WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP -- Stretching Paper

Unless the paper you select to paint on is 300-lb. weight or heavier, it will need to be stretched.  There are two reasons why this is necessary:
1 - To achieve a flat, tight surface and prevent the paper from buckling during the painting process, which causes the washes to puddle in the valleys.
2 - To break up the sizing on the surface of the paper.  This sizing inhibits the initial washes from locking in the paper fibers.

There are several ways to stretch your paper, but I will describe and show the staple method, which I consider the fastest, easiest, and most effective.  With this method, I use 140-lb, cold press watercolor paper, soaked and then stapled onto Gatorboard.

First, tear or cut your paper to the size you want.  Have a piece of Gatorboard ready, that is a little bigger than your paper.  Gatorboard is the best painting support I have found.  It is lightweight and waterproof, and is available through most art supply stores and catalog companies.  It's similar to the foamboard that framers use, but it is waterproof.  Staples attach easily and can be removed easily when the painting is finished, and it can be used over and over again.

Soak your paper in a sink or tub, large enough to accommodate the paper.  You don't need to soak it very long -- just make sure both sides of the paper are completely wet.

Then, drain off most of the water.

While it is still very wet, lay the paper onto the Gatorboard.  Position the paper squarely on the board, and gently smooth it out with the back of your hand.  (You don't actually stretch the paper.)  I'm often asked which side of the paper is the "right" side for painting.  I have found that it doesn't really matter.  I just grab a piece of paper, stretch it, and start painting.

While the paper is still wet, staple it to the board around all 4 sides.  Start stapling at the middle of an edge, and place staples about 2" apart.

Then, place your paper/board in a horizontal position, to let it dry completely.  I try to stretch my paper at the end of the day, so it's dry by the next morning.  (You can speed up the drying time with a hair dryer, if you need to.)

As it dries, it will buckle, but don't worry -- you didn't do it wrong.  When the paper is absolutely dry, it will be as flat as the board and ready to paint on.

Do make sure the stretched paper is completely dry before beginning your drawing or painting.  If the paper feels even slightly cold or damp, give it some more time.

TOP TEN TUESDAY -- My Ten Favorite Watercolor Pigments

My Ten Favorite Transparent Watercolor Pigments

1 -- Quinacridone Gold -- I love this color!  Beautifully transparent and brilliant -- glazes nicely.  You've gotta have this color if you paint sunflowers!

2 -- Quinacridone Burnt Orange --  This has replaced Burnt Sienna on my palette.  A "magic" color -- mixes fine with all colors and glazes very well.

3 -- Quinacridone Magenta --  Another "magic" color!  Mixes well with other colors.  I use it for mixing darks and for doing value paintings.  It can easily be pushed to blue violet with French Ultramarine.

4 -- Quinacridone Coral --  I'm very fond of all the quinacridone colors!  I use this one a lot in my portraits -- it's great for skin colors.

5 -- Cobalt Blue --  A good, all-purpose transparent blue -- except for darks.  But, it is great as a glaze, and used as a cool for skin color, and for a green when mixed with aureolin yellow.

6 -- Phthalo Blue -- A beautiful staining and transparent color.  Makes wonderful darks and pretty greens, but easy to over-do -- it can overwhelm a mixture.

7 -- Aureolin Yellow -- Transparent cool yellow (sounds like an oxymoron) -- makes nice variety of greens when mixed with different blues.  

8 -- Quinacridone Rose -- Necessary for portraits, as well as flowers -- also glazes beautifully.

9 -- French Ultramarine Blue --  A good, warm blue.  Mixes nicely with magenta and/or rose for violets, but can also be mixed with aureolin and/or quin gold for greens.

10 -- (Tie) Raw Sienna -- Good for glazing, to set back something in space or to cut the intensity of a color.  Cadmium Red  -- Great for a pop of color, or when painting poppies or cherries!  Not good for mixing, with anything except other cadmium colors.

I have other paints on my palette, which I use, of course -- but these are my favorites!

MONDAY MANDALA -- The Color Wheel

A mandala is a circular pattern that has existed in nature and in many different cultures since the beginning of time.  Each Monday, I will be painting and posting a new mandala.

In this "Color Wheel", I was trying out each of the 24 different transparent pigments on my palette.

Sunday Collage of my Face-A-Day Project

These are the faces that I drew, from the first week in February.  This is my yearlong project -- a continuous contour line in ink, of a face a day, for a year.  I started in May of 2011, so I have a few months to go.

Watercolor Demonstration of a Floral Bouquet

For an Open Studios event at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Durango, Colorado.

I started with a quick color sketch of the bouquet, in my sketchbook.  Often, I like these quick sketches better than the finished paintings.

On the stretched watercolor paper, I did a wet-in-wet underpainting.  When that was dry, I began to paint the flowers, working my way from shape to shape.

Every now and then, I would turn the bouquet, to get another perspective -- not worrying about painting it exactly as it was.

Then, I did a little negative painting, added some darks, and signed it.

It's fun to paint in an un-planned way occasionally, and in this case, I was happy with the result.



Surprise Yourself! Rocky Mountain Creativity Retreat for Women

I'm excited to be planning another workshop! This one is a little different than my annual painting workshop but promises to be just as much fun. Check out this link: http://surpriseyourself.cottonwoodpress.com/ which will tell you all about it and hopefully get you excited, too. Please sign up if you're interested.

This will be a 3-day workshop in Durango, packed full of activities and lessons that will stretch your creativity in every direction. Every day will include a variety of focused but fun-to-do projects, to help you explore creative possibilities for yourself. No supplies to purchase. Just bring yourself and expect to learn, explore, and expand your talents, ideas, and creativity. In a supportive atmosphere, with lots of personal attention from me and from Cheryl Miller Thurston, a writer/lyricist/publisher/composer, you will have the freedom to step out of the old and try something new -- and surprise yourself!

June 10-13, 2010 (9 am - 6 pm); $350 for workshop; lodging is extra.

My 4th Annual Watercolor Workshop

3 days -- September 27, 28, 29, 2009 (you can sign up for 1, 2, or 3 days)
9am to 4pm daily, at my house/studio in Durango, Colorado

Price -- $250. (gourmet lunch & beverages included, all 3 days)

Lots of individual attention & instruction, with plenty of time for painting.

Friendly & positive atmosphere, with a different lesson & project each day, with critique & discussion of work-in-progress at the end of each day. Get ready to stretch, loosen up, & work hard, but still have laugh, have fun, & eat well at the same time!

See the slide show of last year's workshop, on your right. . .