Winter Field

Chito this is just beautiful...just do not change a thing. I love it. Mr clean eraser???? don't know it. can you tell me more.

I agree with Sylvia, it's lovely.

You can achieve similar effects with plastic erasers, or with a putty rubber, plus stencil; I'm not sure that Mr Clean erasers are available in Britain. Well done for still being prepared to try something new - the best way to avoid getting stale, not that you're in any danger of doing that. This isn't (daring to be a Daniel, you see...) my favourite of all your paintings, probably because the strongest, the "best" colour is all on the horizon line (and why shouldn't it be? Don't know!) - I just feel a little that the sum of the parts is less interesting than the parts themselves.

OK to extend info on erasers or as we Brits say "rubbers" you make a stencil and then rub out the highlights??? am I getting this right?

Thank you for your kind comments. Sylvia, Mr. Clean eraser is not really rubber, it's actually a household cleaning sponge. It comes dry in a box, and needs to be activated with some water. With a stencil you could lift out any shape you want, it should only be damp not wet, blot with tissue paper and presto. Mind you, I don't know the long term effect of cleaning agent on the paper.

Hi Robert, I did try to infuse some of the colours in the bottom half of the painting, but I guess it was not strong enough. I don't think dry rubbers would work as good in lifting pigment. Oooh Sylvia, rubbers here is a male contraceptive device. It might work too, have not tried. LOL :-D

I really like this one, the colours are beautiful.

I like this very much - bold colours, yet a feeling a peace & quiet. I have looked at your other paintings Chito - very impressed.

Just a quick note, plastic erasers can be used with or without stencils to lighten dry watercolour paint - it's a bit of a chancey technique, though. I haven't come across Mr Clean - would a damp brush work as well? I have used Colour Shapers to wear away dampened paint - again, it can go very wrong, especially with a staining pigment. One thing to avoid under all circumstances is a genuine rubber (in the sense of eraser made from rubber, rather than a condom, which would also, I suspect, be a mistake..); they damage the paper, and leave a hideous mark. I speak from bitter experience.

I would imagine a damp sponge or a stiff brush would do the same trick, although the added cleaning agent would take you down to almost bare paper. Varying the sizes of the stencil looks better. Use a low tack masking tape on a hard surface, cut shape with a box cutter then stick it on the paper and rub away. It's precision lifting.

This is gorgeous. Wonderfully loose. Expertly painted.

Beautiful colours and thank you for the explanation on how you achieved the foreground leaves.

I just think its wonderful as it is,really well done .linda