| Author | Message | ||
  Deecubed Junior Member Username: Deecubed Post Number: 13 Registered: 12-2007 |
Oooh! I just discovered another way to create texture in my painting ... I was painting en plein air and had my trusty terry cloth towel on my arm, which, by accident, I leaned on in my slightly damp [no gloss] painting. I was annoyed with myself, but the effect was lovely, so I blurred its edges and left it to dry. Another happy accident! | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 596 Registered: 8-2006 |
Thanks, George! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
This should be it; http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/resources/pigmentchart.pdf | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 595 Registered: 8-2006 |
I somehow missed the color chart. Could you give me the link to that page? | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Eugene, yes I enjoyed the color chart more than anything else on the site. I printed it out and circled his favorite colors. I had known for sometime Homer used Prussian blue. It’s easy to identify, even in reproductions of his paintings. But, I had no idea he experimented with so many colors, because (as you noted) his individual paintings show the use of a limited palette. It was also interesting to learn what the colors were that he didn’t use very much - like Indian Yellow. It seems he preferred the more opaque chrome yellow. I had also read that he liked Cadmium yellow for the paintings he did in Fla.(another opaque yellow). Although he only used it in six of the almost 30 paintings that were tested. I also noted that he only used yellow ocher(one of my favorite colors) in four of these paintings. | ||
Eugene Senior Member Username: Eugene Post Number: 454 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, great find, thanks for sharing. I'm going to experiment using Homer's palette. Did you notice that he used many colors , but never more than 6 or 8 in one painting? And he used a lot of Prussian blue and indigo, vermillion, burnt sienna,a warm red like madder or carmine, chrome yellow and black sometimes white. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 593 Registered: 8-2006 |
Very interesting, George! Great closeups that let you see the detailed results of these techniques. They are encouraging evidence that watercolors can be modified fairly easily in terms of texture, as well as corrected and/or rescued! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
This is a fascinating website that examines Homer’s watercolor techniques and pigment colors. http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/homer/resource From scientific analysis it has been determined that Homer used; dry brush, blotting, scraping, scratching, sandpapering, splatter, brush tamping, wet in wet, carbon transfer, gum glazing, resist, and many opaque washes. The knife seemed to be his favorite tool, but most of his atmospheric effects come from the masterly application and manipulation of pigment on the rough surface of the English paper he favored. He used almost 30 colors including; bone black, ivory black, lamp black and zinc white. He also used a watercolor block and owned a burnishing tool. Ceramic and ivory burnishing tools were popular with traditional watercolor artists but today burnishing tools have lost favor. I suppose the fact that a watercolor painting can be scraped, burnished and repainted might rob the modern watercolor artist of the self-aggrandizing belief that what they do is difficult. | ||
Whitewatercolor Senior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 358 Registered: 10-2006 |
Thank you George for posting that painting. It is beautiful! I have been struggling with texture for days. I am painting full sheet paintings as fast as I can to hang for a show by July 4. Nothing is ever good enough, but I have to accept it and move on. I'll post a couple of the paintings I've done in the past week. It is a lesson on acceptance. I think of painting kind of like having a child. At some point you've done the best you can and need to accept it. Bonnie | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 573 Registered: 8-2006 |
That's one of my favorites also, George, even though it has been reproduced and used so often that it's a wonder familiarity hasn't bred contempt! I think it has a timeless beauty. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Jack, good point! Stamping for texture can be done with all kinds of natural materials (leaves, bark, straw), and synthetic materials (wire screens, hand carved wood). Can anyone think of other good materials for stamping textures? Post them! Bonnie, what an excellent post! I didn’t actually offer the painting by Boonruang as an example of a well textured painting, but rather an example of a good background texture (just one part of the painting). If you’re interested in my opinion about what good texture in a watercolor painting should look like, I’ll post one of my all time favorite watercolor paintings. It’s by Homer. He had a habit of using a pocket knife for texture.  | ||
Whitewatercolor Senior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 355 Registered: 10-2006 |
Life has texture, nature has texture, texture or lack of it may be one of the biggest flaws in painting. As I look at the work of both Jamison and Wyeth, I realize that they are both masters of texture. You can't look at any subject without some form of texture being visible, in addition to the surface of what you are observing. Specks on glasses or windows, camera, or insects or dust in the air, falling leaves or bark shedding from trees. If there is light, there is shadow, filtering through in random patterns. Nature is constantly moving toward a state of chaos. We have a tendency to want to filter out that chaos. When I look at the painting you've posted, George. I don't see it as good texture. I see it as too uniform and too separate from the subject. I don't see a connection between the two. I may very well be a plastic flower. I can't feel the life. