I just want to tell you about a brand new product that has just come onto the market and is just fantastic if your a Watercolourist.
Like all painting mediums they all have their problems and watercolour is no exception. One of the problems with watercolours is the limited surfaces you can paint on, you are always limited to watercolur paper. Now don't get me wrong here, painting on watercolour paper isn't a massive problem, as their is some fantastic paper's out their, and it does make it quite easy, in fact that's why painting in watercolour is so popular with beginner artists, as the equipment needed to start painting is so simple, it could be as little as 1 tube of paint, 1 brush, some paper and a jar for some water, how simple is that. But as you move on and get better, well more experienced, sometimes you'd like the opportunity to paint on a different substrate, just now and again you would like to try something new, something different.
As an artist by nature you are a creative person, so sometimes you want to let your artistic juices flow and not be tied to the same paper, again and again. Well I have just come across this brand new product from the American Watercolourist Daniel Smith. This American company have created the first Watercolour Ground that I have heard of. It is best described as being just like a gesso, it looks like gesso and you apply it in pretty much the same manner, but the main difference is you can apply this ground to almost any surface. So what's the difference I hear you ask from just any old gesso on the market, why don't I just paint my old gesso onto a piece of cardboard and paint onto that, surely it'll do the same thing. Well what your old gesso doesn't do is dry to a HP paper textured finish, that's right once this ground dries it will look and feel just like a sheet of HP medium texture watercolour paper. The ground creates a soft, absorbent watercolour surface with a slightly cottony texture that's similar to cold press paper.
It is recommended that you use the watercolour ground straight from the container. It has a thick, brushable consistency. For best results use a soft-haired synthetic brush for a smooth finish or a hog bristle brush for a more textured finish. Since the ground is pigmented with Titanium White Pigment, one coat will cover most surfaces, however very absorbent surfaces such as unfinished soft wood may require two coats, allowing the first coat to dry properly before adding the second coat, for the best results let your watercolour ground dry and cure for at least 24 hours, this allows it to attain the right degree of absorption, just make sure you wash your brushes immediately after use.
Another problem with watercolours is, if you ruin your painting that's it, there's no going back. You tread a very thin line with watercolour, it's so easy to apply to much water and get the wrong result, a drip or run will just stain your finished painting, and if you use far to much water, your paper acts just like blotting paper and you end up with something that resembles cabbages, and the worst thing is you can't overpaint with watercolour and start again, well not until now that is. This new ground lets you cover up any unfortunate mistakes, it gives you a second chance, a nice security blanket enabling you to rescue any of your old unseen paintings. It works because the ground is pigmented with titanium white and dries to a watercolour paper finish, you just apply it directly over any unwanted areas, leave it 24hrs then start again, because what is left is almost like a fresh piece of unpainted paper, fantastic.
For all your art supplies please consider using Paint & ART as your first port of call. We offer a wide and comprehensive range of art supplies; everything a busy artist might need. We offer products from some of the most respected and trusted manufacturers in the business. http://www.paintandart.com/ is an online source for not only quality art supplies but also information; we offer hints and tips on problems that many artists face daily, we have a regular updated blog giving ideas and advice on products and techniques.
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