Learn to draw by Tissa Hewavitarane :

Using different techniques

Brushes can have other than conventional uses. They can stamp or spatter, drip and dribble. Different types of brushes might be tried, such as tooth brushes, stencil brushes or house painting brushes. Tools such as sticks, fingers, palette or knives can be used to apply watercolour to paper. Other materials can be added to enrich the surface or the quality of the paint. Colour can also be lifted from a wet surface, thus making the value lighter. Sponges, paper towels squeezed-out brushes will do the job. Cardboard and razor blades can scrape wet colour from the paper.

Watercolour line and wash of Mother Teresa.

Artists work in a variety of ways at different times. They are innovators. They love to expand techniques and probe new ways to work. Their attempt has led to several remarkable techniques. But remember, none of these artists achieve these techniques overnight - they had to work hard and have had many hours of trial and error to bring them successful results.

You must gain enrichment and consequent increased interest in the painting and develop a series of techniques designed to add texture and depth to a painting. One method I developed initially from an accidental discovery. I used a medium weight pressed illustration board generally considered receptive to watercolour because it lacks the absorbency required for the medium. Watercolour is one of the few media that stains into its ground as opposed to being a surface layer of paint; and by using a non-absorbent material such as illustration board, passages of paint already down are always subject to being smudged or lifted by overworking.

This board, however despite its limitations, does have a perfectly smooth finish to it and allows to get the delicate detail and almost linear effect by pulling a dry brush stroke across the surface. An artist can stimulate texture on his drawing paper or can actually adhere textural material to the surface. He can enrich his watercolour sheet by blotting, scratching, flicking colour, dabbing, lifting or any other way that suits his purposes.

Add materials to his surface and thereby produce a richness and textural quality that is difficult to obtain in any other way.

The illustration shown here is a still study of Mother Teresa in three colour watercolour wash (in blue and light red) with ink line in burnt amber.

Notice the expression on her face depicted with pointed number 1 Sable hair brush or thin lines drawn by croquile pen. I have drawn wavy lines in a repetitive pattern showing highlights, shadows and a few details.