When Your Paper Fights Back: Painting a Royal Tern in Watercolor
In my last post, which featured a Laughing Gull, I mentioned that I’d only painted a couple of gulls prior to that, and no terns. I’m happy to report that I now have a tern in my collection!
This was another experiment on the Arches 140lb cold press paper. I think it was my last attempt at doing a detailed watercolor on this paper. It’s time to switch back to hot press. In the end I felt like I was fighting with it to get the job done.
Don’t get me wrong. I think this cold press paper is a good, quality surface to work on, just not for doing highly detailed work. It’s kind of like asking a Clydesdale to run the Kentucky Derby or a Thoroughbred to plow your field. Technically, they might both get the job done, but neither is designed to do that task. I guess that’s why they make different papers!
This cold press paper shines with looser work, not by trying to force it to yield tight, highly-rendered results. I still have 18 sheets left. I think I’ll save them for some looser ink wash projects where the surface should be great.
I though the finished experiment was adequate but not up to my usual painting standards on hot press paper. Oh well! You don’t know until you try…. and although I found the surface frustrating to work on, I think it’s always good to attempt something different. Typically, that’s when you’re learning the most!
