INSTRUCTIONS BY TERESA ASCONE
All supplies are
not necessarily used in every painting. The lessons shown in this online tutorial are intermediate level paintings that do not appear in We're All Artists: Watercolor for Everyone.
BEGINNER’S BOOK: We’re All Artists: Watercolor for Everyone
(Optional. Available at various outlets such as Blaines Art Store, Anchorage, or online at Amazon). Email me to check availability.
THREE BRUSHES: all watercolor type
One inch flat, preferably with chisel-shaped handle end, #4 or #6 rigger or liner, #8 or #10 round
COLOR LIST – tube colors
Ultramarine Blue, Indigo, Cobalt Blue, Rose Madder Genuine*, Alizarin Crimson, Indian Yellow, Naples Yellow, Aureolin, Burnt Sienna, Cerulean or Manganese Blue, Thalo Green
Additional colors may be listed in each project
PAPER: Can use watercolor blocks or pads. if purchased by sheet, usually comes 22” x 30”, and can be cut into quarters.
Recommended: 140# or 300# d’Arches cold pressed watercolor paper
OTHER SUPPLIES:
Toothbrush, masking
tape, table
salt, Sketchbook 8 x 10 or larger, spray
bottle, paper
towels, 2 water containers, pencil,
#2 or 2.5, bar
of soap, cloth diaper or other old cloth, sponge, maskoid, kneaded
eraser, large white palette, blow dryer, maskoid remover/pickup
* can substitute Quinacridone Rose or Permanent Rose
Painting Definitions
From Teresa’s book, Painting Pleasure: Adventures in Watercolor
Blending Off/ Graded Wash: Fading color off gradually, from dark to light, taking care that a hard line does not form in the wash. Lay a passage of color and fade out the edge immediately with water (if you wait too long, the color will set in and a hard line will form).
Charging in: A term for allowing a wash to seep into a previous one. Lay in the first wash, and while it is still wet, allow your brush, loaded with the next color, to touch the previous wash. The color should move from your brush into the previous wash, blending smoothly with no hard lines. All washes used should be the same consistency, and the process should move along without delay to keep the first washes from drying.
Cloisonne or Stained Glass technique: A painting technique that flattens the picture plane, unifying and accentuating the overall pattern. Leave a border around all elements of the composition, so that each area will appear to be outlined. Outline can be filled in with colored marker or left unpainted.
Drybrush: Painting on dry paper.
Graded Wash: See blending off.
Graphite Paper: Graphite paper is useful when transferring the painting template to your watercolor paper. Since commercial graphite paper does not erase well, you can make your own: blacken the back of a piece of tracing paper with graphite. Number 2 common pencil lead works well, as well as solid graphite sticks. Lightly rub the blackened paper with a cotton ball dipped in lighter fluid – this lightly bonds and blends the graphite to the paper, so the graphite will not come off as easily. This paper is reusable for a limited number of transfers.
Maskoid, Use of: Maskoid can be applied with a number of tools: a matchstick, cotton swab, a twig, a pen, etc. Special effects can be achieved by spattering. Care must be taken to protect your watercolor brushes while using maskoid.
1. Wet a bar of soap to create suds, or use liquid soap suds.
2. Thoroughly coat the brush, including ferrule, making sure the soap penetrates into the bristles.
3. Gently squeeze off excess suds with your fingers so that a thin film remains.
4. Dip the brush into the maskoid and apply it to the paper (the paper should be thoroughly dry). Do not allow the maskoid to puddle, a medium coat is sufficient for masking the area.
5. Once the brush becomes gummy with partially dried maskoid, wash it thoroughly in soap suds, rinse, and coat with soap again before continuing to use the maskoid.
6. After you have finished, wash and rinse the brush thoroughly.
7. Let the maskoid dry naturally on your paper; do not use a blow dryer or allow it to dry in the sun.
8. Never remove the maskoid from damp paper.
9. Maskoid has been known to lift a small amount of color from painted areas when it’s lifted.
10. Remove maskoid with a maskoid remover. Take care to avoid rubbing the paint that may have dried on top of the maskoid into the paper – try to lift an edge of the maskoid with the remover, then grasp and pull it away from the paper.
Negative painting: the technique to making a shape appear by applying color around the shape, right up the edge of it.
Transparent Triad: The following non-staining, transparent primary colors: Cobalt Blue, Rose Madder Genuine, and Aureolin.
Salt Technique: Gives a textural effect; appearance can range from small dots to larger shapes, depending on relative dampness of the wash when salt is applied. Lay down a passage of wet color. When the paper sheen is beginning to dull, sparingly sprinkle salt on the passage. This technique will work only within a limited window of time; If the paper is too wet (very shiny) the salt will melt and fail to leave a texture. If the paper is too dry, the salt will not have enough moisture to draw away pigment to make texture. After the passage is completely dry (you can use a blow dryer after the salt begins to work) brush off the salt residue.
Scraping light and dark: Using a scraping tool such as the Artist’s Tool Kit, stick, or the beveled end of your watercolor brush, to scrape your paper in a wet or damp passage of color, creating permanent marks in the paper. Damp scraping results in light marks, and wet scraping results in dark marks. This technique can be used to portray trees, wood grain, rocks, telephone lines, rigging on ships, or texture on other objects.
Scumbling: Lightly and quickly brushing over an area with your sparsely-loaded brush held at an angle nearly parallel with the paper, so that paint comes off with a “hit and miss” textural effect.
Thirsty Brush Technique: When you wish to lift color or water from an area, rinse your brush, then dab off excess water from the brush onto a soft cloth or paper towel. You can also gently squeeze the hairs with paper towel (never pull the hairs). Then, your brush is “thirsty” and when touched to a wetter area, will “wick” away color or water. Use a thirsty brush to remove excess color, when you want a paler hue, or when an area is flooded with too much water.
Value: Describes relative darkness or lightness. Does not refer to hue, but shade of hue.
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Note: To transfer the line drawing pattern, print the color image and use tracing paper to trace the lines of the artwork.Then follow the directions in the text instructions.
The numbers in parentheses behind color names refer to the thickness of the paint, (1) being thickest, like heavy cream, and (5) with enough water added to be the consistency of skim milk.
