Watercolor Painting for Dummies (19 page)
Read Watercolor Painting for Dummies Online
Authors: Colette Pitcher
Tags: #Art, #Techniques, #Watercolor Painting, #General
Most art supply stores carry a product called
masking fluid
(mask) that saves white. You apply the liquid to your paper where you want to preserve the white. You can then paint over the protected area — slop, spray, drip, whatever — then peel off the mask to reveal fresh, white paper underneath that is unaffected by your work on top.
Masking fluid is an acid-free product that’s archivally safe for your paper. Rubber cement would work, but it’s very acidic and will discolor your paper.
Most masking fluids come in a jar with a screw-on lid, and you apply it like paint by using a brush. One type of mask, however, comes in a bottle with a hypodermic needle–like top that allows you to apply thin lines of mask easily. No extra application tool required.
Masking fluid comes in clear, blue, gray, orange, pink, and yellow, depending on the brand. There’s even a permanent mask designed to remain on the paper. Colored mask makes it easier to see where you applied the mask, but I have seen some sad results where the colorant stained the paper. I recommend the colorless masking fluid because if you’re saving white, it’s difficult to judge color values when the white is saved as orange, gray, or some other color.
If you use colored mask, look at the bottom of the mask container to check that the color is even before using. You shouldn’t see any bright dots of undissolved color. Shake up the product to mix the color if needed. However, try not to shake the bottle unnecessarily because air solidifies the product. Shaking and introducing air to the mask causes it to harden prematurely.
Mask dries in your brush quickly, and if it dries completely it won’t come out. So don’t use your very best brushes to apply masking fluid. If you do get mask stuck in your brush, you can purchase a masking fluid cleaner product.
To use masking fluid to save white, just follow these steps:
1.
Dip a cheap synthetic round brush in liquid dish soap or swirl it on a bar of soap to coat the hairs.
This aids in rinsing out all the mask. If your brush starts to solidify, rinse it out in water, recoat with soap, and start again.
2.
Dip the brush coated in soap (no rinsing out the soap) into the jar of masking fluid.
Cover the hairs but try not to cover the metal ferrule, which makes it more difficult to clean the brush.
3.
Apply the mask to your paper.
Apply enough of a layer to protect the paper. If the mask is too thin, it won’t resist liquid painted over the top.
4.
Allow the mask to dry before painting over the top.
Gently touch the mask to see if it’s dry. If it doesn’t come off on your finger, it’s probably dry. The mask remains slightly tacky because it’s a rubber-like product.
Be patient!
Sometimes overnight is a good amount of time to make sure it’s dry, especially if you use thick mask.
Resist the temptation to use a blow-dryer to speed up the drying time on masking fluid. The heat can cook the mask into the paper and create a permanent bond.
5.
Clean your brush in water and lay it flat to dry when you’re finished.
6.
Paint over and around the masked area.
7.
Let the paint dry completely.
8.
Rub your finger over the dried mask to peel it up.
You can feel with the palm of your hand when all the mask is removed.
Remove the masking fluid within six months or it may become permanent.
Practice the masking technique a couple of times before committing the method to a time-intensive artwork.
Keep in mind that you can use mask to protect colors too. Paint mask on top of a flower, let it dry, and then loosely paint over the masked flower to make a background. Peel the mask off when the background is dry; the flower has been protected.
Negative space
is the space around and between the positive shapes in a painting. Negative space is as important to consider as the positive shapes. The object, or subject, in the painting (a flower, for instance) is the positive shape. The area around the flower, the background, is the negative space.
Negative painting
is painting the negative space — the area around the positive shape. In watercolor, you do lots of negative painting to save white and light areas.
Try out negative painting. If you have a daisy to look at, get it out now. I have a bunch of silk flowers to use as inspiration. Real ones are even better if you have access to them. The daisy in Figure 4-2 is simplified. I used the daisy as an inspiration, but didn’t closely follow all the detail that the flower showed.
Figure 4-2:
Negative and positive shape.
1.
Draw the outline of a white flower on a 5-x-7-inch piece of watercolor paper. Don’t forget the stem and leaves.
The flower is the positive shape. Take a minute or two to really look at the flower shape. Take time to make the edge interesting with all the irregularities that you observe.
2.
Activate your paints.
Choose the colors you want for the background and activate them if they’re dry. I used alizarin crimson, hookers green, phthalo blue, lemon yellow, and cadmium yellow.
3.
Paint clear water over the background.
As the paper soaks up the water, rewet the area until the background is shiny damp with no dry spots. If you get a puddle of water, pick up the paper and tip it back and forth, allowing the water to dissipate through the entire wet area. You want to have an even wetness everywhere in the background. Leave the flower, leaves, and stem dry.
4.
Paint the background before the water dries
.
A. Take your round brush, pick up some green paint, and float it in the damp background. The paint will explode in the water. Put green in other areas quickly.
You must apply the background colors while the paper is still wet. If the paper dries in an area before you’re done, stop and let it all dry. Start again with Step 3.
B. Rinse your brush between colors and get red and drop it next to the green. The red and green should mix to a dark green. Add blue in some areas.
C. Use your brush to manipulate the colors where you want them to go. Pick up the paper and tip it one way, then another, to let the water blend the colors together.
When you like the background, lay the paper down flat and let it dry.
5.
Add the flower details.
The center of the daisy is an oval of lemon yellow. Add a cadmium yellow shadow to the center while it’s still wet for a soft, rounded look.
6.
Glaze the stem and leaves green.
After the flower center is dry, mix a yellow-green with water so it’s very transparent (a glaze; see Chapter 3 for more details) to paint over the stems and leaves.
If the background got on your stem, flower, or leaves, you can remove the paint with a stiff brush and clean water. Blot to lift off the paint with a tissue. See Chapter 3 for more on lifting paint.
7.
Finish with the shadows.
Paint a blue transparent shadow under the yellow daisy center.
