Watercolor Paper

Hi Susie,

In the last few weeks I ordered your DVD's Beyond the Sunset and Texas Bluebonnets and Live Oaks.  They are great videos.  Would you let me know what kind of paper you are using?  My paper will not get as pliable as yours does when it is wet.  I am using 140 pound, Strathmore cold press paper. Thanks, Marie

SUSIE'S REPLY: 

Hi Marie,
Thanks, I'm pleased your are enjoying the DVD's.

I use and recommend Arches 140# CP paper. It is strong and durable and it works best for my style of painting. And it is a good choice for beginners who are just learning the watercolor techniques.

There are several good watercolor papers, sometimes it is fun and beneficial to experiment to see what other papers will do and how they will perform with your personal style of painting. Online art suppliers offer sampler packets to "test the waters" so to speak at a reasonable price. 

Of all my watercolor supplies I believe the most important is my paper.

Happy Painting!
SUSIE

Colors of a mountain lake???

Question: What colors do you mix for a mountain lake? Trying to watercolor a photo of a mountain lake in Yosemite. Angela

Susie's Reply: This question doesn't have a definitive answer. There are several color options and several factors to consider when painting still water as you would see in a mountain lake.
Unless the water is merky from algae or muddy from recent rains the water itself is grenerally clear and without much color. What influences the color of the water the most is the reflections of what is around it. Deep water is usually darker and more reflective than shallow water where you can see the bottom.
I know this answer may seem a little vague but without seeing your lake and what's around it I'm not sure what colors to suggest. I can tell you that I would use the same colors I used to paint the trees and mountains around the lake.
Another factor that influences the what we see in a reflection is the angle of incidence or the location of the eye of the viewer vs. angle of reflection located on the surface of the water. If we are looking down into a lake what we see is quite different than what we see if we are standing closer to the water level on the shore of the lake.
In most cases the color of the water is a darker value than the local color of its surroundings.
I know this doesn't give you a "formula" to mix up before you paint the water but I hope you can look at the colors surrounding your lake and see what you might use to create an illusion that pleases you. Have fun! And don't get discouraged if you don't get it right the first time ....try painting another. Let me know how it goes....and don't hesitate to ask again if you need more specific input.
Keep those brushes wet!
SUSIE

Beading problems with New Watercolor Palettes

QUESTION: Hi Susie, There must be a 'trick' to preparing the wells in my watercolor palette. I'm new to watercoloring and I've bought three different palettes and each one causes the paint to 'bead' up into a tiny little puddle that almost disappears before I start. What do I need to do to keep this from happening? Some tell me to clean the wells with Comet. It didn't help at all. MJ

SUSIE'S REPLY: Welcome to watercolor MJ! You have so much fun ahead of you!
Beading is definitely a common problem with new plastic palettes especially in the center of the palette where the all mixing takes place. They are so slick and smooth that the wet watercolor just beads up instead of making a nice puddle for you to work with.
What do you need to do to keep this from happening? The solution is simple.....just paint! It is an annoyance at first, especially when you are new to watercolor anyway, but I promise the more you mix and blend and use your palette the faster the mixing area will get "seasoned" and the beading will stop.
As for the wells, I always fill the wells with an generous amount of paint. I like to work with dry paint so I actually fill the wells and allow the paint to dry before I paint with it. Even if you prefer to use fresh paint, a generous squeeze of paint is better than a tiny dab. The lid will help the paint stay moist for quite a while, and if it does dry out you can rejuvenate it with a fresh dab of paint or a damp brush.
I don't recommend using a scouring powder on the plastic surface of your watercolor palette. They just scratch it and cause the surface to stain easier.
Another tip for watercolor palettes is to always use a damp paper towel or rag to wipe up your paint puddles. If you wipe them with a dry towel or rag you run the risk of pushing the paint into the plastic surface and staining your palette. All plastic palettes will be a little stained as you use them, but not enough to cause any problems.

I hope that helps! Have fun!
SUSIE

Painting straight lines or edges in watercolor

QUESTION:
I just started watercolor painting. Is there an easy way to make straight lines (as when painting a structure that needs to have very straight walls etc? Thanks, Donna


SUSIE'S REPLY:
Hi Donna!
It sounds like you are jumping into watercolor with both feet! GOOD FOR YOU!
I do have a few simple tips that will help with getting a clean edge when painting a building or a wall with straight edges.

1. Use a piece of plastic tape as a guideline to help paint a straight edge. I don't recommend using standard masking tape, it can damage your watercolor paper and sometimes leaves a sticky residue when its removed, but most of all its hard to get it to seal tight enough to keep the wet paint from seeping under the edge of the tape. I prefer to use Artist Tape. It is the best I've found for sticking to the paper and not allowing the paint to "seep" under the tape. And it is easy to remove without damaging the paper's surface. Look for artist tape in most artist's supply stores locally or online. Artist tape is also an archival tape used by framers to mount paintings to mat boards. So you might find it at your local picture framer too. I jokingly call my artist tape a "ruler on a roll" and I frequently use it to clean up straight edges and create highlights after the painting is painted when I'm adding those finishing touches and polishing up the painting.
2. Use a "stencil" simply made from a scrap piece of watercolor paper or clear transparency film to provide a clean edge and protect the area not being painted.
3. Making fluid (there are several good brands available) can be applied to the watercolor paper to reserve the white of the paper and create a straight edge.
4. Another way is to use a ruler or straight edge held at an angle so your brush glides along the elevated straight edge. A picture is worth a thousand words ... see photo examples.

I'll add links to examples for each of these tips this weekend.

SUSIE

What is "glazing?"

QUESTION:
Susie: As a beginner in watercoloring I am not familiar with glazing as referred to in the
Raindrops on Roses watercolor tip. Please let me know. Thanks so much for your info. L S

SUSIE'S REPLY:
Glazing is layering thin washes of color with drying time between each layer to build up color.

In this case for the pink roses, it would be a thin or watered down puddle of pink paint.
You paint the darkest value near the center of the rose and blend off to a more diluted watered down value on the outer edge.
Blending off is moistening the area beside a stroke to soften the edge.

Look at my other rose demo for more details and info. Look at steps 4, 5 and 6.
http://www.susieshort.net/rose-demo.html

I hope that helps!

Susie

For a more detailed lesson on painting Raindrops on Roses look for my downloadable eLesson on my website. http://www.susieshort.net/e-lessons.html
You will need the Adobe PDF reader to open the file. To get it free click here.

Beginning Watercolor DVD

QUESTION: Hi Susie, First of all, I love your paintings!!!!!!!!!! I could only hope to be as great. So, my question! I have just broken out my watercolors after many years and would love to start out with one of your instructional dvd's. What do you suggest that is on a beginner's level? Thank you, Paula Davis

SUSIE'S REPLY: Hi Paula, Welcome back to Watercolor! Many say its like riding a bike --once you re wet your brushes it all comes back. I hope that is true in your case! And thanks for the compliments on my paintings! There are a couple of the DVDs that are not too complicated for re-starters/beginners. Painting Iris and Painting Sentimental Roses take you through the paintings step by step. Beyond the Sunset/ Watercolor Skies is also a good one to start with. If you practice painting skies you have background for several landscapes.

This fall I will have a new elesson available for beginners that includes color mixing, color theory, simple brushstrokes and basic watercolor techniques. It should also serve as a good review for those artist who have been away from their art or who are transferring to watercolor from another medium. Watch my website for its availability.

Enjoy your journey!
SUSIE
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