Times and Seasons

This is the finished painting, a project on Watercolor Workshop last July 2012, but I didn't do it then and it fits the project requirements for March 2013.

Photo by Brian E

 Times and Seasons

This is my first WC in which I adhered the paper (Aches 140 lb CP) to a piece of hardboard, in this case a gessoed art panel that I've had for awhile.

I loved taking this out of my Clearbag and it was ready to go. No messing with taping, stretching, mounting, stapling etc. As I wet the paper with my brush, it did not lift or buckle, never through the whole thing. I'm going back in now for a 2nd sitting to tweak this painting and will continue to report to you how it went. I can see this mounting technique would work for me even if I didn't intend to varnish it. I am smiling!

Follow this link for how I prepared the board for this painting

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=36662206#editor/target=page;pageID=3032892072931196785

Two days later: I have now given this one and the wrapped portrait 3 coats of varnish. I used Golden Polymer Varnish with UVLS (Satin), put some in a glass jar and added approximately 1/4 of volume of water. I used a new brush for the first coat but found it to wash out easily enough and was able to dry it for the next coat; this product isn't nearly as sticky and brush destroying as the Golden Soft Gel that I used to glue the paper to the hardboard in the first step. My plan is to switch to using a sponge applicator for that glueing process in the first step.

My observations so far: (1) I like the soft sheen which as far as I'm concerned, did not change the color at all. (2) I think diluting it down is definitely necessary; small bubbles were present but disappleared as it dried. (3) The first coat made the paper buckle slightly, not on this painting but on the portrait. It flattened back out when dry, then buckled less on each subsequent coat. (4) I plan to give them both the fourth and final coat tonight before bed. Drying overnight or all day is long enough in our Minnesota dry climate; consequently I will do the varnishing in two days as opposed to four.