foliage textures.

The classic water effect

I decided the water in lake would be a greenish brown.I used Hooker's Green Dark and Burnt Umber to get asatisfactory color.

I start dragging texture parallel with the horizon line,

across the lake using the not-too-wet #4 flat red sable.
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A lake appears before me

As I pulled each stroke across the lake I variedpressure on the brush to create the "sparkly" water areas.

TIP: If your brush is too wet, you'll lay a flat wash. Blotyour brush on a flat damp sponge or paper towel to adjustthe amount of paint in the brush.

A little detail and punch up

Using Hooker's Green Dark I made a medium tonedpuddle of paint. I used my #4 flat red sable brush,charged, and blotted. I tweaked it between my thumb andfinger to spread the hairs a bit.

Using an upward " flicking" motion I added somegrasses under the tree. I used some of the same color onthe far bank.

Just a minu te, almost done...

I decided the lake had some sw ampy areas near theshore and I added some calligraphic indication of cattails.

By now, the blue in the sky was looking a little too light.I mixed up some more Cerulean Blue, a little darker thistime, and scumbled the sky areas again.

Using the same blue and a #8 round red sable brush Iadded the sky color to the lake reflections.

Finished! Click image to enlarge.

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Lifting wet watercolor paint OBJECT: Learn watercolor color-lifting techniques for wet paint.

Facial Tissues

Wad up some facial tissues and use them as a negativepainting tool.

Facial tissues are absorbent and leave a softer-edgedimpression. Use gentle pressing and twisting, or a dabbingmotion.

If you try to scrub with a facial tissue, most will fall apartand soil your washes.

Excellent for clouds, soft lighting effects, and puddlecontrol as you paint.

You can use TP but that's gross and most brands fall topieces or leave lint all over your painting. Good for blottingbrushes (Zoltan Szabo), leave it on the roll though.

"I t's a sponge, Bob."

In the band of green in the middle-ground I used awrung out natural sea-sponge.

Natural sponges w ill l ighten a watercolor wash in alittle more dispersed and textured manner.

Light texture will be more pronounced if color is liftedas the wash is getting drier.

You CAN scrub your paper with a natural sponge, justwatch out for paper damage.

Synthetic cellulose sponges abound in my studio. Theycan blot large areas (and your brushes) quickly and can becut into any shape you need.

Paper Towels

Here, I blot some simple shapes with a folded papertowel to lighten the foreground.

Paper towels can impart an more angular andmechanical texture as you blot a wash.

Paper towels can suck up a lot of paint VERY quickly.

A large fresh wash of non-staining color can becompletely removed at times. If you lay a glaze overanother wash and it was a mistake, quickly lay a flatsection of paper towel down and blot the entire wash upbefore if has time to affect the underlying wash.
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Negative brush w ork

The brushes you put the paint down w ith can also pickthe paint up.

Rinse clean and squeeze out excess water. Your brushwill wick up the wet paint.

Using a damp 1" wash brush, I blotted the brush to

keep it's edge.

Sweeping back and forth I pick up the color with theedge of the brush, blot the brush dry, and pick up somemore. I "drew" in a line of fence thingies.

The finished lifts

Click the photo to enlarge and see the results of the wetlifting techniques described above.

Other techniques for lifting wet color I've used:

1. Spraying water to wash away areas of color.2. Using various absorbent fabrics and towels.3. My hands or parts there of. Your skin can pick up

color like a stamp pad. You'll leave personaltextures. DON'T PICK UP TOXIC COLORS INTHIS MANNER! (and don't use your tongueeither , duh...)

4. Several cats in my lifetime have lifted paw printsout of a wet wash.

5. Sgrafitto techniques will scrape away color butbruise the paper in the process.

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Lifting dry watercolor paintOBJECT: Learn watercolor color-lifting techniques for dry paint.
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Watercolor Brushes

Any of your regular watercolor brushes can be used tolift dry watercolor paint. Use clear water with a gentlescrubbing motion, blotting carefully with a drier brush ortissue as you go.

Using red sable or other soft hair brushes creates asofter edge but is less effective at loosening the dried paintfrom the paper.

This method offers greater control in the areas you arelightening.

Using your good painting brushes for lifting paint canwear down the fine tips over time. If you've investedmoney in high quality brushes spend a few more bucksand keep some synthetic watercolor brushes handy foryour dry color lifting needs.

Acrylic or Oil painting brushes

The tough and resilient synthetic and natural bristle

brushes used in acrylic and oil painting are the moretraditional choice for "scrubbing" lights into watercolorpaint.

The stiffer hairs can quickly scrub an area covered inpaint down to the paper surface.

