Meeting Recap, March 2021 – Donna Jill Witty demo

Donna Jill Witty, AWS, NWS, demonstrates her painting technique for 57 members of the watercolor society on Sunday.

57 members observe the mask on highlights of cherries and stems.

“Cherries” on a decorative table … this painting appeared in a Splash book. Draw the composition on watercolor paper. She simplifies and looks at big shapes and works out dark and light values.

Mask is on highlights and stems, then yellow/orange painted in. Teal tipped in small areas.

Mask the high light values using Incredible White Mask Liquid Frisket by Grafix, and a bit of water. Paper is a half sheet, soft press, Fabriano, 300#. Hot press does not give her the control and is harder to glaze because the fibers are not as absorbent and paint will lift. She uses mostly Daniel Smith paints. It is not easy to make mud with them. Winsor Newton is a heavier paint.

She starts with a #6 round brush. Painting wet on dry and not the complete background. She will start with Indian Yellow and tip in a teal blue. Add a little orange to warm up the yellow. She wets the background with #12 brush. Drop in random yellow and orange colors. Adjust tones. Keep it painterly. Paint through the shadows using Holbein Verditer blue.

blues are added

Incredible White Mask by Grafix

close up of the masking fluid

In this next stage there is now additional mask over everything except shapes of the cherries and shadows. She uses embossing stylus tools, and color shapers with rubber tips to apply the mask.

Incredible mask protects the rest of the painting as reds are brushed on.on

Using a #12 brush she applies Winsor Red and Alizarine Crimson from a large puddle, then brushes in Prussian Blue for shadows. Spray with a water mist to keep it wet and tip the paper to help the colors move.