Watercolor- Guidelines In Choosing Watercolor Paper

Before the 1800's, watercolor painting is done on any paper that is available. Normally, it will be very difficult to paint on heavy paper that is colorfast. A wrapping paper, a white paper or even tourist guide papers are common since the manufacture of watercolor paper were to come later.

Today, watercolor paper is manufactured well with formulation for specific watercolor applications. These applications are divided into attributes such as weight, color, size, furnish, permanence, packaging, dimension and color.

Weight - Grams per square meter (GSM) determine the weight of the watercolor paper. Depending on its density and thickness, the weight of the watercolor paper ranges from 280 to 640 gsm. To judge whether the paper is good to your application without even looking at the weight is to hold it on one edge and shake it vigorously. Paper with less weight will give a rubbery sound when rattled while papers with heavier grades will tend to give off a more metallic sound. Generally, heavier papers are excellent for water based applications although it is much more expensive.

Color – Most watercolor papers are pure white although sometimes they come with a slight tinge of beige and sometimes slightly yellowish. There are also watercolor papers today that are tinted and are available in all colors.

Furnish – The furnish of the watercolor paper is determined by the content or material from which the paper is made. The papers are made of cellulose extracted from plants notably, wood pulp, linen, and cotton. After extraction, the pulps are wetted, macerated, chemically treated and filtered and rinsed and poured into paper making moulds. The watercolor paper making machines are large cylinders fixed with metal wire screen mesh that gives the paper the texture of a wove. The wire mesh determines the coarseness or the smoothness of the wove produced.

Size and Dimensions – The sizes that are commercially available are:

Emperor sheet (40"x60"), double elephant (30"x40"), full sheets (22"x30"), half sheets (15"x22") and the quarter sheets (15"x11"). Watercolor paper sizes are also available as watercolor blocks or pads containing 20 sheets. A watercolor block comes in different sizes with its dimensions glued on the edges for portability.

Permanence – Every paper deteriorates eventually however, the best watercolor paper are the archival papers. These papers are entirely from 100% cellulose fibers whether made from linen or cotton. Because of these, papers are free of lignen. Archival papers will last for more than 100 years without significant deterioration like discoloration and brittleness.

Finishes – When you buy a watercolor paper, the finish is printed on a corner that tells you it's texture. There are three basic finishes that tells you the texture of the paper. The HP (hard pressed), the CP (cold pressed) and R for rough. Each texture works for particular applications. Work with hard pressed papers for smoother applications and textures.

Packaging – the packaging of the watercolor paper will give information regarding the attributes mentioned above, and how those attributes will work for a particular painting.

Watercolor- Creating Textures

Creating textures in any visual art gives the art excitement, movement, and variety. Somehow an otherwise drab looking artwork comes alive when textures and texture contrasts are incorporated into the painting. Aside from that, depths and shades are better executed, monotony is removed, and interests are sparked.

There are combinations and variants in creating texture some of the most often practiced are:

Splattering textures involves loading a brush with color and tapping the brush at a height to towards the paper. Care is observed when splattering a texture since too much water in the brush might lead to big blots and blobs that will not be as easy to control. Another technique at splattering a texture is to use a pencil or the handle of another brush when tapping the brush that is loaded with color unto the paper.

Spraying textures is very much like splattering although in this technique the artist use toothbrush instead. Since toothbrushes are made of nylon and could therefore not hold much paint and water, charging the toothbrush with paint from a paint brush is preferred rather than dipping the toothbrush in a puddle of water diluted color. Again care is observed that the toothbrush is not loaded with too much water as dripping will ruin the work. To spray the texture, rake the bristles of the toothbrush along the points where sprayed textures are desired.

Sgrafitto Textures. Sgrafitto is scratching a layer of paint to reveal the paint underneath. To do this, use thin plastic materials that you could hold firmly or the angled scrapers built into (some) brushes to scrape the underlying colors. This technique is used for detailing flora, branches, and trees.

