Saturday, February 5, 2011

Japanese Egrets in Snow

This is an interesting watercolor that I did awhile back. It was one of the few times I used frisket film. I wanted to first paint a wet-on-wet background for a soft atmospheric look, but how to not paint over the egrets? I guess I could have painted over them considering the background would have been very light, but I wanted to preserve the pure white of the watercolor paper in some of the areas in the birds. Frisket film was the solution. I don't know how easy or difficult it may be to find frisket film now-a-days. It was used (and still may be used) by airbrush artists to mask out areas or shapes to be painted or protected while another area or shape is being airbrushed. One cuts out the shape with an Exacto knife and lays it on the paper or board that is being painted on. The frisket film has a low tack that holds it in place. I laid an entire sheet of frisket over the birds and cut around them with my Exacto knife. If one has a very sharp blade, it will cut easily through the frisket film without cutting into the watercolor paper. By the way, I was painting on 140lb. cold press watercolor paper. After I lifted the excess, outer area of the egrets off the watercolor paper and lightly burnished what was left over the egrets with my fore finger, I lightly wet the paper with a large watercolor brush and painted the background wet-on-wet. When that was dry, I lifted off the frisket that had protected the egrets. This technique was a lot easier and more effective than trying to protect the bird shapes with a liquid frisket, and you can cut extremely complex shapes out by using frisket film.

16 comments:

One Woman's Thoughts said...

What a wonderful tip.
I have frisket in my supply drawer and am never quite sure the best way to use it.

RH Carpenter said...

This is lovely. I think Dick Blick still carries frisket film but I don't see it much in any of the other suppliers' catalogs.

Carrie Waller Watercolors said...

Awesome tip!!! And I love your painting, so beautiful and graceful!!

Myrna Wacknov said...

Frisket film is available at Michaels. I have used clear contact paper as a reasonable substitute. I'm not sure the seal would be as good as frisket.

Autumn Leaves said...

This is beautiful, David. A lovely piece and how fanciful to have the birds looking up at the snow, much like kids catching flakes on their tongues when it is snowing.

David Lobenberg said...

One Woman's Thoughts, Guess there will be a frisket painting in your future. Thanks for dropping by!

David Lobenberg said...

Rhonda, Thanks for the heads up on Blick!

David Lobenberg said...

Carrie, Glad you like my tip and h2o.

David Lobenberg said...

If any one would know where to get frisket and also find a substitute, it would be Myrna! Again, much kudos with your fine art on the cover of Palette!

David Lobenberg said...

Autumn, what a great description!

Matra said...

good job! I appreciate all your artwork! greetz from Poland:)

Barbara Muir said...

Beautiful David,

I don't paint in watercolour much anymore, but I still have some frisket. You can still buy it in Canada. (But you know we're strange up here).

Love all of your work.

Your fan in Toronto,

Barbara

Arti said...

Very interesting indeed!Just beautiful, should I say!

David Lobenberg said...

Matra, Thank you and greetings back from USA!

David Lobenberg said...

That indeed is very strange that you can still by frisket in Canada, but as a red blooded American, I expect that about Canada! :-)

David Lobenberg said...

Matra, Thank you and greetings back from USA!