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Mishap to Masterpiece

The challenge of working in watercolor can be exciting. The thrill of learning new application techniques, the feel of success when you attempt a risky new look and succeed, and even the momentary disappointment of a mishap all help add to the exhilaration of the process.

Setbacks can be blessings in disguise for a number of reasons. One thing an "oops!" gives us is the chance to do it again--an end run, if you will, and knowledge of what not to do next time. Secondly, many artists discover new styles or augmentations to their techniques during accidents or mistakes. Many professionals welcome mistakes and work through them with a sense of discovery and experimentation.

One way to "salvage" a mistake or accident is to transform it. Whether a small sketch or a large work, whether it incorporates the entire image or only parts of it, the conversion from a less than perfect artwork to a "masterpiece" can be most enjoyable. But, beware! This style of mixed media work can become very habit forming. The freedom and energy one can create with two or more art materials often combine to a work stronger and more interesting than either of the materials alone would ever yield.

Materials that work very well when applied over thoroughly dry watercolor paintings include acrylic paints, permanent markers, pastel, oil pastels and oil sticks, inks, metallic leaf, prisma pencils, and graphite pencils and sticks. Virtually any media can be worked over a watercolor, which should open a bevy of new creative doors.

As an example, let us assume that you have completed a large, loose wet-on-wet wash in several colors. All areas of the work are pleasing but for one area that became "muddy" in the process of color blending. You could always crop the image or mat over the bad area, but consider an alternative. Why not embellish the area that is less than perfect with a bit of pastel, colored pencil, acrylic brushwork or other material? Allow the shapes and designs in the wash to suggest images. You should be able to create a most striking artwork. Lines can be added to other areas of the watercolor as well, and in doing so, you tie the entire work together. If only part of the work is less than you wish, consider cutting only that section from the body of the watercolor. Trim the edge of the larger work to even the perimeter and then mat it separate from the smaller work. Rework the smaller section and voila! You have created two works from a single mishap.

Additionally, you can follow the lead of many professional collage artists. To create expressive, textured areas in their work, they love to cut or tear the original artwork into sections. You can do that, too, treating each section as a separate artwork, adding different embellishments to each section. That way a single watercolor can become several different distinctive originals. For extra flair, consider matting the finished art pieces to match. Add a few lines of color to the face of the mat, using the same material (ink, marker, pastel) on the mat that you use on the art. The resulting combination can be very appealing and very salable. For competition purposes, these works fall into a mixed media category and join other styles and methods that often command awards and recognition for their originality.

Take this one step further, and you might begin to create special washes and underpainting for the specific purpose of surface embellishment. With a bit of practice, placement of tones and shapes becomes simple.

Favorite materials used by artists for surface embellishment over a base watercolor painting are pastels and acrylic paints. Pastels offer a variety of texturing possibilities, and acrylic paints offer extreme opacity. Both are highly useful and can even be combined, when desired.

Lastly, the use of metal leaf over watercolor is one way to add richness and brightness. Imagine resurrecting a failed area into a masterful use of metallic sheen. Composition leaf is inexpensive (around $8 for 25 leaves in 5" x 5". Colors: gold, silver, copper and variegated). The leaf can be adhered to the watercolor surface with a number of materials. Special water-based adhesives for leafing are available and do a grand job. The advantage of their use is a long window of working time. If working fast is your style, you can also adhere metallic leaf with acrylic painting medium or gel. Note that any texture imparted by the adhesive brush will show through the leaf. If a really smooth surface is desired, choose a camelhair brush or other fine-haired brush to apply the adhesive of choice. Use a fine textured sponge to apply adhesive with a very fine tooth.

Special attention should be given to watercolors that have been embellished with pastels. The very nature of pastels, their soft, spontaneous look is created by the powdery surface they leave behind on the watercolor. It is advisable that such additions be set to the watercolor with a sizing of some sort. A fixative - permanent or workable - will hold the particles in place and help prevent smudging.

So, get into your studio and rummage through the watercolors you now consider imperfect. Add embellishments, cut-tear-reconfigure, be cavalier. Let go and you'll have fun giving rejects a new life.