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

Green is Green is Green

QUESTION: Susie, I am having the hardest time painting leaves. Green is green is green. I never seem to get enough contrast and my leaves never come to "LIFE". Can you help? Do you have a video on painting flowers and LEAVES? Shirley

SUSIE'S REPLY: Shirley, the DVD titled Painting Sentimental Roses goes into painting leaves on the stem of a rose. And I do mention adding some variety to the green leaves by dropping in more blue or yellow into a wet area.
But let's just take a few minutes to talk about greens and how to alter them.
First of all don't let yourself get into a habit of relying on tube greens. That green hue (such as Sap Green) may be beautiful straight out of the tube but it can be so "boring." Instead of using tube greens, try mixing your greens using the blues and yellows on your palette. Each blue will make a different hue of green when you add it to each of your yellows.
Experiment by making a little color chart or grid of greens and see the variations you have available to you without dipping into a tube green.
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Then make another chart for each tube green and see how you can adjust the hue of the tube color by adding those same blues to the green from the tube and then another chart by adding the yellows to the tube green(s). WOW! And think of how many more you can make if you combined the tube greens with any number of mixed greens from your first chart of just blues and yellows. (Shown in my example are Sap and Viridian mixed with six colors of a split primary palette.)

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So far we've been thinking about mixing wet colors. Now let's think about glazing or layering blue over yellow or green over pink or green over orange. You can get an endless variety of greens that are alive and exciting.
Dropping wet color into another wet color is called "charging." When the blue and yellow are allowed to "mingle" on your paper rather than being premixed on your palette the color will often be more exciting and have more punch to it.

Thanks for asking a question that so many of us need to deal with. I hope you will find out that with some practice with mixing and mingling your greens will become your friend and not your enemy.

Happy Painting!
SUSIE

Painting Rainbows in Watercolor

QUESTION: Hi Susie! I have a beautiful photo of a rainbow that I've been trying to paint but I've had problems with keeping the colors of the rainbow vibrant and fresh without the colors running into each other and getting muddy. Do you have a simple step by step advice for rainbows? Maybe this would be in your watercolor skies DVD? Any chance that you'll be visiting Hawaii so I can take one of your workshops? Melissa/Hawaii

SUSIE'S REPLY: Hi Melissa! First of all let me tell you I would love to come to Hawaii to paint and teach a workshop! I don't have anything planned yet, but it could happen! I'm ready!
Now to answer your question....Painting rainbows in watercolor does present some unique challenges. When we visualize a rainbow we think of evenly blended vibrant colors with soft edges.
One way to keep our colors from mingling into a muddy mess is to apply one color (on dampened paper,) let it dry, then re-dampen and glaze the second color on next to it. The slight overlapping of these two colors will naturally create the secondary color between them. Let the colors dry again. Then add the next color. You may have to repeat the process several time and build up layers to achieve the intensity you are striving for so be patient. Its been my experience that using only red yellow and blue to paint a rainbow wasn't enough I had to mix up a purple and orange to fill in where I wanted more vibrant color hues.
I've tried painting the rainbow first then painting the landscape/sky around it, and I've painted the landscape/sky first and added the rainbow. Both methods worked as long as I took my time and didn't rush things. As is the case with most new watercolor techniques, it will take some practice and possibly several pieces of good paper to get the feel for what you are doing. Hang in there and don't give up. It can be done! Good luck!

SUSIE
PS. Let me emphasize.... using good paper will be critical ...even when practicing...use good paper!
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Technique - Pouring Watercolor Paint

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QUESTION:
Hi Susie,
I'm very new at WC so I will enjoy reading all the Q&A's here. Can you please explain how to do the "poured" technique? I've seen this talked about but I have no idea how to do it and I love to experiment with all the techniques I read about. Thank you, Nancy

SUSIE'S REPLY:
Hi Nancy - Pouring watercolor paints is an indirect method of painting and quite a detour from the more traditional direct painting methods. Due the variables involved it is often thought of as an experimental technique. Those artists who do master it come up with very beautiful luminous watercolor paintings. Two of the most proficient artists using variations of pouring techniques are Nita Engle and Roland Roycroft.

