Watercolour Imprints and Accidents

Following some layering experiments with gouache and chalk pastel I began a few using watercolour.

I used simple mark making to begin with, not really considering the form at all but just allowing the paint to work over the paper. This was on quite a small scale in my sketchbook and as I was doing it I was thinking I must do some more of these on larger paper. Working on a larger scale is something I often aspire to but sometimes shy away from.

I wanted to try the wet on dry watercolour technique so allowed the blue lines to dry before adding some marks in a darker earthy tone. While I'm not sure about the colours, I do like the way you can see 'through' watercolour to a layer underneath and it's this effect I want to use on any final or more resolved pieces I make.

I did some more marks on another page and then closed the pages shut before they were dry. By doing this I accidentally made an imprint of the first page onto the other and really like this too.

I added some more paint to the first page (with the blue) and pressed them together again.

Next, I did a wash over a page, moving the brush in a downwards direction with each stroke, before then blending the paints across in the other direction while it was still wet. I like how it creates the impression of lines seen in landscapes and that even though the paint was still quite wet, you can still see the dryer areas pushing through the top layers.

I then pulled out the definition of these landscape lines, creating more of a feeling of space. To contextualise, I added some simple figures.

I like the combination of the 'story' being told in terms of the forms and composition - but that the material itself can so plainly be seen. It hopefully shows a connection to the paint and how it has been used in an experiential way. I'll have to be careful not to overwork this method just in case it gets 'muddy' - but there's scope for developing this method definitely.