The versatile watercolor
Watercolor is a medium we can use in hundreds of different ways. What we create and how it looks depends largely on technique we apply. While many of my watercolors look carefully worked out, I often start painting with just randomly washing some paint onto watercolor paper. I posted my spring palette colors in the previous article. For spring paintings, I am using a limited palette:
Payne’s grey
French ultramarine
Brilliant yellow
Burnt sienna
Burnt umber
Gold ochre
Leaf green
It’s possible, however, to create numerous color tones using these paints. They work well together and with decent application of water, there’s no mud. I will work on floral spontaneous watercolors next, and I am adding magenta and carmine for these.
Allowing paint and water to work
While the paint application is extremely loose, I still have some idea. Washes look great when painting treescapes and paintings with abstract water. This is a technique which perfectionists might not like. We simply allow colors to mix and flow as they please. It’s a myth that watercolor painting cannot be adjusted or changed. One just needs to know how to do that.
Lifting paint
I think many watercolor artists use too less of paint lifting technique. For paint lifting, large brush with pointy tip is very useful. My main brush is Luke number 14, round. Along with simple lifting, I implement one more step: lifting with very liquid other color. It’s a fantastic, but unpredictable process. It’s also fun, and I love this technique because it allows me adding definition to subject. Lifting paint is an essential technique for spontaneous watercolor my-style.
Non-cotton paper has its uses
Lifting automatically takes care of the negative space. When to lift and where to add paint depends on our personal preference and feel. For this technique, cotton paper is not the best option. Non-cotton watercolor paper makes lifting paint an easy step. In fact, it’s way easier to lift paint from some thick non-cotton papers than to add an extra layer. I am using for these paintings Strathmore 400 series paper. It requires flattening afterwards. All non-cotton watercolor papers must be weight-pressed after application of water and paint since they become uneven.
Multi-step process
While people ask when I will have online art classes, I must say, I probably won’t. Things I am writing about most often cannot be shown online. One must see the actual process in order to understand how we create loose, spontaneous watercolor painting and add the touch of reality to it. The process involves drying paper and restarting wet-on-wet, then adding dry paint, then lifting more and so on. It takes about 6-8 hours to paint one artwork. I have spent about 3 days in average on each painting.
Testing paints
Spontaneous watercolor works great for people who just want to explore what their paper and paints can do. Check compatibility of colors before you start painting. Water takes care of lot of things with loose watercolor painting, but there are colors which will destroy the flow and cause unpleasant muddy shades. To avoid that, learn what your paints do. My paints are rich in pigments, all artist grade. I never use white or black colors, as well as, I don’t even have masking fluid. These paintings consist only of watercolor paint on paper.
Give it a try
Want to try this approach? No better time than now. This means absolute freedom, you don’t need any photos to follow, but having an idea is helpful. I love using the earth colors togethers with blue and green. Burnt sienna adds a bit of red tint. Simplicity is beautiful; however, I’ve never been a minimalist in any regard. That goes for any of my paintings. Well, we can stop working whenever it feels right.
I especially like the reflections you create in the water. Very nice. As always, thanks for sharing your beautiful work.
Thank you very much! More coming soon.
Always love seeing your work – a breath of fresh air and new life right now to ignite Spring. We have a lot of snow here this winter and won’t see Spring for a while, so your art is a window into what’s stirring beneath the ground. Thank you Inese!
So great to hear from you Tania Marie!
Oh, nothing better than spring after a long winter. I think my colors say it very clearly.
We had warm January, fairly good February and lots of snow in March.
Snowdrops are blooming, and more snow came today, but it will probably melt soon.
I am happy that my paintings bring you closer to spring!
Oh, I love snowdrops! How wonderful! Yes, your colors are exquisite and just the right therapy for the soul. Thank you again so much <3
I’m so glad to know that. Everything else isn’t that good at the moment, but painting is always soothing. Takes the mind away from troubling issues, big time.
