| Author | Message | ||
  Rekha Senior Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 440 Registered: 8-2006 |
George, it wasn't a concern so much about stiffening the paper but the extent to which the use of gesso to stiffen the back of the paper failed a watercolour painting. However, both Griz and you have explained the situation clearly | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 684 Registered: 8-2006 |
Good for you, Rekha. I do think the appearance of a traditional watercolor is often more luminous than the typical acrylic painting (though I have seen beautiful acrylics) -- which may account for the relative "dullness" you seem to see. George, no doubt, would say that it is not a matter of the medium, but how it is prepared and applied that makes the difference. I don't know. There still seems to be something special and undefinable about traditional watercolor. However, I don't think gesso applied to the back of your paper necessarily should make a difference in appearance, unless, as I said in a previous post, you find it difficult not to disturb your base wash, which may not be well attached to the gesso, especially if it has penetrated all the way through the paper. As George says, you can use thicker paper. As for the matter of controlling your paint, I really understand. I don't think I could ever be a photorealistic painter -- I just don't want to work that hard to produce something that is so similar to a photograph. I rather like the departure from reality when the paint gets a little out of control. Maybe that's why the Impressionists enjoyed the spontaneity inspired by painting on site and the serendipity in the results of their free and often rapid approach to the process. I'll try to post an example of a quick outdoor painting of this type -- it's a painting of our apartment window in Venice which I did while standing outside on a bridge. The paint clearly got away from my control in places, but still produced what to me was a pleasing result.  | ||
George Unregistered guest |
I’m sorry Rekha, I read your post quickly and didn’t see that your concern was with stiffening your paper. If the gesso on the back makes a lot of difference to the absorption on the front side, try a thicker paper. | ||
Rekha Senior Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 439 Registered: 8-2006 |
And thank you Joe for pointing me to the Golden site | ||
Rekha Senior Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 438 Registered: 8-2006 |
You know Griz I tried to paint watercolour with acrylic. The colours look dull and of course the fun of watching paint go where it wanted wasn't there. So I am back to watercolour and will struggle. Rather that than watching dull colours. On the other hand, taken out directly from the pot acrylic paint gives brilliant colours and 3D form. I will stick to watercolour, but will try gesso to stiffen the paper. Thanks for your suggestions. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 683 Registered: 8-2006 |
Rekha, as you know, a lot of the excitement of watercolor is watching paint do its own thing. I know your question about using gesso on the back side of your paper had to do with stiffening your paper, so that stretching was not necessary. That will work, as you no doubt have discovered by now. If the gesso absorbs most of the way through, it will, of course, prevent your pigment from penetrating the painting surface as deeply as it would otherwise -- which may be what you want, since you mention wanting to more easily correct some of the ways watercolor "does its own thing!" As George says, if you use gesso on the painting surface itself, that will make corrections especially easy (and you won't have to resort to acrylic) -- but you will have to be more careful about subsequent washes disturbing the loosely "attached" first wash. If you have trouble with that, dulling your washes by unwanted mixing, you might need to resort to acrylic. | ||
Joe Advanced Member Username: Joe Post Number: 107 Registered: 2-2007 |
If you are going to dilute to the consistency of water color you need to add some of the clear medium to the diluted mixture. Check out Golden acrylics website. Lots of good info there. | ||
Rekha Senior Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 437 Registered: 8-2006 |
The book said to apply gesso to the side not being used for painting. Thanks for the suggestion on experimenting before trying the technique on the real painting | ||
George Unregistered guest |
sorry, that should read; "either way you go my advice is to experiment on lots of small scrap bits of paper before you begin an actual painting." | ||
George Unregistered guest |
Yes, the gesso is applied to the painting side of the paper and it will make the paper much less absorbent, or totally nonabsorbent if applied thickly. Also, when applied thickly the surface texture is bumpy. You can lessen the effect of the gesso on absorption by thinning it out with water and applying it with a wet sponge if you like. Many watercolor artists use gesso to make the paper less absorbent because it allows corrections (lifting the watercolor easily) and it also allows the paint to stay high on the paper giving greater clarity to the paint. The watercolor artists who use gesso thickly like the surface texture because it gives the painting more character. In addition to watercolor artists acrylic artists who work in the watercolor style also like gesso on the paper because the paint behaves more like they’re use to using it on canvas (also a gesso surface). In other words, the paint will slide around on the surface. You don't need to buy acrylic paint because the watercolor can be corrected easily on the gesso surface, but either you go my advice is to experiment on lots of small scrap bits of paper before you begin an actual painting. | ||
Rekha Senior Member Username: Rekha Post Number: 436 Registered: 8-2006 |
Frustrated at not being able to use my hands to make drawing and paint go in the direction I want, I thought I would try acrylic paint watered down to watercolour. This way I can make corrections. The book I am reading suggests that if you can't stretch the paper, back it with gesso. Does gesso backing make a lot of difference to the absorption of water on the painting side of the paper or the appearance of the paint? |
