Watercolor is a medium that employs a good deal of trickery beyond the brushwork and most of it revolves around different
methods of masking. I utilize several different tapes depending on which type and brand of watercolor paper I am using. For
sections of paintings that require a great deal of detail, usually I will use liquid frisket. Additionally I use several non-traditional
brushes in a typical painting. I have found oil/acrylic flat brushes of varying sizes and bristle stiffness to be particularly useful
for achieving smooth washes and softened edges. Paper selection is critical to a successful composition and I have found that
if the image I am working on involves a great deal of detail, a heavy (300lb) hot-press paper works best, and if the image requires
predominantly broader washes I will generally use a 300lb cold-press paper.
Generally I will utilize whatever media is necessary to achieve an effect. In the process of trying to capture the look of the
natural world, I find it is mandatory to use materials that best mimic my observations. By adding opaque white to traditional
watercolor I can achieve a better range of textures as well as color, and if the opaque white is acrylic, I can achieve layered
effects as well. For some compositions I have added the use of pastel and I have found the use of colored pencil extremely
useful for fast touch-ups of uneven washes or paper imperfections.
I have created monotypes and monoprints with watercolors, water-based inks, oil paints, and oil-based inks. Some compositions
have utilized both oil and water based media in the same piece. Most of these prints were created by painting my image on
frosted Mylar, allowing the image to dry, and subsequently printing the image at a later date by running it through an etching
press on pre-dampened paper. My monotypes are unique pieces that usually give me one print and a "ghost" impression made
from the residual image left on the Mylar after the primary print has been pulled. These "ghost" impressions are usually further
developed in various media by drawing and painting directly over the impression. My monoprints utilize all of the same
techniques as my monotypes with the addition of some type of printed or fixed grid in the composition.