Watercolor Handouts and Information

WELCOME TO THE ART ROOM OF SUE GALOS
St. Clair Secondary School, Ontario, Canada

WATERCOLORS
TECHNIQUES, TEXTURES AND DEVICES

1. MASKING TAPE BLOCK: use masking tape to cover up specific shapes and lines and place washes over them. When the paint is dry, remove the tape and paint details into the area

2. RUBBER CEMENT BLOCK: same procedure as for masking tape but you must allow the glue to dry before places washes. The results are looser than tape sin the glue is not as easy to control.

3. WAX CRAYON RESIST: this may be done with colored crayon or clear wax sticks; you apply wax were ever you wish to repel the watercolor. Since wax resists water, when you paint over a waxed area, the paint beads up and creates interesting textural effects.

4. SCRAPING FOR LIGHT AREAS: it is possible to scrap some of the pigment away after the shine has disappeared from the wash to create lighter values in the wash area, but timing is important... too soon and you will make dark lines; too late and nothing happens

5. TISSUE BLOT: you can create soft, cloud like textures by blotting a damp wash with tissue

6. SCRATCHING WITH A POINTED IMPLEMENT: by scoring the paper before or after you lay down a wash, you cause indentations in the paper into which the color from the wash pools, causing fine dark lines, a great technique for fine detail

7. SCRUNCHED PAPER TOWEL BLOT: because paper towel is stiffer than tissue, the blot results in a combination of hard and soft edges that can be used to represent rocks.

8. ERASER: after the paint is dry, you can lightly soften areas and create fuzzy, gentle tonal variations by erasing

9. TABLE SALT: salt sprinkled into a wash creates starry effects because the salt absorbs the pigment in the paint. This technique can be used to create the effect of sand and snowflakes. This technique works best if the salt is applied before the pigment settles into the paper.