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Watercolor Potpourri

There are hundreds of secrets and special tips that watercolor artists have developed over their painting careers, some of which are widely documented and some not. Following are several miscellaneous tips and ideas for everything from recovering dried pigments to magic water formulas, from camouflaging a stain on your painting to sealing procedures for paper that is too absorbent, and more.

The wonder fluid, gum arabic, can be used to recondition dried pans of watercolor by simply mixing it with the pan color. If you do not have gum arabic, use a drop of honey or glycerin. After allowing this to soak into the pan, the color will be soft and ready to use. These three items can also be used with tube color that has set up. Add gum arabic to water to make it less fluid and easier to blend with pigments. In works consisting of small individual strokes, gum arabic helps each stroke remain separate rather than flowing together.

To speed drying time, use a hair dryer on slightly damp works. Areas where there is fluid color should be avoided, as the dryer will blow and spread the color into areas undesired. Small additions of common rubbing alcohol can also speed drying time. Ages ago and prior to the invention of hair dryers, gin was added to paint to speed drying. Both alcohol and gin dry faster than water. Some small works can be dried in a slightly warm oven (very low temperature). Ceiling fans that drift large masses of air over surfaces can aid in speed-drying larger works.

If you want to slow the drying time, try a bit of liquid ox gall. This can be done in one of three ways: you can prime the surface of your paper before painting (Let it dry before you start your painting.); you can mix a bit of ox gall into your water container; or you can mix ox gall directly into the paint on your palette. One added benefit is that the ox gall adds brilliance to watercolors. Thorough soaking of paper is a sure method to slow the drying time as well. To keep the paper moist throughout the entire painting process, place a cloth soaked in water beneath it. To prevent pillowing, stretch the paper over the cloth and tape into place along the edges.

Speaking of water, always have at least four containers of it near your work. At any time, one will be available and clean so that you can mix colors cleanly, clean brushes in another, and rinse in the others.

Color testing is always a good idea, rather than charging onto the surface of a painting with an untried color. Test on a small sample of the same surface on which you are working. Make notes and file the samples--great future reference material.

Mixing quantities of paint for large works can be done in lidded containers rather than on your palette. This means less remixing time. Colors can be used for future projects, so waste is less an issue than efficiency.

Papers are varied and offer many surface qualities. But, occasionally, bends, folds and accidental creases occur. This damage can happen before the painting is done or after it is completed. To remove it, press lightly from the back side with an iron. Be sure to use a clean paper under the painting while pressing.

Flatten buckled paper with weight. Allow the painting to dry completely and then place it between blotting papers with weight evenly distributed over it. Often it is possible to stretch the paper after the work is finished. Do this by carefully dampening the back side of the paper, then gently stretching.

Create soft glazes over completed, dry works by spritzing the surface with diluted paint in a plant sprayer. This will dry to a soft, cloud-like appearance. Some experimentation is needed to get the right mix of water and surface absorbency.

Use blotting paper (available at art supply centers and used in printmaking) for immediate removal of excess fluid paint. Stains left can be removed with additional water and, if the wash has dried, wet the area with clean water and use blotter paper to soak up the dissolved paint. Small wet sponges can be used to pick up paint as well. For fine detail work, cotton swabs and tightly wound paper towels can be used to draw off paint.

Stains that remain after all efforts to remove a painted area can be painted over with white acrylic and then smoothed with a cotton swab to soften surface texture. New paint can then be applied. "Teasing" the edges with a clean, damp brush can soften hard edges of painted areas. Papers roughened by repeated scrubbing may be too absorbent. Remedy this by applying a thin layer of acrylic paint. This paint can be tinted, plain white or any color that will complement the work. For handmade papers and other super-absorbent surfaces, a thin wash of acrylic will help create a more workable ground.

In closing, if you stare at a new, clean white sheet of watercolor paper and panic, or perhaps, you enjoy a warm, light brown ground to start on, consider tinting the surface. Either situation can be remedied by washing the surface with diluted coffee. In China, artists use tea leaves to produce a soft glow on their paper. Western tea drinkers might want to try a softened soaked tea bag.

Watercolor Techniques