Category Archives: Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique #135

February 20, 2024 – 7:35 pm

Curious about the techniques used here? You can learn more next month if you’ve signed up for email updates!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #134:

Intriguing effects happen when you let gravity assist the painting process! First I lightly primed raw unstretched canvas with diluted gesso. After this dried, I tacked the canvas to the wall and used paper cups to pour a series of acrylic glazes; each layer had to dry before another could be added. To vary the shapes, I pinched the cup’s rim to make a spout and changed the direction and angle of the canvas for each pour. I created the ghostly white shapes by letting the paint start to dry around the edges and then pouring clear water to wash most of it away.

Tags , , | Permalink | Comments Off on Mystery Technique #135
Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique #134

January 20, 2024 – 4:24 pm

Curious about the techniques used here? You can learn more next month if you’ve signed up for email updates!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #133:

After sketching the cardinal on tracing paper, I used a light box to transfer the drawing onto watercolor paper. Next I mixed several reds for the first layer and added a little New Gamboge to the beak. When this layer dried, I rewet the paper, then painted bluish black next to the beak before quickly adding another layer of red. I came in wet-in-wet with a pale brownish gray to suggest darker feathers and shadows; to control the results, I kept this color drier than the red. I finished the eye, beak, and feet with watercolor pencils and stippling with a .005 Micron black pen.

Tags , , , | Permalink | Comments Off on Mystery Technique #134
Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique #133

December 20, 2023 – 6:30 pm

Curious about the techniques used here? You can learn more next month if you’ve signed up for email updates!

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #132:

First I created irregular branching shapes by applying diluted acrylic gloss medium with a pipette. I let these dry before painting the paper with a watercolor mixture, which only partially adhered to the acrylic. After this layer dried, I used a brush to spatter the surface with diluted acrylic gloss medium and white acrylic ink and also added a few lines with a white Posca pen. Once the spatters dried, I rewet the painting and blotted with paper towels to partially lift off the watercolor paint; this left soft halos around some of the spatters.

I then let the painting dry before adding more white Posca pen lines and finishing with a wet-in-wet mixture of French Ultramarine and Permanent Rose.

Tags , , , , | Permalink | Comments Off on Mystery Technique #133

« Previous Page — Next Page »

« Previous Page — Next Page »