Thanks again!
just a quick question- what brand of watercolors do you usually use? the reason i ask is because with Paines grey in particular ( while it is one of my top 5 favorite colors in any medium) but also with some of the other colors, i have found that it is mixed vastly different between brands- sometimes it is way too bright for my taste in natural setting scenes. The palette you are using would be very different from brand to brand. Currently i have been sticking with Daniel Smith and Sennelier in half pans rather than liquid( because i am usually on the go and solids are more portable).I’d love to try this pallet but wouldn’t want to bring the wrong colors to mix and get frustrated with the results.
I’m always mentioning to test your paints, it’s exactly like that, every brand has some different colors of the same name paint.
I haven’t bought any new paints since 2019 when I was in Latvia last time for mom’s funeral. Back then they were still selling there St. Petersburg paints which have always been my favorite because of pure pigments. I’m always writing about that. Not sure if they still sell these paints anywhere, but I have quite a lot. I believe I have on palette squeezed out also Da Vinci. That I also bought years ago. As you know watercolor paints last for really long time.
Payne’s grey is really necessary color for any watercolor painting. We don’t use black color normally because it can cause mud. Some Payne’s grey can be more blue, some – more black. Any blue mixes well with light and pure yellow. Basic ochre is not transparent, so I don’t use that. Burnt sienna is again a very friendly mixing color and I use it in triple mixes, like some darker blue, burnt sienna and some yellow.Like I said, my paints are very pure and they work well.
You should always test what your paints do. Replace with other color if one of them doesn’t work. Combinations are endless, and all it takes is experimenting.
good luck!
Loved your painting and all those tips…. Knowing the amount of detail you put into your paintings Inese and understanding the time that takes.. I am not surprised at the amount of time you spend on each painting… The finished results are always stunning..
Many thanks Inese… Much love <3
Sue, thanks so much for stopping by!
So nice to hear from you!
I’m old school, I’m doing all things patiently and as good as I can, therefore, it takes time. I don’t rush things just to get something done in a few minutes. Nobody cares what time we spend on things we love doing. I disapprove of lots of unready, unskilled artwork posted online just for the sake of posting. Progress images is something different, but when I see on some Facebook art groups paintings for sale when the artist should really first learn to paint, I don’t know what to say. Good abstract art is fine as long as it’s art. We have this sort of understanding now that every paint blob on paper or canvas is art.
My measure is simple: art must have something. Whether that is mental impact, color burst or line work, but it needs to say as something.
I will post more of abstract paintings soon, as well as black and white images.
I will also visit your blog, just cannot promise how soon.
I hope you have a great Palm Sunday! I don’t celebrate anything at the moment, but I know people do and that’s so great. Hope fully, things are better by the Easter Sunday.
No rush to visit me Inese, I took some time pit just to reconnect to my art . I am taking more time out this week .
I so appreciate your artistic skills. And I learn alot from your posts xxx
Likewise no creed, just connected to source and all that is….
Much love ❤️ xx
I suppose it’s very useful to just take our time and do what’s really important. Everything else can wait.
All the best!
Exactly no pressure, just BEing in our now xx
The wise older age! LOL It helps with many things. Older doesn’t mean only disadvantages. The experience part is which matters.
Always love how your color splashes materialize into shapes. Hope this finds you well!
Thank you very much! I love that feature of watercolor, too.
I like your painting! Ive tried watercolor a handful of times and it doesn’t seem to matter what paper I purchase it always buckles. Is this normal?
In my experience, any non-cotton watercolor paper buckles. The lighter and thinner it is, the more it will buckle. Lots of papers are called watercolor paper nowadays, but many of them cannot be used for watercolor painting. We can use them for ink and watercolor drawing or illustration, but they cannot take washes and layers.
The very thick cotton paper, like Arches 600 gsm or 300 lb doesn’t buckle. It feels like wood and it allows for numerous layers and washes. It still takes some practice learning how to use it.
Any watercolor painting can be weight-pressed afterwards. I personally wouldn’t ever advise using ironing. Framing places have special tools to flatten the painting, but we can do it ourselves, too. It just takes about a day or so.
