Course project
My project in 'Watercolor Portrait from a Photo' course
by Sarah Faber @sarahjadefaber
- 1,570
- 39
- 11
A NEW MEDIUM
Until recently, I thought paper was my only option for creating watercolour portraits, but I recently learned bout watercolour gesso, which works just like traditional acrylic gesso. You can apply it to paper or rigid panels, eliminating the need for paper altogether. Unlike painting on paper, which, once it has absorbed the paint, is permanent, watercolor gesso (or 'grounds') allows you to lift the paints and make changes. It is so much more flexible and forgiving than paper! But I love that it still creates the unexpected effects and blooms that make watercolour paint so unpredictable and special. It was the perfect medium for this project.
Thank you Sol for this lovely course!
11 comments
Good work!
@microbians Thank you so much!
@sarahjadefaber Love Daniel Smith watercolors.
I've never used watercolor gesso. It makes very interesting brush strokes like I see in your work.... And very good work.
Congratulations!
(sorry for my english)
:)
Thank you, Sol! I loved the class :)
Ficou excelente, parabéns!
@heloisan Obrigada!
So, did you paint it with watercolour gesso? I really love the effect and your painting! :)
@amirosolani Thank you!
I used watercolour as the base and then painted on the gesso with watercolours as I would normally paint on paper (though you need to let the gesso dry for 72 hours before applying the watercolour, and I like to sand the surface to make it smoother).
@sarahjadefaber muchas gracias por tu explicación :)
@sarahjadefaber
I don’t really understand well, and I would like to learn your medium.
So you buy gesso? Where? What type?
You put the gesso over the paper and wait for it to dry? 72 hrs
Then you sand it to make it smooth?
Then you apply watercolor?
Please can you give me some more info, maybe a reference to learn.
I love your painting
Thank you
Laura
@laurak_art
Hi Laura! It sounds like you understood the process very well :)
There are many types of watercolour grounds you can use: Golden, Qor, Daniel Smith. I like Golden and Qor the best. Just make sure you get watercolour grounds and not just regular acrylic gesso. I live in Canada and buy them from my local art supply store.
I usually use 2-3 layers. I let each layer dry ~24 hours, then sand using an electric sander (but you can also sand by hand). You don't have to sand—some people prefer a rougher texture. Then I wait at least 48 hours to let the final layer cure before painting. And then yes, I just paint as I normally would with watercolour, but I can remove the paint with water if I make a mistake. The paint also "blooms" differently than on paper, and you can soften the lines if you like.
I learned the process from Ali Cavanaugh's Patreon, but you can also find free tutorials on Youtube.
I hope that helps!
Sarah
Log in or join for Free to comment