Techniques and Tips
Rob Dudley
Siân Dudley
Tips & Tricks ~ Stretching Paper
Why stretch paper?
We always stretch our paper before attempting a painting (even heavier
papers). Paper cockles so easily while wet, and it is all to easy to ruin a painting by having a mountain of paper develop across
your work, complete with rivers of paint that refuses to stay where you put it and settles into stripy valleys of colour in all
the wrong places. Paper that has not been stretched retains its cockled shape as it dries, and will not go flat again, so that even
if you have carefully avoided the first set of problems you cannot frame the painting successfully.
Stretching the paper re-aligns
the fibres within the paper so that it does not cockle very much, even if you flood the paper. Any cockling that does occur is rectified
as the painting dries and the paper returns to its flat shape.
You will need:
Watercolour paper
A board to stretch it on. We use exterior grade plywood cut to our specified size by the nice chaps
at B & Q, then lightly sanded by us. Any board that can with stand being thoroughly wet will work, and should be strong enough
to withstand the tremendous pressure put upon it by the paper as it stretches. (Hardboard bends too easily)
Gum Strip (masking
tape will not work.)
Bowl/jar of water
Kitchen roll
Step 1
Cut your paper to your chosen size, including an allowance over the size of your painting on all edges for the width of
the gum strip. If your paper has a right side mark this with pencil so that you do not stretch it upside down.
Step 2
Cut four
strips of gum strip, allowing a good overlap at each end of the paper (about 8cm longer than the paper edge should do it).
Step 3
Lay out your equipment as shown.
Speed is of the essence so ensure that the paper is stuck down before the cockles start to develop
~ have everything ready before you wet the paper.
Uncurl the gum strip (running a thumb down the middle of the non-gummy side helps),
and dampen the kitchen roll.
Step 4
Wet the paper thoroughly on both sides.
Ideally you should completely immerse it, flat, in water. Rob uses the bath!
Alternately
you can hold it under a running tap, moving it around to make sure the entire surface is wet. If you are using a NOT or Rough paper
you need to rotate it through 180° at least once to ensure that water has gone into all the little ‘valleys’ on the paper surface.
Remember to do both sides.
You must move quickly now!
Step 5
Lay the paper on the board, rolling it down from the middle outwards.
Step 6
Stick the LONG edges FIRST, shorter edges second.
Dampen a long piece of gum strip with the kitchen roll. (Make sure it is all
dampened, but not so wet you wash the glue off).
Place it half on the edge of the paper, half on the board. Press down with your fingers,
working from the middle outwards.
Repeat with the other long side, then the two shorter sides.
Step 7
Mop any large puddles with dry kitchen roll—do not rub the surface of the paper
Step 8
Leave to dry FLAT.
(Standing it up,
e.g. next to radiator, will mean the water runs down the paper and loosens the gum strip.)
Step 9
Do not panic as cockles appear!
They will dry flat again. Leave well alone until it is completely dry!
We are often asked how long this stage takes ~ it depends
entirely on the humidity of the room in which it is drying. On a hot dry day it may take as little as two hours; in wet weather you
may need to wait overnight. Plan ahead!
Step 10 ~ Paint your picture!
When your painting is completed cut it off the
board using a craft knife, and trim away the brown gum strip.
We know how tempting it is to rush in to a painting, especially when
your time to enjoy your painting is limited. We are convinced that stretching paper is definitely worth the effort involved to avoid
ruining what might have been a good painting. With practice it becomes second nature, and takes only a few minutes.
Why not
use the time waiting for a wash to dry to stretch paper on another boards. Once dry protect it with clean paper (use computer paper
and masking tape around the edges) and store it somewhere safe until you need it ~ then you’ll always have a stretchedpiece to hand.
Enjoy
your painting!
Tips & Tricks ~ Using Masking Fluid
The most important thing to remember when using masking fluid is that the paper
must be absolutely dry when applying it, and absolutely dry when removing it. We are not talking about surface dryness here,
but dryness throughout the thickness of the paper. If you are not certain whether your paper is dry enough, touch it with the
back of your fingers ~ if it feels cold, it is still too damp to apply or remove masking fluid. Most of the problems people have with
masking fluid, particularly removing it, are associated with the paper not being dry enough. (Be wary of drying your work with
a hairdryer to speed this up - it will warm the surface without necessarily drying the paper all the way through.) A little patience
is probably all that is required to enable you to use this wonderful stuff effectively!
Do not believe anyone who tells you that
it is possible to clean your brushes after using them to apply masking fluid. It is not!
To avoid ruining your brushes in this
way, simply apply the masking fluid with another tool. Try:
An old brush, kept specifically for this purpose.
A silicone
colour shaper. These come in a variety of shape and hardnesses and are excellent for apply the fluid from fine lines to patches.
When you are finished, let the masking fluid dry on the tip and simply peel off.
A toothbrush. Use it to splatter the masking
fluid as you would paint. use an old one, or buy the very cheap ones from Tescos, recently 10p for two! Rinse in cold water to keep
it clean, and try not to let the fluid dry on it. But if it does, you haven't wasted a good brush!
Tips & Tricks ~ Tone
If a picture works in black and white it will work in colour. A painting that works in colour will work
in black and white.
Remember TONE (lights and darks) are hugely important in a painting; if a painting looks 'flat' it is
usually because the tones are incorrect.
If your picture looks flat, take a black and white photograph of it, or photocopy it
in black and white. This will help you see where the tones are too similar, and where they need to be darker or lighter.
When
working from a photograph use a black and white copy of it to work from. This will help you to see the lights and darks, taking
away the distraction of colour.
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