Thank you very much for sharing that information. I’ll look on Blicks website and see if I can find the Arches 600 gsm or 300 lb. Enjoy the day!
I hope they have it! I use only cold press paper. Hot press is extremely smooth, doesn’t work for me. That is also the most expensive paper. I remember the great times some 20 years ago when I used the heaviest Arches watercolor paper for everything, even paint testing.
From the cheap papers Strathmore 400 series is quite ok. You have to remember that everything is different when using non-cotton or cotton paper. Therefore, it’s important to figure out what you’d like to do. Beautiful washes happen only on cotton paper. However, paint keeps spreading and flowing for quite a while. Non-cotton paper makes it easy to lift paint.
Basically, one has to experiment and learn what their paper does because results are not the same.
Good luck!
I’ve tried cold press too and got the same result. If the paper doesn’t work I can always call Blick and ask for a refund. Yeah I know what you mean, that Arches paper is the most expensive! Thanks again!
Cold press and hot press refers to texture of paper or lack of it. Cold press has more texture and I like that. It won’t affect buckling.
You also have to stretch thick paper, like make it wet and attach firmly to whatever board or base you’re using. Thinner papers, you just simply attach on all 4 sides to the base, no need to make them wet. Have to use tape which doesn’t tear paper. Painters tape usually works, but it’s not always good quality.
When the painting is done and it has buckles and folds, etc. we press it under weight for a day or more. There’s a special technique, but I have no pictures of that.
Most papers can be made very smooth again, except for very thin ones.
Even thick Arches if it’s only 140 lb, needs to be attached to a base. It’s not a good idea to use it in block even when all 4 sides are fastened with glue. Some paint still seeps through.
Oh well, there’s a lot to know about watercolor painting tools and watercolor paper. I just cannot cover it all here.
I like the texture of cold press paper too. You’re right about the painters tape. This roll that I have now isn’t the best quality. It should be for the price I paid. I think there is a ph balanced tape that won’t pull of the paper but I have to find it. Good tips, thank you!
Glad to hear you find this advice helpful.
I have tried numerous papers in Europe (I am from Europe) and in Canada, and also experimented with all kinds of painting approaches. I have used watercolor for about 50 years. I suppose that’s long enough time to be aware of do-s and don’t-s.
I hope you find your favorite paper. It’s big part of watercolor painting.
I hope I find the right paper too. Arches is too pricey right now. Thanks!
Always was. However, it’s the best. Maybe not if you’re just starting out, but certainly for serious works.
Roger that. I’ll wait for the sales:- Have a good weekend!
Thanks! You, too, have a good weekend!
You are so talented. Beautiful!
Thanks very much Cindy!
I only need somebody to help me with posting, I’m so much behind!
Apparently, in my case, when I have to paint first, then take pictures, plus all art classes and daily chores, there’s not enough time for everything.
I hope your spring time doesn’t disappoint!
Awesome! Love the blend of colours!
Depending on where one is located and how they spring looks like, the spring palette can also vary.
In Ontario, the spring can be quite grey until it turns into blooming and green spring.
When using multiple watercolor colors on the same spot or close by, I make sure only the transparent ones go into the mix.
Thanks!
You’re very talented.
Thanks! I’ve been painting for many years.
It shows. ☺️
Thanks!
I absolutely love your using of colours and how you create textures in your paintings. I get so inspired by only reading your blog since I’m a beginner watercolor artist and my ultimate goal is to become a landscape pro.
Thanks very much!
I’m glad to hear my blog inspires you.
I’ve been using watercolor for a long time, therefore, I improvise and experiment.
Very important parts of watercolor painting are watercolor paper and paints themselves.
I hope you check back and let me know if something helps!
I am slowly catching up, Inese, and enjoy these beautiful watercolors., pleasing and restful to look at. Thank you for sharing your technique with readers.
Thanks Lavinia!
It is a very rewarding technique, especially for those who don’t like drawing, but prefer going in with paint right away!
Have a good week!