Control is rather coarse using bristle brushes. The softhair lift (see "watercolor brushes" above) "teases" thepaint from the paper. This "scrubbing" method is moreaggressive and can harm the paper if used with too muchenthusiasm.

Spray and Blot

Spraying clear water on an area of yourn painting andblotting it with a paper towel can lighten large areas of apainting by degrees.

Using the force of the spray in a "sandblast" manner toforce pigment loose and off the paper is effective also.

Across the blue wash on the bottom I proceed to blastand blot some white holes in the painting.
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19/51

Sandpaper

Sandpaper is rarely used because of it's destructivenature. Tiny sharp shards of sand or other abrasives riplayer after layer of paint and paper away with each stroke.

Sandpaper, when it IS used, is best used as a finaltouch for subtle textured highlighting.

If you try to paint over a sanded area, your paint willsuck into the holes of raw paper fiber like a blotter.

Razor blades, pen knifes and X-actos

Sharp things! Be careful. Take a digit count. You needto have the same amount going out as you do coming in tothis section.

Single-edged razor blades can pick out individualhighlights and scrape rough lines.

Sharp pen knifes offer a safer alternative to razor blades.The handle offers a better grip for control but make sureyou don't accidentally fold the knife blade into your fingerswhile using. It hurts.

X-acto blades can produce finer linear highlights. Taketime to find out which blade angle works best for what

effect you need.

All of these mothods are destructive in nature andsomewhat risky due to the sharp tools used.

Sponges again, Bob

Use only natural sea sponges or cellulose (o'cello style)sponges in natural or neutral colors. They are stronger andhold more water than lightweight foam sponges.

Simplest to use, use a clean damp sponge with a

gentle wiping motion. Lift color from the paper, rotate toclean area on the sponge, wipe again. Repeat as needed.

Here I carefully rub a large swath of color off thebottom middle section of the painting.

New sponge? Rinse out new sponges thoroughly usingclean water. Most are lightly sized to hold their shapebefore sale. Make sure your tools are clean.
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Finished

Click picture to enlarge for a more detailed look at eachtechnique's unique properties.

As you can see, many techniques for removing dry paintcan result in damage to your paper surface. Whenscraping, scrubbing, or picking out highlights with sharp orrough tools it can be easy to make a mistake that won't be

easily corrected.

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Splatter and Spray watercolor techniques OBJECT: Learn splatter and spray watercolor techniques.

Flinging paint is fun

I moistened the lower halfof the paper to see whathappens wet-in-wet as well as dry.

Exciting effects require some exciting motions. Startingwith some Cadmium Yellow Medium a 1" wide washbrush, I stabbed some color into the lower wash rathersloppily.

Grabbing some Y ellow Ochre, with a quick mix I startedrapping the edge of the brush against my finger. The paintappears to fly off chaotically.
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Throwing paint willy-nilly

Switching from a #8 and #4 red sable I ran throughUltramarine Blue, Sap Green, and Alizarin Crimson as Ihad a rather good time.

If your brush is sopping wet you can't control muchwhen you throw it. Big Splats. Shake a few drops outbefore you start for an illusion of control.

I usually use my fingers when I rap the ferrule of thebrush to release the paint for more of a tactile control. (Ifthis technique hurts whatever part of your hands you arehitting, try rapping on a pen than has a padded rubberizedgrip.)

I squeezed several drops of Cadmium Yellow Mediumout of my round sable from a height of 3' to make bigsplats (see finished example at bottom)

Spray it, don't say it

Before I started the spray example I tore up some smallbits of paper and scattered them randomly in the uppercorner.

I also moistend the lower half of the example with clearwater, and threw a light Dioxazine Purple wash into it.

Look for a old toothbrush and clean and rinse thebristles thoroughly, removing any old residue.

Prepare for a mess.

>

It's like toothpaste for your muse

There are a couple ways to charge up a toothbrush. Youcan dip it directly in a paint puddle, but it is hard to fill thebristles evenly with paint.

Here I charge the toothbrush from my #8 round brush.The advantage of doing it this way is that you can add as

much paint as you need easily and in a controlled manner.

You don't want the paint dripping from the toothbrush.
http://imgview%28%27spray/spray1.jpg','Splatter%20and%20Spray%20Textures%203','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27spray/spray2.jpg','Splatter%20and%20Spray%20Textures%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27spray/spray1.jpg','Splatter%20and%20Spray%20Textures%203','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27splatter/splatter2.jpg','Splatter%20and%20Spray%20Textures%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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A simulated aerosol attack!

If you w ant to get "into the process" you can grip thetoothbrush close to the head and drag your thumbnail backacross the bristles. It does alter the effect in a unique way,but extra clean up is needed.

