WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP: Painting Cosmos on Aquabord

For a change of pace, try painting with watercolor on a surface called Aquabord.  There are advantages and disadvantages of using this surface.  One of the advantages is the ability to lift paint easily -- this is also one of the disadvantages, especially when you try to layer glazes.

Some watercolorists love it, and some hate it.  Give it a try to see which you are.

Follow along with me in this step-by-step project -- painting "Dancing Petticoat" Cosmos on Aquabord --

For this project, you'll need a panel of Aquabord, your watercolors and brushes, and some liquid acrylic for the lines . . . 

Now, find some photo references for your Cosmos . . . or use mine!  I first found this photo of some cosmos in a field . . . 

I then drew a "doodle" in ink and markers, using this photo reference . . . 

I used this doodle as reference for the painting on the Aquabord.   First, do a wet-in-wet painting on the Aquabord, in blues and greens.  Spatter some paint on this, and mist with a little water, to get some texture.  This will be your background.  When this is dry, draw the biggest flower with its stem and leaves.  Then, using some liquid acrylic (in this case, gold), go over your pencil lines . . .  

Now, for the "un-painting", where you lift the color out of the petals . . . 

Using a wet Q-tip, wet each petal, and then lift out the color with a dry Q-tip . . .

After you've lifted out the color from all the petals, paint each petal with pinks, reds, roses, and magentas . . . 

Vary the color from petal to petal . . . 

Paint the middle of the flower gold, and the stems and leaves green.  Just get the paint on there and don't fuss with it too much.  The paint goes on much differently than it does on paper. . . 

Finish your drawing in pencil, and paint over the pencil lines of the second flower, with the gold acrylic. . . 

Now do your "un-painting" with the Q-tips . . . 

Paint these petals with your pinks, reds, roses, and magentas, varying the color with each petal . . . 

Now, paint the stem a darker (and bluer) green, and the middle a goldish yellow . . . 

Paint over the rest of the pencil lines with the liquid acrylic.  (When you're finished with all the lines, be sure to wash out your brush really well, otherwise you'll never be able to use it again . . . )

Lift out the color from the remaining flowers -- no need to lift the color from the stems and leaves . . . 

Paint the petals in a variety of reds and roses, with gold in the middle . . . 

Paint the remaining leaves and stems with a somewhat darker green.  Add a little blue to Sap Green, or mix a blue with quinacridone gold for a darker green. . . 

And, you're finished!  Just need to sign it, and spray with a fixative and then a spray varnish . . .