[Aquanet] Try Twinrocker all the way to the edge - and what about Fabriano Esportazione?

[Donna Barnes-Roberts]

I do occasionally wander into the esoteric papers.  While my normal 
day-to-day paper is Fabriano Artistico 140 lb. cold pressed, which is 
very forgiving and easy to work with, sometimes I am lured to the 
sensual side of the handmade papers.  I like working all the way to the 
deckles on the Twinrocker - I am attaching one I did on that. 

The other really sensual paper I have used is Fabriano Esportazione, 150 
lb. ROUGH.  It is NOT forgiving, but you can get surprisingly sharp 
edges and wonderful deep and dark wet-on-wet work.  And the surface 
texture is just not to be believed.  It is unlike ANY other paper I have 
used. You just can't make mistakes (heh, heh).  No fancy feather 
deckles, but really amazing texture.

As an aside - I have read people talking about how some papers don't 
accept paint well.  Over the years, I have discovered that almost all 
brands I have used have occasional pieces of paper that get "dandruff".  
This happens when you are painting and think that you have wetted the 
paper thoroughly with paint, but when it dries, you realize that there 
are tiny white spots in the wash that the paint never touched.  This is 
not always noticeable in light colored areas, but where you have a dark 
passage it looks like dandruff has speckled your paint.

As a result, I always treat my paper before painting with ox gall 
liquid.  I put a half a capfull of the liquid (made by Winsor Newton) 
into 8 ounces of water, then paint it liberally on the paper I need to 
treat.  After drying, you can't tell it was treated - but washes lay 
down better, and "dandruff" is a thing of the past. 

I have attached paintings showing results on both Twinrocker and 
Esportazione.  You can probably tell which is which.

-- 
If you would like to learn how to control (sometimes) watercolor yourself,  sign up for my class email  list. I will then notify you when openings in my classes occur.  My next class opportunity will begin in March or April.  



"Art is about PASSION.  And passion is beyond reason."  -- Donna Barnes-Roberts

Go to my web site:  www.barnesroberts.com to see my artwork, and for information about art and art clubs in the Pasadena, CA area.  Plus a little arty humor, and of course information about that wonderful, nationally known watercolor artist, Donna Barnes-Roberts (me, okay). Click on my blog to see newer paintings! 

I have paintings at Tirage Fine Art in Pasadena (www.tirageart.com).


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