Using the handle of a #5 round I started quickly rakingacross the bristles, releasing the paint in a spray. Pull

straight back in a quick motion. Alter the speed of releaseand distance from the painting for variation.

Spraying mayhem continues - video at 11

I continue covering the example with all the samecolors i used with the spalatter technique above. Ithoroughly rinse the toothbrush and dry it on a towelbefore refilling with a new color.

A modicum of control can be gained if you practice.Sometimes a modicum is all you need.

Evidence of effort

Click image to enlarge for details.

Some watercolor purists consider these techniquesgimmicks and believe only the brushstroke is suitable fortraditional watercolor painting.

They are wrong of course. Use whatever device,technique, tool or aesthetic you want as long as it helpsyou attain your own artistic vision.

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Sgrafitto and Stamped w atercolor textures OBJECT: Learn sgrafitto and texture stamping watercolor techniques.

Etching dark lines

Sgrafitto is an Italian term for scratching techniquesusually associated with stratching through layered ceramicglazes to expose the underlying glazes. Do you recall thoserainbow colors covered in black crayon you would scratchpretty pictures into as a child? Same concept. Still fun.

Shown in this example is a variation scratching a linewith a fine sharp point, in this case a pen knife. The wetpaint is sucked into the bruised paper fibers as you

scratch across the wash , creating dark lines.

Used judiciously, this technique is excellent for addingdetails to landscape paintings in the form of naked trees

and branches, and other flora.

Broadside scrapes on credit

I often use old credit cards, cut to shape, to scrapelarger areas of paint around.

The smooth flat edge will act as a squeegee and pushthe paint off the area you are scraping.

It's on the brush!

Many brushes come equipped with angled scrapers builtinto their handles. I have several sizes of synthetic brushesI've purchased just for their handles.

I use the scraper end of my old Grumbacher 1" flat redsable and proceed to push some light color tree trunks upand into the "sky" area. Notice the dark edges thatautomatically form where you scrape away the paint.

Had I w aited another minute the scraped areas wouldnot have as much back fill (fuzzy edges).

Timing is very important. Scrape too soon, you'll getbackfill. Scrape too late and it won't work at all. You'llburnish a smear through your paint.
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Feats of stamping

Stamping is putting paint on something and pressingthat something onto your painting. The stamping materialyou choose could be anything organic or synthetic. Try theclassic potato, pencil eraser, or leather, lace, burlap,

leaves, grasses or your fingers. Use your imagination,possibilities abound.

Using some facial tissues I waded up, I dipped intogreen and crimson washes I had prepared on my palettesand stamped some texture in the upper section.

Sponges!

I used a rather stiff slice of a sea sponge and dippedinto some Sap Green and stamped the middle section.

The range of size, texture, density, and other variationsin natural sponges is wide.

This sponge gave an excellent rough organic texturewhen stamped. I'll have to remember that.

This could go on forever...

A finer small soft sponge , a cellulose sponge, and somerather tribal use of various hand parts take place...

(A flurry of activity and a couple of blurry photographicsequences forced this montage, sorry ed.)
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Oooo, that was fun... where's the soap?

Click image to enlarge.

As lame as some of the technical execution was in partsof this particular sequence, I found myself thinking of thistutorial as a piece of art and continued trying to "pull ittogether."

I nested colors in colors using thumb and fingertips andsigned it with a big red hand print. A tip of the hat to theLascaux artistians.

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Back Washes as Texture OBJECT: Learn to use clear water for interesting back wash effects.

Before the flood

MATERIALS USED: Arches CP #140 watercolor paper, a1" Winsor & Newton Series 965 wash brush, #8 roundred sable.

COLORS USED: Permanent Rose, Cobalt Blue.

I start by mixing a large w ash of Cobalt Blue and layingin a large loose wash from the upper left corner on acrossthe top of the paper.

I used my 1 " w ash brush for the color washes
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A colorful mix

Mixing a strong tint of Permanent Rose I quicklycovered the rest of the square with color.

As I painted I tried for an interesting mix of colors asthey flowed together.

This is the wash before any clear water has hit it.

Flicks of the wrist

I took my #8 round red sable, rinsed it in clear waterand left it full.

With a few flicks of the wrist I started throwing somewater on the wet wash.

Spreading the effect

As the w ashes continued to dry I dropped clear wateron different areas.

The degree of dryness ofthe underlying washdetermined how much the clear water affected the area.

