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I'm often asked how I get certain painting effects...and sometimes I have an answer. Often I don't. As with my cooking, I tend to rely on experience, instinct and luck, in varying quantities. For this rabbit, I knew she had to be a grubby pink - remember when rubber plasters used to be a salmon pink colour? And after a few days of wearing it and playing in the dirt, they would go a dull, dirty pink colour? Exactly what I wanted for 'Bunchy'. I knew just how I was going to get it; I still haven't cleaned my paint bowls from the book job. Not because I'm a complete slattern, but I like the way paint changes as it ages and dries. So I added a splosh of water to this mongrel mix of leftovers and gave it a good mashing.
And there it is, a muddy pink which is just right for a saggy old stuffed rabbit, who's been dumped on a shelf and forgotten about.
One of the so-called golden rules is not to mix different types of paint such as gouache and watercolour, because they separate. They do indeed, and this is just why I like bunging them together - it makes for a slightly unpredictable wash, and depending on how well you mix it when using it, you can vary the tones from a uniform colour to a more patchy effect. And it often gives a lovely granulated finish too.
Watercolour paint dries to a different colour, and using this kind of wash, it's always interesting to see how things dry out, with some of the pigments isolating themselves.
The other thing I keep a constant eye on is how it is drying. I usually let things dry naturally, to keep the soft granulation. I prop things under the board, partly to counteract the slope of the studio, partly to manipulate the wash - here it is puddled in the bottom of the ear, and there is so much water there, it just has to be left for a couple of hours to quietly settle into a smooth finish, without any blotching or tidelines.
And here we are as of now. Hopefully she will be finished by tomorrow night. I am gradually getting back into the swing of it a; Satsuma was too bright and fussy for my liking - I didn't enjoy painting him, and to me at least, it shows. Bunchy is more where I like to be at. A bit plain and dull, but with bags of personality. Hmmm.
By:
Paintgranny,
on 1/11/2008
Blog:
Middle of Nowhere
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I received an email a while back from someone asking how I get my watercolour effects. Specifically, the granulation. Difficult one, as I have been mucking about with paint ever since my old dad got me my first basic Reeves box, when I was about four. So it's kind of second nature, precocious though that may sound. I break the 'rules' about mixing different kinds of paint (I do, frequently - gouache and watercolour) and I sometimes use old, and often dried up paints, frequently getting bits of dust in the wash. But somehow granulation always occurs in my washes, even though I hadn't heard of the term until a few years ago when someone told me I was doing it.
The main thing is, I watch my washes hawkishly, like a chef minds his (or her) sauce. This painting already has already two flimsy and dried washes. They go down loose, like liquid tissue paper...
...and when it is finished to my satisfaction, I get it levelled (or I might prop it a little, to push the darker paint into the shadow area) and watch it dry. It has to dry evenly, and naturally. No hairdryer. Ever. The upper photo shows the evaporating, dulling wash in the bottom right corner. This is what I watch, to check it is not drying too hard into the wash, which might create a tide mark. If it is going too fast, I might tip the board, or put a bit more water in, to coax and blend it into the existing one. It's a matter of squinting sideways and judgement. Then acting quickly and confidently if action needs taking.
The granulation; basically a speckledy finish. And below, just to the side of the window, the pigment in danger of drying into a slight trough. If it is left it will create a darker line - so I tilt the board gently this way and that, to even it out.
After about 40 minutes of babysitting it, I popped down to make some tea, and returned to a minor hiccup - the dark area had dried unevenly, resulting in a nasty little blotch.
Somewhat late for surgery, but some careful tweaking just about sorted it. Luckily it's in the shadow area where I will be putting in some pencil work, but I don't loose too much sleep over little mishaps - it's all part of the process. You can't teach this and the most disappointing answer I give - in reply to most things, not just painting - is it takes time, trial and error, which results in experience. Making mistakes and waiting are sometimes the best way to learn. Putting the time in can seem boring - but I don't have a magic, instant solution, and it works for me.
Malley, Gemma. 2007.The Declaration. New York: Bloomsbury USA.
It’s a familiar saying that the children are our future. That is why the role of parenting and educating our children is seen as important--as vital--for the health of our nation and the world. But what if it wasn’t true? What if the children weren’t our future? What if there was a way to live forever. To live forever without aging another day?
