Test sheets

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

When I work on a watercolor I use test sheets. Test sheets are scraps of watercolor paper leftover after painting a picture. They often are postcard-sized scraps of paper to test color mixing and to practice various techniques before applying them on a larger watercolor. For example, when working on a portrait one needs to mix the correct skin tone.

Since watercolor paint dries lighter than when it is wet, it is a good idea to get a sense of how the final pigment will appear. In addition, some pigments stain the paper more than others. Therefore, you cannot lift these pigments as easily from the paper if you need to. 

In the above photograph, I tried out several painting techniques. The scratchy areas of small white spots in the blue, were created using a razor blade. This technique is effective for creating whitecaps on the surface of a body of water or to suggest glare. Another technique shown above is called wet-on-dry. That is where a wet brush is applied to a dry surface. These areas depict a pigment with a strong contrast to the neighboring color which displays an irregular edge. 

Watercolor painting is known for it's transparency properties which can be seen, to some degree on the top of the sheet, where there are many dark vertical marks under a wash of gray. 

I may have mentioned using a test sheet in a prior post. However, since I am often mixing different color combinations based on practice and learning from others, my color knowledge is continually evolving.