The combination of wet and dry techniques

by Tissa Hewavitarane

It is difficult to use the techniques of painting on a wet background or just the technique of painting on a dry background in any given painting. Usually both are used simultaneously to achieve the desired effects of each, capturing the fusion of tones on the one hand and the precision of a dry brush stroke on the other. The only problem is that these two techniques demand completely different drying times between applications. If the base is wet, the newly applied paint will spread and merge. If the base is solid, the brush strokes will appear definite and precise.

The wet background allows effects of atmosphere, vaugue shades, merging areas, gradations and the merging and blending of colour. The extent to which an added colour will spread depends upon the degree of wetness of the background controlling and enabling the painter to work with great precision in the area where the colour is being applied. The wetness is controlled with absorbent paper, with a sponge, a dry brush or by the natural evaporation of the water.

To observe the dry times for each coat of paint, wait for the paper to dry a little. If you paint while the paper is still soaking wet the colour will run and blend completely while the back ground is still wet, but not soaked a darker colour could be added.

With a dryer base, the form of the brush stroke can be controlled, much better controlling the flow of the paint on the paper improves as the paper dries. It is important to remember that you can't paint light tones over dark tones with water colour paints. It must always be the other way around.

There is nothing more exhilarating than dropping rich colour on to wet and watching things happen. Wet-into-wet is a bit of a misnomer because if you do actually drop wet paint on to a wet surface you then get two lots of water and the result is weak, runny and out of control. Apart from describing the main pitfalls, there's no way one can really explain the technique.

You just have to experience it and experiment yourself. Try it out with just one colour first, and be prepared to waste a few sheets of paper until you achieve your target. A word of warning, never use wet-into-wet for foregrounds, they at least, should be crisp and sharp otherwise it will look as if you are wearing the wrong glasses.

Do practise this technique although it probably won't come off at first. Wet-into-wet is the most spontaneous and exciting, but too much of it can be vague and dull. A good example of the use of wet-in-wet is shown the painting I have done here. Thick paint is used on the hut to get a dark tone and of dark patches on the tree and ground.

The eye is always to human figure in any landscape, and their inclusion can turn an ordinary subject to a striking picture. The fishing boats give a dramatic impression with two tiny figures in the boat and a man standing on a side.

These are used to give life, movement and scale to the picture. Depending on the nature of the day the reflected light can be either a very important of your painting use of strong colours is the most expressive element in the artist's vocabulary.

Observe the colours I have applied on the painting. I have expressed the colours what I have felt and understood of the nature. You will observe a bluish yellow light appear on the sky, with a wash of light orange and earth also light with same colour.

The painting also composed of grey raging from palest tint to the deepest grey brown and greens, giving an impression of consistent harmonious light. The first thing to say about dry brush technique is no to over do it. It is useful to produce textures and to suggest detail.

The paint is put on with the brush quickly skimming over the surface of the paper, leaving the colour only on the ridges of the irregular surface.

The colour and the brush it self is kept very dry and appears on the paper with hundred of gaps which allows the paper or under painting to show through.

The dry brush has many uses - to suggest the bright shimmer of the sun on water, the texture of pebbles on the shore, the rough bark on a tree trunk or the weathered surface of a plaster wall. Do practise and experiment to discover all the many textures available. Push, stroke, or even pat the brush on the paper. Try holding the brush almost parallel to the paper so that the hairs barely graze it.

Once you can control different drying times, it is possible to combine both techniques. With constant practice this combination will yield astonishing results that are much more simple to create than would appear on first impression.

The effect of a blend on wet can be applied next to the effect of a painting on dry demonstrate the depth of a landscape, textures of objects, volume and so on. An Watercolour techniques have their strength and weaknesses.

Wash for example is the most positive way of indicating shapes. Its strength lies in its simplicity using wet-into-wet technique. It is the most spontaneous and exciting and delightful experience. It is wet and vibrant and in varying degrees and great way to get your feet wet in the medium and experience a unique sensation to transparent watercolour.