Painters Online Logo

Login/register

Studio

Black Watercolour Ground

Welcome to the forum.

Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.

Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.

Hang on Studio Wall
Showing page 2 of 2
Author
Message
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20365
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7142
Posted
Learned to type over 50 years ago on an ancient sit up and beg typewriter, Syd - as I spent most of my working life in one office or another, it stood me in good stead: especially when I had a secretary who couldn't type....... don't think I could reach much speed on an Ipad, though, so you're not doing badly.

Michael Robinson

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2904
Posted
I do love you guys! Robert you are a wealth of knowledge as is our Syd. I have started the painting so you'll have to wait and see how it turns out, I'm carrying on with the watercolour. It's funny but when I have something in mind to do, I really have to have a go and when you gotta go you gotta go as they say!😛 Sylvia, I'm sure I will use up the black paper on something or other as I don't like wasting too much.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20365
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7142
Posted
I think I agree with Syd there - however Mars Violet/Caput Mortuum is made, I don't see it as a watercolour which would really set off your painting as you describe what you're wanting to do; it is indeed a reddish-brown colour, and in oil at least it has some quite peculiar characteristics - which are great to use, because there's a depth to it and it can be startlingly bright if you add white; but in watercolour I'd approach it with great caution and not use it in a large wash. Dioxazine Violet would be good - and there are others; or you could mix your own, in various ways; but if I could get the colour I wanted out of a tube, I'd go with that.

Michael Robinson

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2904
Posted
Thanks for the info Robert.

Michael Robinson

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2904
Posted
Well I've painted my white lilies but I'm not happy with the result, sometimes things never turn out as you want them to but hey ho that's life! I've put it on the gallery and here for Syd to see. In the end I used some cling film on the background. I may, in the future, try again.

Adele Elgood

  • Forum Expert
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 886
Posted
I've commented on your painting on the gallery Margaret. That background is lovely and I think it has all turned out extremely well.

Lucy Gilmore

  • Forum Member +
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 135
Posted
It's lovely Margaret! I haven't heard of the clingfilm technique before - very clever! I'll pop over to the Gallery now and leave you a little comment.
DSCF4152

Anonymous User

  • Esteemed User
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 1263
Posted
I was quite tempted to try this product at the start of the thread, as gouache on black paper is quite outstanding. A lovely fresh image of the lilies, and a nice delicate texture in the background.

Edited
by carol

Michael Robinson

  • New Member
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 2904
Posted
Very interesting Marialena.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20365
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7142
Posted
There isn't a problem with painting dark backgrounds to watercolours, the question originally asked was about a black ground. Which - as Marialena, you suggest - is unlikely to be of use for watercolour painting unless it were mixed with body colour; and even then I'm not at all keen on trying it (especially after the consumer report above). You might find Charles Wilby's work interesting, though - I know I mentioned him earlier in the thread. He applies a black Indian ink to his watercolour paper, and then paints over that in watercolour OR acrylic, perhaps even a mixture of both, with the watercolour used in the style of gouache (strictly speaking, it IS gouache, but not the sort you buy ready-made in a tube). He sometimes shows his work in the Gallery here, and can be found on Facebook. I'm not sure the technique would suit me, and anyway I know I'd spill the ink everywhere, but it works well for him.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

  • Prestige User
  • Reputation: 20365
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 7142
Posted
Type Chas Wilby into the Search box on the Gallery page. (His name is Charles, but he calls himself Chas, just to be confusing...) As for access to a member's complete profile - blowed if I know how to do that, or if you can.

Edited
by RobertJones

DSCF4152

Anonymous User

  • Esteemed User
  • Last active:
  • Posts: 1263
Posted
Thanks for your detailed reply, Marialena. Its always interesting to read the different technics other artists try. The mention of oil pastel on a black background works well, I have found black card is a good choice if you venture into a bit of sgraffito, I painted a few Calla lilies in a friends garden using that method, the pastel move well with the use of paper stumps.

Edited
by carol

Showing page 2 of 2