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using white in watercolours
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Message
Posted
When I paint in watercolour, which isn't that often these days, I do like to use white Plaka to add highlight's and pick out dead tree branches, much in the same way that Rowland Hilder worked (but not as good of course). Also as Alan O has mentioned, it looks great if used correctly as a body colour, but not all over the place.
Just to clarify - White mixed with other colours to make that body colour as in RH paintings, often distant autumn trees for instance.
Edited
by alanbickley
Posted
Something I very rarely ever use. I do, however, leave plenty of the original paper showing through for highlights - never seems to be a problem. I do love chips of white especially in in clouds and foregrounds - they give the painting a freshness rarely achieved by the addition of white at a later stage.
Posted
As an example, this is my version of an old oak tree that I painted a while back which is just down the field. I've picked out what I describe as dead branches or could even be the light catching a branch, then with a rigger loaded, in my case, with white Plaka (but gouache or acrylic is ideal), draw them in. It is virtually impossible and frankly pointless trying to leave these white areas whilst putting on a wash and I just detest that latex stuff you paint on and then try and remove later.
I don't disagree with Michael regarding leaving area's of white paper in clouds and the like, that is part of watercolour painting in my view.
I don't disagree with Michael regarding leaving area's of white paper in clouds and the like, that is part of watercolour painting in my view.
Posted
Great tree painting: I'd much rather use a little white, or sometimes scratching-out, than masking fluid - hate the stuff: that doesn't mean others can't use it brilliantly, but - I don't like it. Especially after ruining a pair of trousers by spilling the wretched stuff on them.
There is now a Titanium White watercolour paint in some ranges - because Chinese (ie, Zinc) white can produce a horrible effect if used for highlighting; which is probably where the prejudice against using whites in watercolour came from (maybe, anyway). I have a rather elderly booklet published by Winsor and Newton, based on a book by the painter Hesketh Hubbard, which suggests - well, I'll quote it rather than give it second-hand: (About colour mixing) - "White has been excluded from the water-colour mixtures, though its moderate use with colours often adds to their subtlety."
He will have been talking about Chinese white here. I think the emphasis would be heavily on the word "moderate".
Posted
I usually and almost every time use the white of the paper but (if very, very necessary) instead of white paint, gouache or watercolour, I use Tipp-Ex or Pritt correction fluid. It is magic. Pure white and you can draw and paint lighter colours on top of it to give it a hint of bright colour.. I think this is a nasty (naughty) trick but it is sometimes very helpfull. To be honest, I only use it in case of an imergency when white watercolour is not covering enough. Just be careful to not paint it in a large thick layer but as smooth as possible.
I started using it this week because I remembered reading an article somewhere last week about someone using it and being very pleased with the result.
http://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/art-view,picture_205921.htm
This is an example where I correcrted the eyes and teeth. Hope this will be any help to you for small areas. :) Mia
Edited
by MiaKetels
Posted
Haven't seen Tippex since I stopped working in an office in 1992 - and remember the stuff, and the pink stencil correction fluid, coating the typewriter keys..... long, long time ago - I didn't realize they still made it; you'd want to use it thinly, I would have thought, because I remember it cracking when it had dried out slightly. On the whole I think I'd rather use gouache or acrylic, but better still, the new watercolour Titanium White. But - if it works, why not?
Posted
I have a tube of Chinese white but I very rarely use it (it's in 2 of the paintings I have done in the last 10 years). I've used it to create pastel colours, for paint on buildings. For large areas of white I use the white of the paper. I know a lot of artists use white acrylic or gouache, or a white gel pen for fine lines such as cat's whiskers.
Kay M
Edited
by Triduana
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