A new substrate

I did an interesting lesson with Deanna Strachan-Wilson of LFI2022 (a preview bonus session) today. I thought I knew most of the permutations of working with watercolor, but Deanna introduced me to a new idea—using some form of partial "resist" to slow down and loosen up the application.

We used toned mixed-media paper, and put a thinned-out coat of gesso on it. Yes, gesso, as the base for a watercolor. Considering the frustrations I have had with gesso as an undercoating for acrylic inks, I would have said no thanks, but her watercolors are soft and hazy, a little smeary, and completely appealing, and I wanted to learn, so I went along.

This is an example of Deanna's.
(She's also doing some kind of
thing with masking tape, but
we didn't do that part.)

The effect of the gesso is to make the watercolor at least partially bead up on the surface and be slow to dry. So you can blob it on all over the place, and still go back with a damp, clean brush to push it around, remove some, smooth it out into the creases of the gesso, and finally let it dry while sitting on the surface, and thus get all kinds of soft, fun effects.

You do have to have patience to let each layer dry, once you get it where you want it, before trying to apply the next; with normal watercolor paper, the color is going to sink in and be immovable pretty quickly, but with the gesso running interference, it's a gradual and kind of random process. But once you start layering it up, you get some beautiful soft shadows using just a few colors; Deanna encouraged us to also be vague about such outlines and structures as hair and clothing, and indicate rather than define.

The other thing that makes her faces pop is going back in with the gesso after to brighten up all the whites, which stand out beautifully on the toned paper and vague background. And you can sort of push the gesso into the color and blend them.

I don't think I would choose this as my preferred method; I enjoy too many other techniques to be exclusive. But I will certain try this again and see what I can do with it!

I picked my own reference photo from which to work, so it wouldn't be a duplicate of everyone else's. This is...

"Dani"—gesso, pencil, and watercolor on Strathmore toned gray 184-lb. mixed media paper, 9x12 inches.