Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sunflowers and Gesso

SUNFLOWER BLISS
Original Watercolor on gessoed paper
$70 - Buy Here

Last week in my Wednesday night class we painted with watercolor on gessoed paper. The white gesso creates a slick surface to paint on, allowing the watercolor to slip and slide around creating glowing color and interesting texture.
This technique is a great way to use old paintings that did not quite turn out and are ready for the trash -am I the only one who has those? All you need to do is paint several coats of white gesso on the 140 lb watercolor paper, using very smooth strokes or creating texture with the brush if you want.

As you are painting with the watercolor it helps to lift the paper and let the paint run, creating fun drips and blossoms.

You can also spatter drops of water and paint for texture and the paint can be lifted off easily at any time if you make a mistake or change your mind. This is a great way to loosen up your painting style!

Check out Paint Party Friday and Show and tell Saturday where I am sharing this post along with other artists.