LESSON X - Part 1: Painting Cosmos on Aquabord

For a change of pace, try painting with watercolor on a surface called Aquabord.  There are advantages and disadvantages of using this surface.  One of the advantages is the ability to lift paint easily.  This is also one of its disadvantages, especially if you try to layer glazes.



In this step-by-step project, you'll be painting "Dancing Petticoat" Cosmos on Aquabord --

Aquabord is made by Ampersand, and is also called textured clayboard.  Regular clayboard is not the same -- it is much smoother, so it won't accept the watercolor as well.  It comes in all sizes, so hopefully you can locate some, so you can give it a try.  Buy a small panel or two, 8x10 inches or smaller.

For this project, you will also need some liquid acrylic for the lines, which you can apply with a brush -- and your regular watercolors and brushes.

Now, find some photo references for your Cosmos . . . or use mine!  I first found this photo of some cosmos in a field . . . 

Draw a "doodle" in ink and markers, using your photo reference . . . 

Use your doodle as reference for the painting on the Aquabord.  

First, do a wet-in-wet underpainting on the Aquabord, in blues and greens.  Spatter some paint on this, and mist with a little water, to give it some texture.  This will be your background.  When this is dry, draw the biggest flower with its stem and leaves, in pencil.  Then, using some liquid acrylic (in this case, gold) -- go over your pencil lines.

After you've gone over all your pencil lines with the gold liquid acrylic, you will start "un-painting" -- where you lift the color out of the petals. . . 

Using a wet Q-Tip (cotton swab), wet each petal, and then lift out the color with a dry Q-Tip . . . 

After you've lifted out the color from all the petals, paint each petal with pinks, reds, roses, and magentas.  Vary the color from petal to petal . . . 

After painting all the petals, paint the middle of the flower gold, and the stems and leaves green.  No need to "un-paint" the stems and leaves first.  Just get the paint on there and don't fuss with it too much.  The paint goes on much differently than it does on paper . . . 

Finish your drawing in pencil, and then paint over the pencil lines of the second flower, with the gold acrylic . . . 

Now, do your "un-painting" with the Q-Tips . . . 

Paint these petals with your pinks, reds, roses, and magentas, varying the color with each petal . . . 

Paint the stem a darker (and bluer) green, and the middle a gold-ish yellow . . . 

Paint over the rest of your pencil drawing with the gold acrylic.  (When you're finished with all the lines, be sure to wash out your brush really well -- otherwise, you'll never be able to use it again . . . )

Lift out the color from the remaining flowers, with your Q-Tips -- no need to "un-paint" the stems and leaves . . . 

Paint the petals in a variety of reds and roses, with gold in the middle . . . 

Paint the remaining leaves and stems with a somewhat darker green.  Add a little Blue to Sap Green, or mix a Blue with Quinacridone Gold for a darker green . . . 

And, you're finished!  (Remember to sign it.)  To protect any painting done on Aquabord, spray with a fixative, and then a spray varnish . . .