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 569 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, your post reminded me that stamping with natural materials like leaves is another way of achieving textures and interesting designs. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Dee, those are great additions. Now, that you mention string I recall reading somewhere that string and dog hair are also good for wet printing textures. You just drop them into a wash and let it dry, then remove the string or dog hair. This morning I experimented with rubbing the color directly from flowers into the watercolor paper. It’s not really a texturing device but gives some bright, subtle, and highly transparent colors that can’t be acquired with watercolor. I know everyone is thinking, the color can’t really be permanent. I really don’t know if it will last or not, but if you try it and like the results you can do a test to determine the permanency. Also, sometimes paintings are made just for the artists own enjoyment, so it really doesn’t always matter for these artists how permanent it is. | ||
Deecubed New member Username: Deecubed Post Number: 8 Registered: 12-2007 |
Well, here's one that I forgot I'd seen in an old beginner book ... String! Cotton twine, or old-fashioned hemp. It makes great lines of reedy grass, etc. Soak string in paint and drag, which creates a broken line effect. Fun! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Ah……make that “copying a photograph”. I think I’ll disappear for awhile until my 10 thumbs turn back into fingers again. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
That should have read “stormy sky” in my earlier post. Here’s a painting with a very soft, out of focus background texture (difficult for many watercolor artists) by the artist Somphol Boonruang. It was obviously done by coping a photograph, but its got a beautiful texture that allows me to forgive the artist for copying. http://www.novica.com/commonDSP/dsp_popup_largepic.cfm?pic=http://pics.novica.com/pictures/9/p106577_2.jpg Do you have favorite examples of texture used in watercolor paintings. Post them! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Jack, your always thoughtful and honest, but there’s nothing wrong with the occasional flip response too. If the flip response were banned from this forum I’d be forced out, as I tend to have more faults than the majority who post here. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
I thought I’d pick up on a point Jack made and expand it a bit. I realize most of you know this but for the beginner who might read these posts it’s important to emphasize that these texturing methods all too often come off as little more than an attention-grabber, a trick, or a gimmick. If you want to avoid this trap it’s important that you integrate these texturing methods into the overall design work so as to give attention to the subject matter rather than to the methods used. Remember that a tool is just a means to an end. All of these methods are short cuts to the visual design patterns that are used in the structure of the overall design work. These patterns can be very small as in the pigment particle distribution in a standard wash, or as large as the violent value shifts in a stormy shy. Actually, you can think of all the methods for putting paint on paper (the traditional as well as the ones listed here) as multiple ways to arrange large and small patterns of paint particles on the paper. Understanding where and when to use these texturing methods in the overall design is as important as understanding details like how to hold the brush when splattering paint or the force used in pulling the trigger on the spray bottle. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 566 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, you let me off too easily. Mine was a rather flip response to a serious question! Unfortunately, written communication is more open to misinterpretation than face to face exchanges where the emotions are present in the face and in the tone. Emoticons do help a little, if we remember to let the little winking guy substitute for our unseen faces! At any rate, all of us do share a rather flawed human nature -- wish I were exempt from the mean streak! And all of us are artists, with a tendency to be emotional with our heightened sensitivities. Not to make too much of it, but I am sorry for the facetious response. I want you to be able to trust me to give your thoughtful and honest responses. I love your vitality, creativity, and enthusiasm for art and life! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Jack, Mean? I can’t believe you’ve ever had a mean thought. You’re not the type. I didn’t pick up on your humor about the canola oil (obviously in response to my experiment with a spray bottle of window cleaner) but now that you’ve cleared it up I feel bad. Having to explain a joke isn’t fun. I’m sorry to have put you in that position. As you have seen, I’m the type that will try anything to get better textures in watercolor. Your guess is right about the oil, it did leave a stain on the paper. Anyway, as for the problem of avoiding backruns I’m sure there is some product yet to be discovered that will stop backruns but without the staining properties of oil. Keep looking folks. Post it when you find it. All the popular texturing methods used today were found by some artist turning the house upside down looking for a new tool to apply paint with. I just tried the shoe brush. It gives a great splatter pattern with specks ranging from as small as a pin point to large drops that are all intermixed. Probably best used for large sheet sizes. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 565 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, I apologize! The canola oil question was just for fun, to see if you would try it. That was mean and unworthy!! I'm glad I didn't suggest gasoline! Your enthusiasm and willingness to explore is amazing -- what a guy! I have no doubt that you will come up with something that is new and original as you keep digging through your pantry lab. I promise to use a "smiley" if I ever do a tongue in cheek again. At least my craziness seems to have prompted a spate of posts! Thinking about the oil, however, even if it finally dried into a better resist, wouldn't it leave a permanent stain on the paper? I suppose that could be seen as brown or gray wood, but it wouldn't work if you needed white. But, hey, you may have solved the problem of avoiding backruns! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Dee, I understand. My attention span is short too. That’s one reason I don’t like the wet printing methods. Bonnie, I love it - a straw, an air compressor. Very creative! This morning I thought about using a shoe brush as a splatter tool. I’ll try it this afternoon and file my report. | ||
