I decided to tint the journal page first with an orange acrylic wash, in readiness for my entry.
After I tinted the page and it was dry, I drew in my subject.
I then used watercolors to get the bulk of the scene situated.
When that had dried, I used watercolor and white gouache mixes, to get my highlights and some middle valued.
The orange helps a great deal to give the scene some 'punch' .. I could very well have used a magenta or a blue as my first wash of acrylic, that would have changed the drama effect of the painting and the mood. Experiment with this, it's great fun and very good for plein air painting... just have the page all tinted prior to going out to paint.. Good luck!It is a great way to get away from the bright white paper of the journal, which some people are very intimidated by, and don't want to ruin their journal.
**However with this color tint already on the page, one is now forced to work more with the highlights and darks (using the acrylic tint as a middle value)
If this seems to be describing your own watercolor struggles, maybe try the mid value tint first?
I find it helps a lot, especially when one is confronted with an all green landscape while painting en plein air. Just having those flecks of an underneath color helps the painting come alive.
FYI..Why did I use acrylic first and not tint with watercolor or a colored gouache?
Because both those mediums will lift with further layers of painting, which will 'muddy' your colors. Acrylic is a safe option, as it dries hard and fast, and will not budge with continued layers.
