I was first introduced to the Daniel Smith brand of watercolor ground about seven years ago.
The purpose of ground is to create a surface that will accept watercolor in a way that imitates sized paper. You can apply it to almost any surface, but smooth surfaces, such as tiles, glass, ceramics, etc. need to be roughed up a little with sand paper to make it accept the ground more easily.
Ground is usually white, but you can buy it in black or you can add some paint to tint it. To apply it, smooth an even coat over your surface. Directions recommend drying each layer and using three layers, then allowing it to dry 48-72 hours before using watercolor paint on it.
In this picture I have taken an old film canister and put ground on the lid. I have begun to paint a little flower on the ground. I can glaze a little and lift some also. It isn't as slick as gesso.
Another great use of watercolor ground is as a correction for mistakes on your painting. You can cover entire areas with the ground to cover a mistake and paint over it. However, it will not have the exact same response to the paint as the original paper would.
I have used ground to cover old canvas, cover hard board and wrapped canvas, tiles, and some papers that do not accept watercolor. I will always prefer the feel of the paper, but this is a fun alternative.
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