Watercolor with Tissue paper and gesso

 

Tissue paper and gesso

I wanted our last flower of the season to be super fun and loose. So we're trying gesso with watercolor.

Here are the written instructions for applying gesso to your paper. In this case, you don't need good watercolor paper...your cheap stuff will do, because gesso changes the texture and absorbancy of the surface anyway.

https://mindywara.squarespace.com/studio-journal/creating-texture-with-tissue-paper-and-gesso

And here is a video. The first part shows how to apply the gesso; the rest is doing an abstract with it. There are other videos if you want to Google "watercolor with tissue and gesso." This is from Blake's Studio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkHgk086vS0

There are two ways to apply the gesso for textured effects. The first is like in the above video, where the entire piece of paper is gesso and tissue. The second way is to gesso the paper, and while wet, apply the tissue in small clumps to represent flowers, rocks, water, trees, or other objects. Whatever method, the gesso needs to be completely dry. I dry mine overnight, but 4 hours is usually enough. It can be dried with a hair dryer also.

TIP: 

*Use only old brushes to apply gesso, and rinse immediately.

* I have used a very thin rice paper in place of tissue....both work very well.

* If you want to use a patterned tissue, you can get CLEAR gesso. In my example below, I used clear gesso over tissue with polka dots in it. You can see the dots. 

* Remember to tear the edges if you are doing just the spots. Torn edges blend better with the paper. 

* You can add another layer of tissue after the first is dried, if you don't feel you have enough texture.

Below is a painting done with all the page covered with tissue.

Below is the second method, with small bits of tissue (about 2" crumpled) applied where I want the flowers to be. The entire page has gesso, but the tissue is only applied in certain areas.

First, on scrap paper, we practiced some loose flower painting methods using brush strokes: roses, petunias, cone flowers, poppies, forsythia, etc. This was a warm up to get inspired for putting the loose flowers onto the dried gesso paper. If you REMEMBER TO KEEP WHITES, it will look great.

For background, I did paint this in last, but it doesn't make much difference. Enjoy the unpredictability of this painting!

Here are some short videos with loose flower practice:

Emma LeFebvre - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9-ZSvmHfl8

Roses by Ellen Crimi Trent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PGMzaf-h1U

Emma LeFebvre - 5 flowers including pansies, tulips, hydrangea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hokPklKqbWo

Can't wait to see your finished paintings!!