Watercolor Masking and Pouring Part 1

A friend asked me the other day to show a small group how to mask and pour a watercolor example. It has been awhile since I have attempted this but I am up for the challenge. Hopefully my photos are good enough to get the idea across.

For this example I chose a winter scene. This is a rocky, flowing stream in the middle of winter. There are plenty of whites to save with the sunlight coming through the trees and the snow covered branches and ground cover.

I usually begin by sketching out my subject in three values: light, medium and dark. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of my sketches. They weren't real clean because I did them fast and already knew what I had in mind to paint. I will try to remember to include my reference photo too.

I roughed out a sketch on my Arches watercolor block. I made it a little darker so that I could show you some of the detail involved. I like to draw so my rough is fairly detailed. This also makes it easier to mask later since everything is mapped out.

Once the drawing is done I use liquid mask to map out the snow on the ground, the light side of branches and tree trunks, sunlight coming through the tree tops and reflections in the water. This is probably the most tedious part of the painting.

Finally we are to the fun and spontaneity of the painting. Pouring is unpredictable but the results are fantastic. Mix up your color choices ahead of time and make them as saturated or as transparent as you want. If you want bright colors or dark colors make your mix strong and opaque enough. If you don't put the color down as intense as planned then going over it later will just muddy up your painting.

For this example I am mixing strong, bright colors. Use a larger soft hair flat brush to wet the entire surface and let it soak in until there is a dull shine. I always begin by pouring or splattering light to dark. In this case I start with my yellows, then reds, then blues and a little green.

From here you can do things like spritz water droplets into the mix when the painting begins to dry to a dull shine or sprinkle salt on it. This leaves all kinds of spots and interesting blends.

We will let this dry and come back to it with another layer or two in spots to enhance detail.

If you like my work, let me paint for you too. I can paint portraits of you or family members or landscapes you cherish. Visit www.mikeprout.com for more examples of some of my work.