Click image to enlarge. Notice the lighter areas withinthe Cobalt Blue areas and the Permanent Rose areas.Graining is becoming more pronounced in some areas.
http://imgview%28%27waterdrops/water4.jpg','Water%20Drops%20-%20Backwashes%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27waterdrops/water3.jpg','Water%20Drops%20-%20Backwashes%203','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27waterdrops/water2.jpg','Water%20Drops%20-%20Backwashes%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Inducing backwashes and hard edges

As the example continued to dry I worked the surfacewith clear water.

Backwashes are usually accidental in nature. Whenyou lay two different washes close together and onehappens to touch the other, the wetter of the two will flowinto other.

These accidents can be of the "happy" kind or the "oh,@#!%#!" kind.

After reinforcing the "forced" backwashes on thebottom edges, I dropped a little more clear water on theclose-to-dry washes.

Water drops and backwashes


Notice the degrees of difference in the upper Cobalt

Blue wash. When the clear water was dropped on a verywet wash (left side) the effect is soft and subtle. Whenwater is dropped just before a wash is dry the effect isharsh and creates hard edges. The drier wash is less likelyto flow back into the water to soften the edge.

The bottom backwash areas were achieved by touchingthe very edge of the rose wash with a brush loaded withclear water. You can see the interesting shapes formed asthe Permanent Rose pigment was pushed away andconcentrated.

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Alcohol watercolor texturesOBJECT: Learn the affect of alcohol on watercolor washes.
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Materials and set up

I drew a square and found some Q-tips and 91%Isopropol Alcohol.

MATERIALS USED: Arches CP #140 watercolor paper, a1" wash brush, the above mentioned items.

COLORS USED: Dioxazine Purple, Ultramarine Blue,Cobalt Blue.

Laying the field of attack

I mixed a large amount of Dioxazine Purple and startedblocking in a large wash on the paper.

The "before" picture

I continued painting in the rest of the loose wash witha Cobalt Blue and layed in some Ultramarine Blue in theupper left corner.

Prepare to Drip.
http://imgview%28%27alcohol/alcohol3.jpg','Alcohol%20Watercolor%20Textures%203%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27alcohol/alcohol2.jpg','Alcohol%20Watercolor%20Textures%202%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27alcohol/alcohol1.jpg','Alcohol%20Watercolor%20Textures%201%20%C2%A9%202004%20Gregory%20Conley','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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The first w ave not as eff ective...

Dipping a Q-tip into the alcohol I proceed to tap and dripalcohol directly into the washes.

As the alcohol hit the wash it repeled the paint, pushingit away while leaving a lighter tint of the wash exposed.

Because the wash was so wet, I had to repeatedly drop

alcohol onto the open areas to keep the flowing paint atbay.

Getting interesting now

As the w atercolor washes continue to dry I try somesmaller splatters of alcohol throughout the area.

During evaporation there passed a peak time for theeffect to work best...although everything look interestingso far.

You w ill notice a "fish eye" effect in the middle of mostthe lighter areas where the color slightly darkens.

Finished example: alcohol and w atercolor

I finished playing around and set the painting aside todry.

Click photo to enlarge.

Alcohol and w atercolor don't mix well. The results of

their fight on the paper is strangely organic in nature andnot achievable using any other technique.

The "fish eyes" are a signature of this technique, so it'sobvious to other painters what you are up to.

Use it judiciously or with total abandon , it's yournickel.

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Salt watercolor texture effects OBJECT: Using table salt for unique watercolor texture effects.

Materials and objective

MATERIALS: Arches #140 CP watercolor paper, IodizedTable Salt, Grumbacher 1" flat red sable. A small square ofdry cellulose sponge.

COLORS (various manufactu re): Alizarin Crimson,Cobalt Blue, Sap Green

Start out with a painting

Using a 1" flat red sable I use washes of Cobalt Blue to

paint a sky area. I graded the sky using lighter bands ofCobalt Blue closer to the horizon.

Using straight Sap Green I blocked in the right hillelement.
http://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')mailto:[email protected]://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/salt.htm#permission#permissionhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/salt.htmhttp://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt2.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt2.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt2.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt2.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/salt.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/salt.htm#permission#permissionhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmmailto:[email protected]://imgview%28%27salt/salt2.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%202','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt1.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%201','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htm


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The hills ran crimson

I w ashed in the Alizarin Crimson hill on the left andpulled a stroke up the top edge of the Sap Green hill a bit.

I let the Sap Green and Alizarin Crimson battle it outwhere they met in the middle.

When it rains...

Holding my new tool, a canister of salt, I slipped openthe metal spout and tried a few light dustings od saltcrystals and watched.

Hmmm... there's salt sitting in puddles of paint. Lookinglike...salt sitting in puddles of paint.

As the minutes passed, I decided to add a bit more saltto the heavier areas of wash on the bottom.

