I’m back at home, a bit tired from the drive, but looking forward to painting.

Today’s watercolor experiment:

I took a peek at the next lesson in the Tate Watercolour Manual, Lessons from the Great Masters by Tony Smibert and Joyce Townsend, the book I am currently using to improve my technique. I did not read the instructions in detail because the concept was so interesting that I just wanted to do it myself.

Painting on glass:

One of the figures revealed intricate reticulations. I could not imagine how the artist accomplished that until I read a little further. The answer was that the painting was not done on the paper at all, but on glass, which was then pressed onto the paper. The patterns were formed as a result of lifting the glass from the paper. This technique is also called a monoprint, since only one image can be transferred to the paper from the glass. In this experiment, I printed onto watercolor paper and after than, onto drawing paper (a duoprint?).

Here is the glass after I used it to print to the paper:

Painting on Glass after Printing

Below is the second print from the glass after I pressed it onto drawing paper.

Print on Drawing Paper from Watercolor Painted on Glass

Before printing onto drawing paper, I pressed the glass loaded with paint onto watercolor paper. I manipulated the colors, scratched the surface and added color in between the colors laid down by the glass. Here is the final result:

Tree – Print from Glass
6″x8″ Image Printed on 9″x12″ Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

A more thorough reading of this lesson is warranted in order for me to refine my skill and channel my initial impulses into a more controlled outcome.