I'll share what I know about pouring watercolors, which I must admit was a lot of fun to do for a change of pace but didn't quite suite my style as my preferred method for painting. I do still piddle with pouring paint every now and then just for fun and to see what I get.

The basic idea is to pour paint diluted with water over the surface of your watercolor paper creating beautiful blends of sparkling color. Depending on the results you are striving for, you can pour each color separately allowing the surface to dry between each color (which would be considered a form of glazing) or you can allow the colors to mingle on the wet paper without drying between "pours".

Basic techniques for pouring watercolors:

• After you have transferred your drawing to watercolor paper mounted on a support of some sort, use a liquid masking fluid or maskit to carefully reserve any whites and light to middle values. Let the masking dry.
• Squeeze the paint you plan to use from the tubes into saucers or containers (such as a empty plastic butter tubs) and using a spray bottle add water to dilute the watercolor to the desired intensity. Use a clean brush to dissolve and clumps of thick paint. Don't add too much water, you can always use the mister to add more water to your paper as needed. Remember the more water you use with the paint the lighter it will be when it dries.
• When the masking is completed and totally dry you are ready to pour. Have a receptacle ready to catch the paint as it runs off your paper. (If you only add one color at a time the run-off and be reused for additional poured layers. )
• Using clear water lightly mist the paper.
• Pour a small amount of the diluted watercolor paint on your paper. You can even use an eye dropper for more control when adding the paint.
• Use sprayer or mister to add more water as you work from dark to light in both value or intensity and to move the paint where you want it to go.
• Tilting your board back and forth will also allow the paint to run and mingle some if you are working with more than one color.
• Pour off excess paint being careful to watch for puddles of paint collecting in pockets caused by the masking fluid. If you find a collection of paint use the tip of a paper towel or a thirsty brush to soak up the excess.
• DRY and repeat as needed to get the desired effect. DRY AGAIN.
• Use a rubber cement pick-up or a piece of tape to rub off the masking.
• Next, remask only the lightest areas, leaving the middle values unmasked. When the masking is dry repeat the pouring process. Glazing over the already painted areas will make them darker and in the area previously reserved by the masking now add color. These steps can be repeated as many times as necessary until you build up the contrast and mood you desire.
• Remove the masking from the lightest areas and highlights. You can now use a brush to add or bring out any of the finer details.

This is a very simplified explanation of how to produce a painting using poured paints but it should give you an idea of what is involved. For more details I'll refer you to these books by the experts.

How to Make a Watercolor Paint Itself by Nita Engle

Fill Your Watercolors with Light and Color by Roland Roycraft

Pouring Light - Layering Transparent Watercolor by Jean H. Grastorf

Clicking on the titles will take you to my recommended watercolor books powered by Amazon.com Look for the Abstract and Experimental catagory.

And while you're looking take a peek at the new book Watercolor The Spirit Of Spontaneity by Karlyn Holman. She covers pouring plus many more fun techniques.

Thanks for your question!
I hope this inspires you to explore poured painting further!

SUSIE

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Watermarks and Blending Off

QUESTION: Hi Susie,
I recently took your ROSE CLOSE-UP CLASS and enjoyed it a lot. I tried to practice at home and found that every time I blended with water or went back to add color to an area that was previously painted, I would make watermarks, and make the original color run and ruin everything. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks, Christine

SUSIE'S REPLY: Hi Christine! This is a common problem and a great question for me to share. Maybe we need to make a bumper sticker just for us watercolorlists that reads... Watermarks happen! I'm sure there would be many who can relate to this problem!
Watermarks (also called "blossoms" or "balloons") happen when the wetness of paint (or water) in your brush is greater than the moisture or wetness of the paint on your paper. When the water or paint you add to your paper the liquid is unequal to what's already there it will level off (spread out). This leveling process will "push" the paint particles as it levels out causing a watermark. It's actually collection of concentrated paint particles moved to the edge of the wetter area.
If watermarks are your problem, the solution is to use less water in your blending brush. Try blotting your brush to remove some of the moisture in it before you touch the paper to blend off.
I'll try to put together a new watercolor tip with photo illustrations to show what I talking about. In the mean time take a piece of scrap paper and do some blending practice exercises. It does take practice to be able to "read" your papers dampness and adjust the moisture in your brush accordingly.
I hope that helps! SUSIE

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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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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