A tangle of capelin 11 x 15
I did promise that I would take readers through the process of this batik-like technique to the finished watercolour, so bear with me. Photos are taken under artificial light so most htings have a yellowish cast. One of these days i really will invst in a white light, honest!
I started with a half sheet of masa paper. There is a smooth and a rough side to the paper and I drew my image on the smooth side. This will be the side that I will be painting on.
I then lightly crumpled the paper into a ball and wet it under warm water for about 20-30 seconds til it was thoroughly wet. I squeezed the excess water out and very gently unfolded the masa. Be gentle! When wet this paper becomes fragile and tears easily.
I laid the wet sheet of masa onto a layer of paper towel which was placed on a large drawing board making sure the rough side was facing me. I used very wet, strongly pigmented washes of watercolour and a large brush and randomly added them all over the sheet. As the drawing is face down at this point, there is a certain hit and miss to knowing whether or not the colours and lines will be quite where you want them. You can`t use masking fluid on masa, but low tack tape may be an option for leaving areas white. That experiment comes later! I like the surprise element of how the pattern emerges.
The paint on your piece of paper will appear very bright and start seeping into the cracks in the paper to the other side. This is good. The paper towel will absorb the excess paint and becomes a painting in its own right almost.
I left this to dry completely then cut a piece of 140lb watercolour paper that the masa would fit on, leaving about a one inch margin on each side. I used general purpose white glue that I squeezed on the rough side of the masa. Using a wet brush, I made sure the entire surface of the paper was covered with a light layer of diluted glue.
I laid the masa onto the watercolour paper and used my brayer to roll the paper, taking out any wrinkles and leavingn a smooth surface to paint on. A baren would work, even a rolling pin, anything to ensure contact with the glue and to create an even surface.
I left the paper overnight to dry. It bends a little, but not significantly enough to be a problem. It can easily be flattened under a weight. Once dry it is ready to be painted. My pencil lines were still intact but a little bound up in the batik pattern. I started adding light layers of watercolour to the surface, following my pencil guidelines.
Masa is more delicate than watercolour paper and you can`t manipulate the paint on the surface so knowing what you want to put where is important. As well as having patience in allowing it to dry completely before adding additional layers. Too much water and too much rubbing will cause pilling on the surface of the paper and it will tear. Believe me. Not fun.