Water’s Edge, watercolor ,30″ x 22″

This is a bit of a different approach to my usual way of working.  I’ll explain. I usually work with large brushes only using small rounds toward the end for detail. I rarely use any sort of masking agent and prefer to control the use of color by carefully dampening some areas of the paper and leaving other areas dry.  The wet areas versus the dry areas is very logical since watercolor will not usually bleed into a dry area. A little practice and a LOT of patience plus some compulsion will pull you through!

This particular work has been completed after I have had some major health setbacks. Last summer, I was the victim of a rear end collision.  Today I have to walk with the aid of a cane. It limits my mobility and the ability to carry a lot of gear. This piece was done in my backyard after a rainy spell.

Materials

In this piece I shifted my approach. Working on a 300lb. Lana cold press sheet (30″ x 22″) I used round brushes to set the under painting stage, large brushes for overall washes;  then small Kolinsky rounds for detail. One additional item was maskoid or frisket.  A bottle of liquid maskoid will last me for years. In fact they usually dry up before I can use up the bottle. One tip: If you purchase a medium to large bottle, open it up and put a marble inside. Decant a small amount into a tight fitted film can. Work out of the small airtight  container.  Replenish from the larger container. EVERYDAY when you come into your studio flip the larger container over on its head or base. The marble will help agitate the mixture and keep it fluid. Merely shaking the container with agitate the air in the partially full larger container. The shaking and infusion of air will cause your supply to dry up faster.

My brushes for this painting were :

• #8 Mary Whyte Kolinsky round. (It only comes in a size 8 from Art Express.)

• #4 Winsor & Newton Series 7

• Grumbacher size 20 “Gainsborough” bristle brush

• 1″ flat sable or sable blend brush

Paint:

• Winsor & Newton Perylene Maroon
• M.Graham Indian Yellow
• Holbein Marine Blue
• Holbein Yellow Green
• Winsor & Newton Emerald Green (Blue Shade)
• Winsor & Newton Permanent Sap Green
• Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue

Masking:

• I prefer a brand called White Mask
• In this case I wound up using a tinted Grumbacher variety

Beginning/first strokes:

Prior to applying the first wash I made a number of preliminary sketches. I capitalized on a somewhat obscured “X” design in the basic concept. Watch of it as the work progresses. You will note that there are mixtures of Indian Yellow and  Marine Blue  predominating the page. Note some major leaf shapes, the branch and a few flowers have been left white with only the shadows being delineated.

Step 2

After the limited under painting was dry I applied the maskoid. The pink areas denote the rubber masking fluid application. I can give you several reasons for not liking maskoid even though I use it once in a while.  Primarily I find it blocks spontaneity and inhibits changing directions when “happy” accidents occur. The predominant yellow you see is the M.Graham Indian Yellow….good stuff!

Two Approaches:

The making on the flowers is straight forward.  The masking of the lichens on the limb are another matter. The overall shape of the lichen mass was masked.  As several layers of wash was applied I would modify the masking area. It is very simple. I would put down a wash, let it dry.  Sometimes the wash was only on the lichens. After it dried I would use my fingers and rub the masked surface randomly disturbing the surface. Then  I would apply another wash of another color.  The final result is a random selection of colors that help create a natural texture. Experiment with it.  It has many applications.

Conclusion:

After a lot of time the painting is nearing completion. I love to get lost in the little minute areas of these sorts of studies. The colors blend and swirl over one another.  I will elaborate on some of the steps when Mastering Glazing Techniques in Watercolor, Volume II    is published some time in the future.

Meanwhile Mastering Glazing Techniques in Watercolor, Volume I is available direct at

http://www.createspace.com/3657628

Also available at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff and other outlets.