The Declaration by Gemma Malley envisions such a world...and such a future. The year is 2140. In this new world, to be young is a crime against Mother Nature. The cost of living forever comes with a heavy cost. To receive the drug--the Longevity drug--you must promise to never have any children. For some, this promise can be made and kept without a thought. But for others, it’s asking the impossible. And thus, surplus children continue to be born. But born into what? If a surplus is found--depending on the country--they are either a) killed or put down or b) taken to a place like Grange Hall where they are trained to be Useful servants to the Legal adults. The children--ranging from Small, Middle, to Pending--are indoctrinated to believe that they don’t have a right to exist. That the very fact that they’re alive and breathing is a crime, a sin. A sin that must be atoned for with obedience, hard work, and humility.
To read the rest of my review, visit September's issue of The Edge of the Forest. (Check the archives under "fantasy" after September.)
Just wanted to let everyone know that my review of Helen Lester's Hooway For Wodney Wat is up at Young Readers. It would make a great read aloud for teachers to read to their students in the first weeks of school! This picture book has a very special place in my heart.
My review of From Dawn to Dreams: Poems for Busy Babies by Peggy Archer and illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama is now up at my Young Readers site. I really enjoyed this one. It is a picture book of poems chronicling a typical day in a baby's life. So it captures great images of baby's world--baby's surroundings. From interaction with pets to grandparents...and of course lots with parents...the book is just too much fun!
The Courtship of Nellie Fisher: The Parting by Beverly Lewis. October 2007.
Set deep within the Amish community in 1966, our heroine Nellie Fisher is not your typical seventeen year old. Grieving the loss of her younger sister, Suzy, in a boating accident, she throws herself even harder into the work at her bakery. Six days a week, Nellie rises early and begins the long day of baking sweet and tempting sweets and breads to sell in her shop. Their customers, mostly Englischers who enjoy the quaintness and authenticity of the bakers almost as much as they love the treats themselves, keep her busy, busy, busy. But not too busy that she doesn’t notice that Caleb Yoder is beginning to pay attention to her. That he has even smiled at her once or twice. While it’s true, he hasn’t asked to drive her home from the weekly Singings yet. She holds out hope. After all, she knows that he knows that her grief and pain are still new, still fresh, still raw. And what hurts even worse than the pain of losing her sister is the fact that people are beginning to spread rumors about her sister. Scandalous rumors. It’s bad enough that her sister died unbaptized--in the midst of her rumschpringe--and hadn’t joined the church. But surely the rumors couldn’t be true. If they are, then...then her sister is surely lost to her forever.
Revivals. Hidden Diaries. Secret Courtships. The Parting is a very exciting read, and the first in new series by Beverly Lewis.
Read the full review here
Lauren Holbrook is a twenty-something who is content with her life. She’s got a best friend, Brandon, who loves her in spite of her quirks. She has a fun job as a photographer. She has an addiction to chocolate and coffee that can’t be matched. She is happy living at home with her dad. Quite satisfied to leave all the love and romance to other people. Not that she’s not interested in watching romance. She can quote Pride and Prejudice and Emma and countless other movies almost verbatim. No, what Lauren is most interested in is matchmaking. She sees perfect couples right and left. She thinks she has quite a knack at playing Cupid. But as Lauren finds out, sometimes God has other ideas. And romance isn’t quite as predictable as it seems.
Read the rest of my review here.
I just finished reading a great book Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser for Becky's Christian Reviews. But the book, I think, is really for any audience--Christian or not. It's just a great historical read.
Jinks, Catherine. 2007. Evil Genius.
Cadel Piggott is a genius. There’s no denying it. But that doesn’t always mean he makes smart decisions. The reader first meets the hero, Cadel, when he is seven years old. Already placed several grades ahead, he is a genius when it comes to everything but people. Alone. Isolated. Cadel rarely makes the effort to make friends. After all, his classmates have always been older than him. Significantly older than him. But luckily, Cadel has one person in the world he can talk to. One person who understands him. That person is Dr. Thaddeus Roth. This “counselor” who helps troubled youth takes a special interest in Cadel. But all isn’t what it seems as the story unfolds. Secrets. Lies. Half-truths. Plots. Schemes. Manipulations. Betrayals. Cadel isn’t always a likable hero, but his story is full of one adventure after another.
