I took this photo last summer, and thought it represented my idea of summer in the years past when our children were this age. I promised to feature this in a stage by stage process. Here it is, as an example of misket and masking technique.
I'm assuming most of you know how to get your basic image on watercolour paper, and in my case I printed out a full-sized colour version using my computer printer and traced it off using graphite paper. I re-drew it to suit my needs and laid in the basic shapes. I tend to leave my darkest shadow values until last, so the painting may look a little weak at this stage.
At this point I was a little nervous about embarking on an ambitious programme of masking and misket without exerimenting first. I repeated an experiment I've used in the past where I traced off the centre of interest section and actually painted the water to get the feel of colour, value and technique. As you can see, I carefully cut out this section ready to place it over the existing painting. I used the same 300 lb Arches watercolour paper and it was worth the cost for peace of mind.
Here you can see how the cut-out image looked placed over the existing painting. I was able to make the ripples flow smoothly around the body as I had no need to mask out the figure in this experiment. I was also able to try out wet-in-wet techniques, and lift out sections to highlight the tops of the ripples. I was reassured that this approach would work, and my next step was to mask the figure in order to reproduce my experiment. I hoped!
I masked out the entire figure using standard masking tape, leaving about 1/8' for more careful masking with liquid misket. This was done with a No.3 H.J Series 970 White Taklon brush from my Ontario supplier, Curry's. I've mentioned using these brushes before as they are relatively inexpensive and disposable. I used to use "old" watercolour brushes, but my need outran my supply and I found these quite stiff brushes ideal for my purpose. The water highlights I put in with another product suggested by a Curry's store associate: "Masquepen".
I haven't done extensive testing on misket products, but I've found "Incredible White Mask" to be a good all-round misket for my paintings. It's made by Grafix in the U.S.A. As you can see from the illustration, "Masquepen" has a really fine nib-like ending which I find ideal for certain applications. "Masquepen" is made by Cruddas Innovations Ltd. in the U.K. It has the added advantage of being light blue which helps in this session. Both these products were originally recommended by Curry's and I've been happy with my choice. I always keep my misket products upside down to prevent air from leaking in
My first wash was wet-in-wet with the ripples in a darker wash just before is dried. I used a mixture of Antwerp Blue and Ultramarine, plus some Burnt Sienna, followed by a touch of Cerulean blue. This a grainy colour I used occasionally for certain effects. It stains heavily however, and I would caution experimental use first, as once it's on it stays on. Note I didn't have to worry about stopping the ripple effects as the figure was completely masked out.
In the next step I lifted off the misket carefully with masking tape and continued with my final washes. I try not to leave misket on my paintings for more than a few days as it tends to stain or pull the surface of the paper off when you try to remove it. I had my cut-out experimental water segment close by and was able to be work in relative confidence that what I was doing would look good in the end. (See "The One That Got Away" for paintings that did go wrong!)
I removed the masking and misket from the main centre of interest and put in my defining shadows, strengthened some colours, tinkered with the flesh tones, and lifted out the highlights on the appropriate ripples. The result is a crisp, clean centre of interest figure surrounded by water which flows seamlessly behind and around the figure. Masking and the use of misket may not suit your individual style in all cases, but it often helps to highlight dramatic shadows and background without resorting to opaque white.
In this close-up you can see how effective the highlighted ripples turned out. I simply lifted these out with a wet stiff oil bristle brush, and dabbed it with tissue. A slight darkening underneath gives a three-dimentional look. With strategically placed misket you can often give sparkle to your paintings, especially if you're trying to capture the elusive quality of water scenes and difficult reflections.
All done and framed. "Water Boy" is small painting, but as I look at it hanging in our apartment kitchen, I remember the summer the series of photographs were taken. The warm sand and water at Sandbanks Provincial Park, and the little boy who was happily lost in his world of a watering can and a sandy beach. There is no doubt in my mind that watercolours are fun.
