Watercolors By Marian

Revive Old Paint tubes

2024-02-01T03:58:54Z

Here is a video showing how I revive old dried up paint tubes. They still hold a lot of paint.

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A tool for fine masking lines

2022-09-19T23:20:04Z

This ruling pen works great for fine masking. It is better that a small brush because if the masking dries, it easily can be removed. It just rubs right off!!

I found that small brushes tended to have the mask dry and gum up quicker so this really helps for the finer lines. I still use a cheap brush that has soap on it for a larger area of masking.

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Signing My Paintings with a Glass Pen

2022-09-19T23:26:45Z

I have always struggled with signing my paintings. My name is long and I am not that proficient with a rigger brush. Pens with small points have been my preference but a judge (Anne Abgott) once told me that if a watercolor show does not allow ink, that signature could disqualify the painting. Also it sometimes doesn’t harmonize with the painting to have ink just in that spot.

I finally figured out how to do it. I use this glass pen. I take a brush loaded with paint that has been used in the painting and rub it along the grooves closest to the tip. I fill it up with as much paint as I can get on there and practice for a stroke on a scrap paper to make sure a blob of paint does not fall out initially. It works great!! Also if you mess up the signature while it is still damp, you can quickly wet the goof up, wipe the ink up, let it dry and try again.

By the way, I also tried a calligraphy pen which worked OK but seemed to not hold the paint as well.

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Take a Photo

2020-10-05T04:43:42Z

My best plein air tip is to make a habit of always taking a photo before you put a mark on your paper. As you reach for your pencil to begin your initial sketch or before you open your painting supplies, take a photo. If you make this a habit, you won’t ever be caught with a half finished painting and no reference. It also helps to have this when the initial shadows that attracted me to the scene change. Here are some things that made me have to pack up quickly:

Sudden downpours of rain
Farmer chasing me off with a gun
Bull charging
Nuns complaining
Sudden high winds
The barge is leaving:)

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Tearing Paper – Karate Chop

2018-11-20T10:47:43Z

After many years and tearing many sheets of watercolor paper, I recently learned about this method from Karlyn Holman which is so much easier than any method I’ve previously used. It makes a nice beveled edge also. I found a video showing how to do it on You Tube.

Video on how to tear paper

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My Favorite “Scrubber”

2023-11-29T07:25:11Z

I have used a number of tools that are supposed to help soften the edges in watercolor paintings or remove small areas of color. These are often referred to as “scrubbers”. My favorite is a fabric brush. I have them in all sizes and they are very inexpensive.

You can buy them here.

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