Read the rest of my review in May's issue of The Edge of the Forest. Also of note: I made the 'best of the blogs' section as well!
Hanson, Mary. 2007. How To Save Your Tail: If You Are A Rat Nabbed By Cats Who Really Like Stories About Magic Spoons, Wolves with Snout-Warts, Big, Hairy Chimney Trolls...and Cookies Too.
Do you like fractured fairy tales? Do you love new retellings of old favorites? Do you like Arnold Lobel’s Mouse Soup? How To Save Your Tail might be the book for you. It had me from the very beginning: “Once upon a time, in a grand castle, there lived a rat named Bob, who was fond of baking and wild about reading” (1). While baking has obvious hazards, it is his love of books which leads Bob into the most dangerous experience of his life.
Read the rest of my review in May's issue of THE EDGE OF THE FOREST. (Middle grade Fiction).
I have begun reviewing Christian books on my website Becky's Christian Reviews.
Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh
and
In Honor Bound by DeAnna Julie Dodson
The first book, Stealing Adda, is a contemporary romance. The second book, In Honor Bound, was a historical romance. Both are excellent books.
Hello PG and many thanks for another excellent and generous tutorial. It is so wonderful to see how your pictures develop.
Yes, mixing watercolor and gouache can certainly create wonderful, unexpected results. The more that we experiment, the more our instincts are strengthened. I always keep a little palette with a mix of these paints.
My introduction to gouache was years ago when I aspired to become a textile designer. That career did not welcome me, but how I have loved more about that medium, though I still prefer watercolor's transparency.
Let me stop typing, and get back to my own paintbrushes!
xo
How fun! I hope you show more photos as Bunchy progresses.
Love the dirty pink, also looks like pinks from Elizabeth's House in Marakeesh....
This is looking beautiful! I hope you post some pictures of Bunchy when it is all finished :) :)
I love the way you can see the colour in your head before you mix it, that is something I could not do! I admire what you do!
Can't wait to see how Bunchy turns out - looking lovely so far. Thanks for showing your work in progress, it makes the end result seem more real in some way ;-)
-Gail X
Thanks for those fantastic close-up pics of your mixing bowls! I love the process of mixing colours and most of the time, leave dried on colours where they are, just in case they're the perfect ingredient for the next one. I haven't ever yet mixed gouache with watercolour, but I'll certainly try it now. I can't wait to see the finished Bunchy :)
Don't you just love the whole process of applying washes? Have you tried Winsor & Newton's Potter's Pink - fabulous (new) Elastaplast colour with an unpredictable granulation. Wish I had the time to play with my watercolours these days...
I've always been drawn to watercolors and have always wanted to try my hand at them. You do such beautiful work. Come give me lesson, won't you? :)
I'm already loving bunchy. I had a dirty pink dog thing that looked very similar. Although to be more precise it was a pink square with ears and a face!!! But I loved it anyway, and of course it was named Pinky :) Your blog brings back many bittersweet memories
Kim x
It is always fascinating to me to see how other artist's work. It looks like you like to stretch your paper first, I am a great fan of stretched paper too. I love the way your painting is shaping up with it's wonderful watercolour grainy bits.
Looks like another beautiful painting in the mix ... I love your art!
What a great way to get the the right colour!
It's really fascinating to learn of the process. However you do it, you seem to achieve the perfect colours for these little creatures.
Grubby pink should be a crayola color! We used to use pink erasers (or rubbers, here) and they would get that same grubby pink.
Do you ever give tutorials to children?
hello gretel. great post about the chimney sweep and your artwork. i ws wondering what paper you use to paint on? i am currently experimenting with paint and am bit scared of all the different paper there is to choose from. dx.
hello gretel. great post about the chimney sweep and your artwork. i ws wondering what paper you use to paint on? i am currently experimenting with paint and am bit scared of all the different paper there is to choose from. dx.
PAD is the one in Preston-well thats the one i go to-you should check them out online-i am sure they will love your cards and also prints of your work. dx.
http://www.padshopandgallery.com/
Great post, Gretel. Love to see the process. I also enjoyed the intriguing phrase "counteract the slope of the studio."