Watercolour for Beginners: Session Eight
This is where your course starts to feel like you are able to tackle more involved projects and that will help you when you start to branch out on your own. This week we look at using masking fluid in our paintings, an amazing technique that helps you tackle a white subject matter with ease.
Just a few tips and tricks and by the end of this session you will have produced your first flower portrait.
What you will learn this session:
Preparing your drawing
What needs careful consideration with a flower subject
Masking Fluid and the associated tools
Techniques for successful masking fluid application
Rich backgrounds
How to successfully remove masking fluid
Adding shadows to white petals
Responding to your results and changing your mind
The equipment you will need in addition to previous sessions:
(Please note that this was filmed in 2021 and I have possibly altered the equipment I now use due to manufacture and availability. My online shop on this website has the most up to date versions of what I now recommend)
The tutorial:
Timings within the video when Ali discusses particular aspects of the exercises:
3:12 - Introduction to the subject
3:54 - Introduction to the materials
5:21 - Introduction to masking out materials
11:16 - Preparing your drawing
17:14 - Masking off the painting area
23:39 - How to mask out
27:34 - Masking out the flower
35:08 - Background #1
42:27 - Background #2
46:36 - Removing the tape
48:57 - Removing the masking fluid
52:32 - Adding colour back in
1:01:38 - Changing your mind
Homework:
By no means compulsory, homework is only suggested to allow each participant the opportunity to expand on what they have learnt in this session:
Repeat this exercise as often as you like and make it your own by changing the colours or altering the composition. Make mistakes, write notes, photograph what you have done so you can compare it on a device - whatever it takes for you to understand how the paints, brushes and paper react with each other.
