Background on "Painting Watercolour my way."

[Mary]

Hi Susan,
I was so pleased to receive your DVD and to get started. I had never attempted a background before. I am not very pleased with my effort as I can't get the nice Dark green, almost Blk. colour that you have under your leaves as shadows. I have also tried to get a nice Dark Brown but don't seem to have been lucky there either. I bought your colour palette so that I would have the colours you use. If you get a moment I would appreciate your input. The other question I have is, I am using Arches 100% cotton Hot press paper but with all the water and several colour washes it seems to have gone almost like a suede finish and I no sooner put the water on than it is soaked right in and the paint won't flow. This paper was in a block originally, I just took of a sheet so that I could use my light box to draw the picture. What % of cotton paper do you use. I have used HP. paper before from a sheet and that was fine but I don't know what the cotton content was. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mary.

[Renee]

Hi Mary, Sorry, I'm not Susan, but I wanted to let you know I have used the BLOCK Arches HP paper, 100%cotton rag. For some reason the sheets on the block is not as good as the individual sheets.
It is true that the Block type is quite spongy.

Renee

[Susan Harrison-Tustain]

Hello Mary

I a sorry you are not acheiving the dark green color you had hoped to get in your painting. When painting dark backgrounds I always begin with my yellow underwash. You will have seen me do that in my DVD. Once deep enough - I would then bring in my other washes which could be a mixture of any of the colors I use. Often I create a dark green beginning with a yellow underwash, then I go on to create various washes using Thalo Green, Thalo Blue and Alizarin Crimson. I dont usually stay with one mix. I alter the hues depending on how each previous layer has dried. If it needs to be warmer - I let my dark mix favor red. If it needs to be cooler, I let the dark green mix favor either Thalo Blue or Thalo green. I always suggest you try your mixes on a piece of scrap paper beside you first.

The great thing is that you can always go darker. If you painting isn't dark enough it simply means you need more washes of your dark green mix.

Dark Brown can be made using my yellow underwash (just for a change ;0)    - then use a wash or two of Translucent Orange. Once dry you can create your brown hue using Indian Yellow, Thalo blue and Alizarin Crimson. Vary the balance of hue to alter the hue of brown. Just as I have described with the green lesson above.

If you want a really dark brown - simply add more Thalo Blue. The darkest colors you can acheive can be made using some of the staining colors in your mix:
Thalo Blue
Thalo Green
Alizarin Crimson

You can make black by creating a mix of these three colour. Allow your mix to favor one or other of them and you will see how you can create luminous dark colors or blacks.

Your paper problem will be due to the lack of sizing on the paper surface. Your paper will now be acting like blotting paper. Sadly there is little you can do once it has reached this stage - other than go dark in hue. 

I always recommend artists use Arches Hot pressed 140lbs paper because it has the hardest gum size on the surface. It is much more suitable for numerous washes such as the methods I use. I never have a problem with Arches Hot Pressed paper. It is interesting to note the Arches 300lbs has a softer size on the surface and does not withstand as many washes as the 140lbs.

Try using the Arches Hot Pressed 140lbs. You will be amazed at the difference Mary.

Hope that helps



Susan

[Mary]

Hi Susan,
Thank you for your help with the Dark colours. I will have to practice more. I was using the 140lb. H/P paper, off of a block and I hadn't let it soak for more than 2-3 minutes before putting it on my board. I have tried an abstract test on another sheet but this time left it on the block, to make sure I have the right side, so of course this hasn't been soaked first. It seems to be better but not as good as I had with some sheets years ago. I wonder if they don't size the blocks as much as the sheets.
I read somewhere that someone was using W/N paper but I am not sure if they said it was H/P. Do you know if there is such a thing as H/P in W/N. I did inquire in one shop but they could only get C/P.
Again Susan, Thank you for taking the time to answer my letter, I will try the painting again when I feel more confident.
Mary

[Susan Harrison-Tustain]

Hi Mary
Don't bother with other brands - beleive me I have tried them all. The very best for fine finish is Arches 140lbs Hot Pressed paper. If you are using my methods - do stretch your paper - you will be amazed at the wonderful effects you will get as opposed to non-stretched or other brands of paper.  I should be on the Arches pay roll shouldnt I!

I am sure you all know I only every recommend products that I use myself. To give details of the products to artists can save a great deal of expense and trial and error for  them.

You are right - Arches are not using as much gummed size on the surface of their hot pressed papers as they used to . So I only soak the paper for about 3 minutes these days. (They may not use as much on their other papers as well - but I do not use them so I can't comment on cold pressed or rough).

Hope that helps
Susan