Backgrounds

When I was only painting in watercolor, my biggest difficulty was always the backgrounds. In watercolor, you can't cover a background with out seeing it through the painting. For a portrait, this was unacceptable to me. Many times I just left the backgrounds out, but the painting always seemed unfinished.

However, with collage, you can always put paper over the background and have something fresh to paint on. My collage teacher gave us an assignment to create a watercolor background using several easy techniques and it opened up a whole new dimension to my artwork. Now, I experiment with just about everything and I love it.

If you are interested in mixed media work, I encourage you to try some of the following for a background that is more than paper. These techniques work well for watercolor, but can also be used for thin acrylics.

1. Salt: Put a wet wash of color on your paper (dark or bright colors work best) and sprinkle with salt while the paint is still wet and let dry, then dust off salt. I use table salt, but many people prefer kosher salt as the effect is more dramatic.

salt and paperclips

2. Plastic wrap or bag: Again, put a wet wash on your paper. While the paint is still wet, lay the plastic wrap/bag over it and press down slightly. The idea is to leave in some wrinkles. Let the painting dry and remove the wrap. This technique is especially good for painting foliage or rock formations.

plastic wrap (right side) and stencils

3. Stencils: This technique can be used after the painting is dry and at anytime in the process. You can stencil with paint, gesso or molding paste for varying techniques. When using watercolor, you will have to be sure that your paint is not too wet, as it will leak under the stencil. I just hold my stencil down with my hand, but I imagine you could use a light tack spray (just test it first to make sure that it doesn't leave a residue.

4. Stamps: Various mediums can be stamped onto your painting at anytime in the process. I've used watercolor, watercolor pencil and marker. To use watercolor pencil, just wet the stamp lightly and rub the pencil over the stamp. I find this technique works better than plain watercolor on intricate stamps. I've also stamped into molding paste and gesso. Make sure you clean your stamps after use. In addition to rubber stamps, you can stamp with various bottle caps and other found objects.

Spatter and found object stamp

5. Placed objects: For this technique, use a dark, wet wash and lie objects it and allow to dry, removing the objects afterwards. Slightly heavy objects work best, particularly paperclips, keys and other metal objects. (see above photo under "Salt")

6. String: Use string on a wet wash. Wet the string prior to laying it on the wash. You may want to add additional wet paint on top of the string. Let it dry completely for best results.

string an found object stamps

7. Splatter: This can be used on wet or dry surfaces for various results. You can use a toothbrush, paintbrush or special splatter tool to apply the paint splatter.

These are just some of the various techniques I use and I'm always experimenting. I encourage you to try some, even if they don't "fit" your style. It's always good to shake things up.

A great resource is Surface Treatment Workshop by McElroy & Wilson. This book uses acrylics as their main medium, but most of the techniques can be applied to watercolor as well. It can be found at amazon.com.