THE JOY OF ERASING--IN WATERCOLOR!

  How I love the attributes of watercolor--free flowing, transparency, disappearance and resurrgence of form, lightness and brightness, etc, etc, etc. But being able to erase it entirely or partially, is golden. This was an accidental discovery, and 3rd level students enjoyed being the first to experiment with it. It's now a staple in our watercolor experiences.

The background is the secret. Simply coating paper with gesso makes the applied water colors stay on the top surface. Paper fibers cannot reach them so they are not absorbed. Paint as you like! If the background or any part of the painting is not satisfactory, simply remove the whole thing or part with a sponge and clean water, then enjoy starting again.

This has removed a lot of the "uncertainty" of water color painting for those who fear its sometimes unpredictability and free-flowing nature. Let's look a little deeper.

Note: All paintings are 18" X 24".

  Gesso, when applied with a palette knife as in this painting, creates multitudes of "pockets" with reliefs and depressions. Water colors are lighter on the ascending surfaces, and intensity deepens in the depressions where they settle.

  This imparts a wonderful textural quality to the imparted hues and also augments the wonderful characteristic of watercolor transparency. The gesso's underlying structure shows through delightfully.

  Should you like a more "even" texture, simply use a wide brush in applying the gesso, and cover the paper in a single direction, crossed or patchy spreads. Perhaps making 6"X6" practice sheets with different directional applications will help you test these various strokes for backgrounds of choice.

A very heavy gesso buildup is noticeable in the top half of this painting, with a more modified application in the foreground.

  This was painted in "layers" permitting the undercolors to completely dry before small stippled areas were applied. Areas for additions can also be applied by "erasing" color spots with a damp sponge and replacing them with different applications. It's neat!