Whitewatercolor Senior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 353 Registered: 10-2006 |
I use dry brush, wet into wet, bruising, lifting, blotting, masking, splatter, scraping scratching, gravity flow, and spraying on a weekly basis. I have used all of the other methods but never use salting or rubbing alcohol because I am concerned about the long term effects. I nearly passed out a couple of weeks ago trying to use a straw to blow fine lines of color into a painting. I first mixed the paint, trying not to mix it completely, and then sucked it into the straw. I ended up dropping it on to the painting in drops and then blowing the drops into fine lines. Interesting results. I actually through of going out and using my husband's air compressor, I may try that in the future. I use just about anything I can get my hands on to create varied texture when I'm not getting it in a painting. I've used twigs, sticks and grass. I've used my hands, fingernails. Negative painting is also a technique that hasn't been mentioned. | ||
Deecubed New member Username: Deecubed Post Number: 7 Registered: 12-2007 |
Yes, George, that is Linda's site. I wish I could remember which mag she was represented in recently. It may be the spring 2008 Watercolor. I met her in North Carolina recently at the Kanuga Watercolors Workshop. She did several demos during evening demos. She showed us one layer of pouring she did the first night, then showed us the "reveal" the next night. Pretty exciting! I understand that she did a workshop at Kanuga a year or two ago, and may be back in 2010. I think she was a student of another pourer, Jean Grastorf, whose book, "Pouring Light," has been a fun book for me to "play" with. Grastorf does really intricate designs/compositions [WAY out of my league!], but what astounding effects and beautiful layers of colors! I really like the method, but don't do it too often, because it IS a bit messy, my space is small and my attention span short. I am into more immediate gratification! | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Dee, is this the artist? http://www.lindabaker.biz/ | ||
Deecubed New member Username: Deecubed Post Number: 6 Registered: 12-2007 |
George, a little oil and vinegar with a lovely still life of veggies and you could have a painterly salad for lunch! :-) I was reviewing a book I have had for a while that is called "Texture and Detail in Watercolour" by Richard Bolton, 1995, who uses all the texture techniques you discussed in your posts, and he creates terrific rust and weathered wood, among other things. Although he paints in a very realistic way [and I don't], his techniques are useful and I am able to adapt them in my painting with modest success. I occasionally use Dr. Ph Martin Bleed-proof White ... sparingly, with good results. I have seen that opaque white used by others have gone overboard and their paintings end up looking chalky. I typically try to leave white paper, but ocassionally use masking when I am pouring. I have seen Linda Baker, an artist recently featured in one of the art mags, who masks and pours with pretty incredible results. Pretty impressive! Am certainly not in her league! All in all, it's great fun to try new things, and add them to my bag of tricks. Some things work and some things don't, but it is all worth a try. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Jcator, the only one you mentioned that I’ve tried is Gum Arabic. I don’t care for it. If you use too much the paint will crack. I also don’t like the way the paint flows with extra Gum Arabic in it. But, that’s just me. Others may find it useful. Jack, I couldn’t wait for your response so went looking in the pantry for some canola oil. I didn’t have any on hand so tried some olive oil. I first tried it as a resist. I obviously didn’t let it dry long enough (oil take days of weeks to dry completely). The results were disappointing. Next I tried to brush the olive oil into a wet wash. It doesn’t push the paint around like the rubbing alcohol will, and looks somewhat like the effect of brushing pure water into a wet wash except that the olive oil doesn’t cause any back runs. This got my creative juices flowing and I scurried back to the pantry. Here are the results of some other experiments. Vinegar! I used it like rubbing alcohol but it also doesn’t push the paint around very well. It’s more subtle than pure water used this way (I tried both to compare). Organic cane sugar! I used it like salt. Talk about hard to get off the paper - wow (but it can be done). The major difference between it and salt is you don’t get that star burst effect that comes with salt. Also, the points in the resulting pattern are smaller. Start experimenting people. Post your results! | ||
Jcator Junior Member Username: Jcator Post Number: 22 Registered: 3-2007 |
