Best Pencil for Drawing or Sketching on Watercolor Paper

Q: Whats the best pencil to use when drawing out my sketches on my watercolor paper? I'm using Arches 140# paper. Thanks

Susie's Reply: First of all you do not want to do a lot of drawing or sketching on watercolor paper if you will be doing any erasing For my classes I show my students how use either a hard lead 3H with a light touch to draw simple shapes or to trace an image via a light box. You don't need a detailed drawing just a shape or to locate an edge. Add details later. If I use a regular HB pencil, the lead or graphite is much softer resulting in a darker line so I erase most of the line just leaving a vague mark. This also helps keep the lead or graphite from being "sealed" in once paint or water is applied over the line. Some colors allow for erasing the pencil line from underneath and some do not. If I'm drawing on a dried wet-in-wet underpainting I like to use watercolor pencils that will blend in when painted over. As for the watersoluable pencils I find they work best when adding darker values to a light passage as they dissolve into the darker paint. But I find that they tend to "dirty" light juicy washes. I suggest to apply lighter value colors freely without lines first then go back and define the edges if you need to. The darker colors cover the lighter ones and you don't even know they were there. Challenge yourself to do as much as you can without the details of a drawing...add the details as you go. You will find your painting will not be as tight if you don't try to paint inside the lines. Go with the flow, let the watercolor paint itself, then adjust the edges to bring out the best parts of what happened!

Drawing with Watercolor Pencils

Hi Susie, I’m curious about something. Is it considered cheating to start off watercolor with watercolor pencils? I’ve been considering doing it that way first to teach myself the brush strokes I’d be most comfortable with by following the pencil lines. Although I’m not sure if that would hinder using actual watercolors.  Can you help me with this? Thank you for your time, Courtney

Susie's Reply:

Personally, I don’t like pencil lines in my work so using a watercolor pencil to “save” an area as I paint in my shapes is a good choice for me. Drawing with watercolor pencils is one of my favorite ways to create a guideline that assists with accurate placement when you want to paint more freely.

Keep in mind the watercolor pencil lines will dissolve when water is added.

Cheating? Certainly not!

Use them if they help you as you learn. You never know, you may outgrow their usefulness.

Happy Painting!

SUSIE

P.S. Use similar colors that you will use when painting i.e. Use a pink wc pencil to draw a pink rose and a green wc pencil to draw the leaves. A watercolor pencil can also be used to sign a painting. A lighter color or metallic wc pencil is very effective over dark paint.

Watercolor Pencils

Question: As a complete beginner - aged 78 - can you tell me if it is possible to erase watercolour pencil? Thanks! Patricia

Susie's Reply: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Watercolor!! Don't be afraid to jump in with both feet!
For the most part, depending on how dark and how much pressure was used when applying, watercolor pencils are not entirely erasable with a standard eraser. You can moisten the marks and get them to dissolve almost entirely with some gentle agitation provided you are using good quality paper. Marks made with watercolor pencils on damp paper are even more stubborn to remove.
There are some good instruction books on using watercolor pencils that go into much more detail as to what they will do and how to use them. For me personally I love to use them to draw in a light sketch for placement or to add a vein to a flower or a whisker on a critter.
Enjoy your journey!
SUSIE

Signatures on Watercolors

QUESTION: Susie, how do you suggest we sign our watercolor paintings? I was reading another blog talking about signing their art work they said "if you painted a purely watercolor painting and signed the painting with an ink pen, it was now a mix media painting. What do you think?" CV

SUSIE'S REPLY: My, this is a loaded question!
Obviously, if your painting is to be entered into a competition go by the rules outlined in the prospectus. Many shows have strict regulations against using anything but transparent watercolors in the paintings. Rules are rules and its usually not the juror but the board or show directors who do the regulating.
Outside of the competitions.... I think there could be several legitimate choices.
Let's look at a few choices:

• Watercolor is preferably the first choice. It can be painted on using a brush, or by using a stylus in a damp area a signature can be "imprinted or scratched" into the paper. This method allows the signature to blend into the painting. It's easily seen but not distracting.
• Watercolor pencils are dried watercolor in pencil form and are easy to use. If the marks made with the watercolor pencil appears to be sitting on top of the paper,,, try running a damp (not wet) brush over the signature. This will help it integrate with your painting.
• Ink - is used by many artists. It's convenient and easy to use. Preferably, it should be an archival water based ink. (Avoid petroleum based inks.) Some of the archival gel pens manufactured for scrap booking are recommended even in darker areas.
• Pencil is also a reasonable choice, especially if any line drawing is used as an important part of your watercolor painting.