Stamped Textures. Stamping is applying color using just about anything except the brush. Organic materials are the favorites like leather, sponges, laces, leaves, cross section of tubers; possibilities are endless as textures are. The most commonly used though are sponges and tissue papers. Sponges for example are dipped into the color and applied into the paper to form shapes that are intended.

Back Wash Textures remains the widest used texture in watercolor painting. Backwashing involves the laying of a predetermined area with color and while still wet lays another color  that creates and interesting mix as the color merges. The texture is influenced by the natural conduction of water to leave different marks on paper depending on its degree of dryness, wetness, and texture. After that, the brush is dipped in water and flicked over the painting further creating textures and shapes of interesting value as the colors merge.

Alcohol Textures creating this texture is very similar to the backwash and the splatter except that instead of water, alcohol is flicked over the artwork. The chemical composition of the alcohol creates interesting patterns on the paper very different compared to pure water flicking.

Salt Textures. The natural action of salt when it is sprayed in small amounts of water is that it tends to absorb it. This absorption creates patterns different from that of flickering alcohol of pure water. Salt however will accelerate the rotting of the paper over time. In creating textures with similar effect, some artists use saw dust instead that will be brushed off when the painting dries.

Watercolor-Basic Painting Techniques You Can Use

Every art form involves discipline unique only towards its application. In the visual arts for example, like oil, acrylic, pastels, charcoal etc., there are the basics that are common. Some of the basics may include the ability to interpret images into visual form, intrinsic artistry, and skills gained and learned. As the discipline widens and develops, the unique quality of the medium that is used is addressed according to the quality that makes it unique.

Likewise, watercolor painting poses challenges addressed differently. For example, watercolor is a transparent medium making it unique when compared to other mediums that are opaque. To address this, the following are the watercolor basic painting techniques developed and used over the years and which no watercolor artist can do without.

• Dry Brush – the dry brush technique is good for creating textured surfaces. Samples of dry brush technique are often seen in watercolor paintings of tree barks, rocks, twigs, foliage etc. creating a visibly dominant textures. Dry brush painting relies on painting with a brush that is just about moist and often charged with a thick paint. The dominance or the subtlety of the effect will depend also on the grade and quality of the paper used and the angle and stroke applied.

• Lifting Wet Watercolor – The tools to use when applying this technique are soft tissue paper, sponges, paper towels, or brushes. Lifting is a negative painting tool where instead of applying color, you diminish the color that is applied. It creates a dreamy effect and is widely used when painting clouds where the paint, while still wet is dubbed with the absorbent tool to create the image desired. Twisting is done to create more texture in the paint that is left on the paper as well as scrubbing. When doing the actions though, especially when scrubbing, care must be observed that the paper underneath is not damaged.

• Lifting Dry Watercolor – One of the greatest challenges in watercolor painting is its being a transparent medium which makes it very difficult to remove or blot out. Once it is in the paper and dries, removing the paint is difficult if not impossible. Painting over will hide it partially. Just the same, sometimes a pigment has to be lifted from the artwork and for lifting dry watercolor, what is normally used are acrylic brushes or sponges. To lift the dry pigment, the sponge or the brush is cleaned thoroughly with clean water and applied very carefully to the surface. The process is repeated until manageable tinge of color remains.

Other tools used are razors, sandpapers, penknives, and sometimes X-acto blades. All of which are destructive. Blades are used but then the texture of the artwork is altered. In skilled hands highlights will be created when using a blade but as mentioned it is a risky process.

• Wet in Wet – is another watercolor basic painting technique where the paper is brushed wet before applying pigments. This technique produces a very different texture and appearance that is unique only to watercolor paintings.

Behind Watercolor Techniques

Watercolors are used in which pigments suspended in a gum-Arabic solution are applied to a surface with the use of brush and water. Water is used as a medium for pointing to bind the pigments. It started out since ancient times. Watercolor techniques have been improved throughout these past few years.

The following are the most popular watercolor techniques that have been developed by the artist themselves:

1. Wash Technique
It was developed by Albrecht Durer, a German artist. It permits overlapping layers of highly diluted pigments to a more refined level. It started in the early 16th century. In the 18th century, wash became the vehicle for color and the whiteness of the paper is reserved for highlight purposes.

