Magical backgrounds are created before the painting is conceived!
Colorful spring flowers were today’s topic, but enthusiasm got sidetracked. I’m really excited about “underpaintings” or “pre-paintings.” Not equal to real flowers, but colorful, organic, and beautiful like flowers. And a satisfying triumph for those of us who are intimidated by blank white surfaces or the “how shall I paint the background” dilemma.
Underpaintings work for watercolors, acrylics, and probably can be adapted for oils and other media. Exciting underpainting techniques I’ve tried thus far include: tissue pours, wax paper and plastic wrap pours, batik, charcoal powder washes, and mono-prints. And I hear that my favorite painting instructor, Susan Cowan, has more up her sleeves. I will convey any you are interested in.
Pre-paintings, or underpaintings, can set the mood for imagery to come, or can become finished abstract paintings themselves. And since the painting may not yet be in mind, pre-painting is pure play with colors!
Laying down crushed dress-pattern tissue over a wet paint pour, to be removed when nearly dry.
“Mozambique” background was a facial tissue pour.
“Michael & Loki” I think I pulled the tissue when the paint was a bit wet.
Six Steps to do “a tissue paper pour” pre-painting:
- Gather a few sheet of facial tissue — use 1-ply (or take 2-ply and hand separate it to 1-ply). Old dress-pattern tissue can be used, or gift tissue, feel free to be creative.
- Tear each tissue sheet into a few irregular shaped pieces and crinkle them.
- Mix up three to five of your favorite colors of paint (acrylics, watercolors, or maybe oils) in little paper cups or smallcontainers — thin them to the consistency of cream.
- Pour the colors here and there onto your paper or canvas.
- Lay the crinkled tissue, strewn here and there over the poured paint colors. Then allow it to ALMOST dry. This takes some time… Less patient people use a hairdryer, but I prefer sun if I can find any here in the Pacific NW. Peek under a tissue corner to see if it is still wet. The paint should be dry enough to hold it’s shape, but very slightly damp in order to pull the tissue off — if it is too dry the tissue will not come off (which adds interesting texture, but not what we’re going after here).
- When the paint is nearly dry, gently pull off the tissue, to discover amazing crinkle patterns and colors!
Here’s something we’d like to see in our community! Greet Springtime with hope and joy and a frolic with colors for young and for old.
