Glazing with watercolor is unique to this medium.
Once you practice this technique and become comfortable with it, you will enjoy applying glazes to your paintings.
Watercolor's transparency is the key factor, since the first color will be seen through the color placed on top of it.
The resulting luminosity is what makes a watercolor seem to glow.
It is important to know which of your paints are transparent, and which are opaque.
Stay away from the opaque pigments when glazing! Three transparent colors I use are Cobalt Blue, Rose Madder Genuine, and Aureolin Yellow.
There are many more, but these are some of my tried and true favorites.
Do not use staining colors when glazing, because they cannot be completely removed, should you need to make any changes along the way.
To experiment with glazing, first evenly dampen the back of your watercolor paper and tape or clip it to a piece of masonite board.
This will prevent your paper from buckling or curling.
Tip the board to a 15% angle.
Using one of the clear pigments (such as Rose Madder Genuine,) mix a "wash" your paint and clear water.
Mix twice as much as you think you will need so you won't run out of it half way through the process! Load a two inch flat bush with your wash.
Begin at the top corner of your paper and paint straight across to the other top corner.
This will leave a horizontal "bead" of paint at the bottom of the area you have just covered.
Just barely pick up this bead as you repeat the process of painting from one side to the other.
Do not go back and forth over an area already painted.
This will ruin your glaze.
When you have finished your section of Rose Madder Genuine, "pick up" the bead of color at the bottom with a thirsty paper towel.
Now let this dry completely.
Next, repeat this process using Cobalt Blue, remembering to mix up twice the amount of wash you will need.
Starting at the top of your paper paint this glaze over the Rose Madder Genuine.
When you are finished, collect the bead at the bottom of the paper again and let this dry.
For this exercise we will only use two colors, but if you want to practice with three or more, make sure the Aureolin Yellow is used first, since it does not work well over the darker colors.
Once dry, you will be able to see the Rose Madder Genuine shine through the Cobalt Blue.
No other medium but watercolor offers this beautiful, luminous result.
Once you practice this technique and become comfortable with it, you will enjoy applying glazes to your paintings.
Watercolor's transparency is the key factor, since the first color will be seen through the color placed on top of it.
The resulting luminosity is what makes a watercolor seem to glow.
It is important to know which of your paints are transparent, and which are opaque.
Stay away from the opaque pigments when glazing! Three transparent colors I use are Cobalt Blue, Rose Madder Genuine, and Aureolin Yellow.
There are many more, but these are some of my tried and true favorites.
Do not use staining colors when glazing, because they cannot be completely removed, should you need to make any changes along the way.
To experiment with glazing, first evenly dampen the back of your watercolor paper and tape or clip it to a piece of masonite board.
This will prevent your paper from buckling or curling.
Tip the board to a 15% angle.
Using one of the clear pigments (such as Rose Madder Genuine,) mix a "wash" your paint and clear water.
Mix twice as much as you think you will need so you won't run out of it half way through the process! Load a two inch flat bush with your wash.
Begin at the top corner of your paper and paint straight across to the other top corner.
This will leave a horizontal "bead" of paint at the bottom of the area you have just covered.
Just barely pick up this bead as you repeat the process of painting from one side to the other.
Do not go back and forth over an area already painted.
This will ruin your glaze.
When you have finished your section of Rose Madder Genuine, "pick up" the bead of color at the bottom with a thirsty paper towel.
Now let this dry completely.
Next, repeat this process using Cobalt Blue, remembering to mix up twice the amount of wash you will need.
Starting at the top of your paper paint this glaze over the Rose Madder Genuine.
When you are finished, collect the bead at the bottom of the paper again and let this dry.
For this exercise we will only use two colors, but if you want to practice with three or more, make sure the Aureolin Yellow is used first, since it does not work well over the darker colors.
Once dry, you will be able to see the Rose Madder Genuine shine through the Cobalt Blue.
No other medium but watercolor offers this beautiful, luminous result.