2. Aquarelle Technique
It was mastered and developed by John Cotman and J.M.V Turner, both English artists. Aquarelle technique is more concentrated on thin washes.

3. Watercolor Technique with oil and acrylic base4d paint
It started at around 19th and 20th century. It dilutes oil paint with solvent to give a washy thinness. It is the newest watercolor technique that is used nowadays by some artists around the world. It also allows the paint to flow freely over the painting surface. Most schools around the world are more concentrated on teaching this technique to their students. Pablo Picasso and John Miro mastered this technique.

Watercolor techniques are combined with reiteration of the themes and styles developed. Many artists never stop to experiment on new2 materials and forms of expression. The watercolor technique will be chosen by the artists themselves. It is important because they are the ones who know what technique is applicable for their masterpiece. Amateur artists may also attend workshops in order to learn more about these techniques.

Watercolor techniques improve as time passes. Several ways are used in order to create a new set of development. With the help of these new improvements, several artists nowadays are getting more inspired to create watercolor paintings. Even the younger children try it out for themselves.

Watercolor brings a different vibrant to paintings creating a surreal approach to the eyes of its audience. Using the watercolor techniques, paintings became more interesting and relaxing to see. It shows the creativity of the artists in the whole world. It gives a new dimension for the artists to showcase their talent. With their watercolor paintings, many people are filled with joy and inspiration.

Watercolor techniques are ways to create a masterpiece. It's in the hands of the artist to use it evenly on the paper with its chosen theme. If effectively done, the artist will surely create a majestic piece of art that can be enjoyed by its audience. Indeed, using the watercolors, such artists can create and express themselves better with their paintings. It is a medium that can easily be used by everyone that enjoys and loves painting.

With the help of these medium, people can divulge themselves to a new innovation in art. With the help of the watercolor, it moves freely in the hands of the artists.

Watercolor – The Basics

Whether natural artist or not, there are always rules to follow first. Mastery of the rules allows us to break it with wonderful results but that will come later. It all starts with the basics.

In watercolor as with any other disciplines, there are several techniques to be learned first. Mastering the techniques will allow you to gain control of the medium, ease you nicely into the art form aside from cutting the learning curve.

Thumbnails 

This is the planning stage. Thumbnails are not basics in watercolor painting but unless very skilled, you will experience a lot of difficulties without the thumbnails first. Thumbnails are the sketches you do that in order to break down the images you would finally want on the painting. Doing thumbnails first makes the painting more manageable and prevent errors. And so during this stage, draw thumbnails until satisfied of the image that would finally appear in the finished painting.

The Wash

There are different watercolor washes and corresponding effects. Basically though, a wash is a term used for loading the brush with plenty of water and some pigment and painting it over the paper. Washes are typically used for backgrounds in watercolor painting. It is almost synonymous with laying the foundation from which the images desired in the painting is laid. To develop and learn to control washes, try experimenting with different color intensity and hues. To lighten a particular shade, all you need to do is add water. Conversely, to darken an area would be to add a little more pigment.

The Glaze

Glazing is similar to the wash except that it is used to change the temperature of the color underneath (the wash). To glaze is to add another layer of color to an existing color, not really to erase the coloring underneath but to change the temperament or create another color in combination with the wash color. It is well to note that watercolor being a transparent medium cannot be fully erased or fully covered by another color. To this end, glazing has become a tool unique to watercolor painting.

Tinting

To apply additional tint to an existing wash or color, wait for the color that was first applied to dry before applying a tint. To apply tint on a wash that is still wet would create effects that unless that is the intent, the painting would be ruined.

Erasing

Watercolors are never erased totally. When an undesired color has already been painted, this could partially be washed but only to minimize the color strength. Use you brush dipped in water and brush very gently. This way you can lift the pigment from off the paper but avoid damaging it. When part of the paper is damaged, the painting will be damaged too as the color is drawn by the roughness of the scrub done.

Once the basics as mentioned above are mastered, you are well on your way to painting in watercolor. There are different methods that could be learned later but so far, the above are the most important and the most common practices when starting.