Back to Basics: Rich Darks

Back to Basics: Rich Darks

Before we get too far with our merged washes, we need to keep practicing how to mix our washes, our actual wash approach and application of that wash to the paper. Remember that you will constantly improve as you practice washes, darks, greens, etc. so do as many of the exercises as you can. The more paint and water to paper the better you become.

Remember: wet on wet is taking a wet charged brush to wet paper; dropping in the wet wash onto the paper when the shininess of the paper disappears (goes from floating on the surface reflecting light to being absorved into the paper fibers); and wet on dry is taking a wet charged brush to dry paper, the Direct Method, and method I prefer as I have more control and choices over my edge conditions (more on that later).

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO STAY AWAY FROM DAMP WASHES WITH NEW WETTER WASHES. Yes, wet on wet specialists can go into a damp wash but they are very experienced in how fast washes set up or dry. If you go into a wet or damp wash on paper with anything but pure pigment, you will get a blossom--a flower like blemish. A few are fine but a lot are not. Also, with water in the paper, your new wash will be moved around in the fibers and mix way more than you want, creating a muddy dull affect.

Remember: I prefer a "clinging wash" to a "swimming pool wash" where the pigment in the mixing well on the palette is not in a large and diluting pool of water; where I would have to bring a lot of pigment in to get a good dark or rich color, wasting pigments. And I do not recommend those small wash tubs or bowls. Too much diluted wash of one color.

Remember: when mixing a wash or getting ready to mix washes on palette for mergings on the paper, go to the pigment well with a damp dry brush to get pigment and not dilute the pigment well with excess water; getting rid of the excess water in brush by slatting (my technique but make sure dog is not behind you!), or touching brush to damp dry sponge or roll of TP. Work fast, clean off brush in wash water container, check excess water, go to pigment well, bring pigment to palette mixing area, get more water as needed from wash container, go to paper, clean brush and do over. FAST.

Rich Darks: Rich and Dark. When mixing darks, remember that the less times you make the attempt, the more fresh your wash will be. Conversely, the more you make efforts, washing over and over, to get a dark the more chance of making muddy and lifeless colors. So practice making darks by mixing the primaries and secondaries on the opaque and delicate palettes with staining colors. I suggest you not use black or Indigo because you will definitely get black and lose the richness of the dark color.

Darks Exercise: Sketch out a number of 3x5 rectangles, minimum, or favorite shapes as needed side by side. Paint a primary color into the first rectangle, say rose madder; in the next shape, mix in a pthalo red to the rose madder and try to make it dark; do again with rose madder and alizarin crimson. If you make the mixture too dark, the wash will go flat or shiny and not allow light to get through--this is good as you will know what dark is too much rather than being overly cautious and thinking a medium mixture is a dark!

Repeat this exercise for the other reds and blues in your palette; then do the same for the secondary colors (purple, orange, green).

Other colors to use to make darks are Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, pthalo green as well as the other staining colors.

try other combinations. If you mix all three primaries together you will get a gray. Grays are fine as long as they have a COLOR DOMINANCE and can make muted and rich darks.