Wonder what techniques I used to create this image? You can find out next month if you’ve signed up for email updates; I’ll reveal the details in December!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #74:

Erythros is an abstraction based on a closeup of maple leaves. I began with the largest shape, outlining the contours with a brush that just had water in it, then adding enough water to the inside of the shape to make the paper buckle into hills and valleys. Next I dropped diluted watercolor paint into the puddles, using a different pipette for each color. As the water slowly evaporated, it left behind a record of its interaction with buckled paper and paint. Each shape had to be painted separately to keep the edges crisp. For added contrast, I used several layers of gouache for the dark blue areas.

This is a detail of my painting, Erythros. Wonder what techniques I used? You can find out next month if you’ve signed up for email updates; I’ll reveal the details in November!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #73:

Acrylic inks can create luminous colors and surprising textures when you apply them to claybord! I began each layer with a wash of water, which beaded up in places on the surface of the claybord. When I dropped in diluted acrylic ink, it flowed to the edges of the irregular wet shapes. I let each layer dry before repeating the process. Even though it took many thin glazes to build up the colors and textures, the inks kept their transparency, giving the colors a glow that’s hard to achieve on paper or canvas. You can see one of my smaller claybord pieces in person at the Green Hills Library Branch; it’ll be on the bottom shelf of one of the cases until October 30.

Wonder how this was done? You can find out next month if you’ve signed up for email updates; I’ll reveal the details in October!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #72:

This is a combination of several techniques, including a new tool. I began by wetting hot press watercolor paper and blending diluted Hydrus ultramarine and a mixed blue-gray directly on the wet paper, then pressing wrinkled plastic into the wet paint to create texture. After the paint dried, I removed the plastic, revealing a subtle linear kind of texture. I used watercolor pencils to add hints of other colors and to emphasize some of the lines, blending the additions into the first layer with a wet brush. I also strengthened some of the lines with Micron black pens and created an alternate network of white lines with a uni-ball Signo white pen. Thanks to Jennifer Cunningham for introducing me to this fun tool!