I have tried a lot of the texturing methods you listed earlier, with varying results. Of all listed, using salt is my least favorite--I just don't like the results and sometimes it's very difficult to remove the salt crystals after it dries. I should probably try experimenting with it a little more because I’m now wondering if this method of texturing varies from brand to brand of paint--maybe the filler in some brands acts as an adhesive. Have any of you ever used any mediums with watercolor, such as Gum Arabic, or a granulation medium, or W&N’s Aquapasto? The Aquapasto is supposed to give a “bodied” effect to watercolor, which I guess kind of thickens it--sounds like some interesting textures in that stuff. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Jack, I used canola oil a long time ago when I worked in oil paint, but haven’t used it with watercolor. Are you saying you’ve tried it? How do you use it and what effect does it have on the watercolor? | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 564 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, I'd like to hear from some of our other posters as well. I hope all is well with them -- maybe they are just busy painting. I tried to get Marie to respond recently to a question about her ••••••••• that she used a particular paint that never formed a hard edge, but thus far have had no response. Tim Russert's recent sudden death makes me worry about our friends when they've been away for some time. We have no way of knowing each other's health. I was distressed to hear that Eugene is struggling with Parkinson's. Oh well, I'm just a worry wart! George, on your mention of wax crayon as a resist, oil pastels will do the same, if you don't mind mixed media. Have you ever tried drawing with canola oil, especially for fine lines? | ||
George Unregistered guest |
For the beginning watercolor artist, here are some web sites with explanations of the more common methods of achieving texture in watercolor. wetcanvas.com/ArtSchool/Watercolors/Textures/index.html wannalearn.com/Fine_Arts/Visual_Art/Painting/Watercolors/ Copy these and paste into Windows Internet Explorer window. | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Eric, that’s a great quote ("Art is emphasis on essence"). The essence of water is its ability to flow freely (unlike oil or acrylic). Controlling the flow of water is what watercolor is all about. Most of the texturing methods influence (alter) the way the water flows. For example, salt pulls the water into patterns based on the arrangement of the salt particles. Jack, you make an excellent point; all of the texturing methods should be integrated seamlessly into the structure of a painting. Let’s expand this discussion! Has anyone (especially readers who don’t post) used, or heard of the use of, a texturing method that’s not listed? For example, I’ve used a wax crayon in the past. I got the idea from Sergeant. Have you invented a texturing method? Do you have a tool no one else has used? For example, I met a guy that used a turkey baster for texture. Do you have, or have you experimented with, any new methods that alter the way the water flows? For example, long ago I tried a spray bottle of window cleaner. It didn’t work very well. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 563 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, you're right about the way some techniques used in a painting are so obvious that they shout "look at me," distracting the viewer from seeing the painting as a whole and pulling our eyes toward the mechanics and particulars. That's probably more true for fellow painters than for the general public, but it is true. For this reason, I try not to overdo any particular technique in a painting, especially things like spatter and dry imprinting (which is probably why you shy away from it.) That having been said, there is something I like about the effect of a little bit of spatter and dry imprinting well done. I think it's also important to master calligraphy so that it can be seamlessly integrated into the structure of a painting. Tony Couch does this very well. | ||
Eric Junior Member Username: Eric Post Number: 20 Registered: 4-2008 |
More and more I've been using the Lynch spray bottle technique (paint mixed with water actually sprayed onto the paper) to paint foliage or to just loosen up some shapes. Since it's WATERcolor, this technique emphasizes the fact that it's a WET medium. (Whitney: "Art is emphasis on essence") | ||
George Unregistered guest |
I’m about the same as you. I prefer to use the brush for texture, but I’ve used most of these methods at one time or another. The dry printing, wet imprinting, gravity flow, salt and splatter look too obvious to me. I’d rather the viewer not know how the texture was done. I use dry brush, wet into wet, bruising, lifting and blotting when the subject calls for it. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 562 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, I have done some of all of these, but I really don't like salting or alcohol (probably not good for the paper either!)or backruns. Unless I have a very durable paper, usually rag, I find that scratching can sometimes end up tearing my paper (especially if I haven't patiently waited for the paper to completely dry!). I find it best to reserve or lift with a small brush or rigger, or scrape or bruise with the brush handle or fingernail. Scraping paint off with a single edge razor blade is always helpful, especially in creating value changes on rocks, etc. Sandpaper works as a rescue tool for me with things like sparkle on water, if the paper has dried and I didn't dry brush exactly the way I intended. I don't do much masking -- usually just reserve white space, or lift. Haven't done much wet imprinting either, though it is useful with things like river rocks. I mostly do dry imprinting and a little spatter. Tom Lynch put me on to spraying to create things like foliage on trees -- but I prefer to use brushes, as the spraying technique can sometimes look a little busy and artificial to me (probably just a thing of personal taste or preference). The rest are pretty standard tools I use regularly with good effect. What about you? | ||
George Unregistered guest |
How many of these methods for achieving texture in watercolor paintings do you use? Do you have favorites? Are there some you have never tried? What types of painted objects do you use them on? Texture methods = dry brush, wet into wet, bruising, lifting, blotting, masking, splatter, scraping, scratching, calligraphy, rubbing alcohol, gravity flow, spraying, sanding, scumbling, back runs, wet imprinting (wax paper, plastic wrap, tin foil, sand, thread), dry printing (stamping), sponging, salting. |