Wow , I'm impressed!

There's not much happening at this stage. So now Iwatch the drying to see what happens.

There were a few areas I'd left to drop the salt on whenalmost dry. I dropped a bit of salt in those areas.

I set it aside to dry thoroughly.
http://imgview%28%27salt/salt5.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%205','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt4.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27salt/salt3.jpg','Salt%20Watercolor%20Texture%203','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Pass the salt please

As the painting dried, the salt's effect on the watercolorwashes became visible.

But there was salt stuck all over my painting!

Using a clean dry hand I gentle started brushing awaythe salt from the sky area.

As I got to the hill sections heaviest with salt it felt likeI was sanding my skin off! There was more availablebinder (gum arabic) in the more intense washes which heldthe salt tight.

Change of plans.

The proper tool for the job

I cut a dry cellulose sponge into a small square to usesas a surrogate for my skin.

This enabled me to quickly and gently rub and wiskaway the remaining salt. When removing any abrasivefrom your paint (salt, sand, etc.) take care not to scratchthe paintings surface.

The salt watercolor texture effect


As the w ashes dry the salt crystals suck up pigmentgradually, creating a myriad of light star-like shapes. Thisis most noticable in the sky areas and was less effective,and different, in the darker areas.

Experiment w ith various types of salt: table salt(iodized and non-iodized), sea salt, rock salt, kosher salt,etc. Larger grained salt will produce a larger, morepronounced starring effect.

I have no idea how salt affects the longevity of yourart. Considering salt's corrosive nature I would think overtime it may interact with pigments and natural paper fibersin an unintended way.

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Tissue Paper watercolor texturesOBJECT: Learn to create unique watercolor texture with tissue paper.

Materials and intentions

MATERIALS USED: Arches CP #140 watercolor paper, a1" Winsor & Newton Series 965 wash brush, a crumpledpiece of white gift wrap tissue paper.

COLORS USED: Permanent Rose, Alizarin Crimson, SapGreen.

I started by wadding up a single sheet of tissue paperand preparing washes of Sap Green, and a wash ofPermanent Rose and Alizarin Crimson.

I contemplated their fate.

Making a field of color

Using my 1 " w ash brush I loaded it up with thepreviously mixed Permanent Rose and Alizarin Crimson.

I proceed to lay washes and cut in the edges in withred.

I dipped the corner of my (red) brush into some SapGreen and stabbed and mixed these two colors on thepaper.

Before the big cover-up

I continued to scruff in the middle a bit and thenthoroughly rinsed my brush.

I finished painting the rest of the surface with a strongSap Green wash intermixed with the reds from before.

The surface is wet and saturated with watercolor paintin strong colors.
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Clean that mess up!

I spread the tissue out and shaped it into theapproximate size I needed.

Being careful to cover the entire area, I positioned the

tissue over the wash and gentle pressed down with mypalms.

I did not press the tissue entriely flat, allowing thecrinkles and creases to do their job.

I set the example aside to dry, almost.

Tissue paper watercolor textures

I knew that a couple of the pigments I used have highbinder levels (see the salt tutorial) and the tissue papercould be glued to the painting if I let it dry completely.

I lifted a corner to see if the design was set and gentlypulled the tissue paper off to reveal the effect you see.


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Plastic w rap watercolor textureOBJECT: Learn how to create unique watercolor textures with plastic wrap.
http://imgview%28%27tissuepaper/tissue4.jpg','Tissue%20Paper%20Texture%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/tissuepaper.htm#topofpage#topofpagemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/plasticwrap.htm#permission#permissionhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/plasticwrap.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/plasticwrap.htmhttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/plasticwrap.htm#permission#permissionhttp://window.print%28%29/http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/tissuepaper.htm#topofpage#topofpagehttp://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htmhttp://imgview%28%27tissuepaper/tissue5.jpg','Tissue%20Paper%20Texture%205','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')http://imgview%28%27tissuepaper/tissue4.jpg','Tissue%20Paper%20Texture%204','%20%C2%A9%202005%20Gregory%20Conley')


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Before the flood

MATERIALS USED: Arches CP #140 watercolor paper, a1" Winsor & Newton Series 965 wash brush, plastic foodwrap.

COLORS USED: Pthalocyanine Blue, Sap Green.

I start by mixing a large w ash of Cobalt Blue and layingin a large loose wash from the upper left corner on acrossthe top of the paper.

I used my 1 " w ash brush for the color washes

The underpainting completed

I finished the underpainting with Sap Green, spreadingthings around in interesting shapes.

I measured off a piece of plastic wrap by sight, ripped itoff the roll

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