So what do I think about a painting being classified as Mixed Media when you use ink for a signature? For what it's worth, I do not believe using ink just for the signature should turn a watercolor into mixed media.

However, if there is a question, or becomes an issue why push your luck?

More than anything paint it and sign it! Then move on to the next one!

SUSIE

Stretching Watercolor Papers

QUESTION: Hi Susie, I am so new to watercolor, that when I read my first book and it told me to soak my paper in the bathtub and stretch it before painting I was stunned! I quickly read through several other books and some say yes, some say no. I am just back from Italy where I picked up some wonderful (I think) watercolor paper and watercolor pencils because I wanted to paint what I saw there. I have painted in oils before, and love them, but this is very foreign to me. So many questions. If my paper is small - or long and thin, and I am using watercolor pencils rather than brush and paint, should I still stretch it? What kind of surface do I stretch it onto? Is there a special 'board' to buy, or just a hunk of plywood? Also. Would I be happier with my results of I paint my images, or will the pencils do just as well? Do you have any favorites for paint or pencils? And do you ever travel to Minnesota for a workshop? I looooooooove your work and would love to take a class from you but not sure how I could work out a trip to Washington. btw, do you have the costs of your workshops posted somewhere too? Wow! A lot of questions. I will patiently wait for the answers. (ok, I will try :D ) Laurel/Minnesota

SUSIE'S REPLY:

Hi Laurel! You've asked some good questions! Let's address them one at a time.

1. If my paper is small - or long and thin, and I am using watercolor pencils rather than brush and paint, should I still stretch it?
   No, it is not necessary to pre-stretch all papers before you paint on them with watercolor. This is especially true if you will be using watercolor pencils. Anytime you are using paint and a brush with very little water while painting there is no need to stretch the paper. Those speciality papers you mentioned may not respond well to the stretching process either.
2. What kind of surface do I stretch it onto?
   Artists who religiously stretch their watercolor paper seem to each have their own special supports to recommend. Plywood could be used but there are other options that are lighter in weight and easier to manage. Some artists like to use "gator board" which is like a heavy duty foamcore. What you want is something that is rigid and unyielding to the pressure of the paper as it shrinks and tightens.
   [In the stretching process the soaked paper is expanded and secured so that when the paper dries the paper has a taunt surface. This stretched/taunt surface will not buckle or wrinkle when wet paint is applied. The wetter the paint the greater the expansion and possibilities for resulting buckles.]
   Some artists like to tape their watercolor paper down to a board without stretching it first -- just to hold it in place while they paint. They get a nice clean edge around the edges when the tape is removed. Taping unstretched paper does not help with buckling.
   As for me, I never stretch! Some artists might call me lazy but I don't like to spend the time to stretch my paper. I go through so many pieces of paper each week that if I did stretch my paper I wouldn't have time to paint! I don't stretch my paper and I don't attach it to a support by taping or stapling. If I decide I need to paint with the paper at a slight tilt to achieve a certain effect I might put a couple of thumb tacks in the top corners to keep it from sliding while I work. By not restricting the paper it can expand when it's wet and contract again as it dries without buckles or wrinkles. It will stay relatively flat as it continues to dry.
3. Is there a special 'board' to buy, or just a hunk of plywood?
   There are some special "stretching" boards an the market. You might check the online art supply store to see what they have to offer.
4. Would I be happier with my results if I paint my images, or will the (watercolor) pencils do just as well? That is going to be a question for you to answer! It depends on what you want the end results to be and you own unique painting style. I think you will like to use both methods for different applications and unique situations. And there is nothing wrong with combining the two!
5. Do you have any favorites for (watercolor) paint or (watercolor) pencils?
   I do have favorites that I find myself returning to again and again. I'll share my favorite watercolor paints and watercolor pencils and brands in another post. What I do recommend is that you use the best you can afford. Professional or artist quality is preferred over student quality. The best doesn't always mean the most expensive either. Start out with a few basic colors and add to them as you have the chance.
6. And do you ever travel to Minnesota for a workshop?
   I don't have anything planned but would welcome the opportunity to hold a workshop in your area. If you belong to an art group that would be interested in hosting a workshop have them contact me susie@susieshort.net. I'll be happy to send them a copy of my rates and workshop topics. Thanks for asking!
   

That's a lot of questions for one post. I hope this answers most of them. Thanks!

Happy painting! SUSIE
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