Sweet Potato leaves in a Pour

 More About Pouring--a demo

I decided to use the same photo of sweet potato leaves for this pour as I used for the negative painting. This would give a fair comparison of the two methods. (Also I've had a crazy week and didn't have time to look for something new.)

I redrew the picture. This time I used HOT PRESS paper for several reasons. I have heard that the smooth texture makes the masking have fewer gaps. (because of the bumpy texture of cold press.) I also wanted to experiment with contact paper to see if it masks better without the bumps.

Here is the drawing with the first masking.

The colors I chose for the first pour are Pthalo blue, Hansa Yellow medium, and Quinacridone Rose, which is a cooler red. I tried to use more staining colors so they wouldn't tend to lift as much when the masking is removed. I used very little blue in this first pour.

Tape the paper down. Wet the paper. Tilt the board toe mix the colors on the paper. Remember to wipe excess off the taped borders. This is so you don't get back-runs.

Second masking and pouring. I wanted to experiment with contact paper (usually I'd use clear contact paper, but this is all I could find...see the black and white leaf?) You can also experiment with tape, but some tapes don't handle more than 1 pour. Then I wet the paper and poured a second time, using the same colors as before with a bit more blue.

Third mask: I masked in four leaves and a few hexagon shapes in the background.

The third pour: I still wet everything, still used the same colors.

Fourth mask

Fourth pour. This time I changed colors to only blue and red. The blue is indanthrene, which is a very dark blue.

Now comes the hard part: WAITING. It has to be completely dry to remove the masking.

Next week I'll show how to make adjustments to your pour.

5 things to remember for a successful pour:

1. Use good paper, 100% cotton, either hot press or cold press.

2. tape/staple your paper down to a board so you can move it around and it doesn't curl up on you while your are working on it. Very small projects can just be taped.

3. Your first layers should be staining or quinacridone colors. Sedimentary and earthy colors lift more under the masking. However, feel free to experiment. I haven't tried it with some of the primateks.

4. BE PATIENT. Let the masking completely dry. Let the pour completely dry between masking.

5. You can use only 2 colors in a pour if you choose not to use 3. More than 3  at a time can lead to mud very quickly.  You can also re-do a pour after it is dry if color is not what you want or not where you want it.