Water-Based Pigments, Continued
Special
SALT: Salt placed on the wet surface of a watercolor painting will repel
equipment
(Continued)
pigment around it leaving a white spot difficult to create any other way.
This
is an especially effective technique for creating snow and sand.
STENCILS: Stencils placed on a painting surface will protect areas from
receiving pigment. You can cut the edge of a stencil straight or jagged. For
a softer edge, raise the stencil slightly from the paper surface.
MASKING FLUID: Liquid rubber cement or a commercially prepared liquid
frisket protects areas you do not want to receive pigment. After the paint
dries, the masking fluid can be removed by rubbing gently over the surface
of the frisket until it releases or curls away.
Blending
techniques
The two blending techniques are the wet-brush and the dry-brush method.
Wet brush
blending
Wet brush blending uses water to blend water-based media. Apply the wet
brush technique after you finish setting the flat tones on the subject.
To employ the wet brush blending technique, follow this table:
Step
Action
1
Set the flat tones of the subject.
2
Lay both selected values side-by-side, overlapping slightly.
3
Wet your brush in clear water.
4
Starting at the top, work your brush back and forth over the area
where the values overlap.
5
Clean the brush and wet it slightly.
6
With vertical strokes, soften the previous horizontal strokes. Be
careful to not lift the paint as you soften the strokes.
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