| Author | Message | ||
  Pepsi Freund |
I have used an old nylon stocking. I came upon this as I was painting in my basement and quickly needed a fix. Aha...I spotted nylon stockings drying and quickly put them to work. You place your finger inside the stocking..dip in wet water and gently pull off the color as you rub the area. You change the area your finger is in to a cleaner one each time, always dipping. This method does not coarsen the paper and really works great. Plus the cost is great. | ||
dirtybird |
If you want good controlled lifting use cotton swabs with the wooden or plastic sticks on them.They come in different sizes and shapes. They are cheap. I swear by them. You can use them damp on dry paper, dry on damp paper and aything in between. I frequently reuse them many times. Best of all when you run out you can bet your wife has a stash with her makeup junk. | ||
Anonymous Painter |
I just wrote this in the thread on staining! To lift, get a Proxa brush (by Butler, for gum care). Tip c/o WetCanvas w/c forums. | ||
Raliegh |
Strathmore has these great sample packages of paper 500 Series. I was able to pick up one while visiting the Mainland. I liked all the different types of paper so much,even HP, that I ordered 4 more. The problem came when I tried to mat,it was off by 1/2 an inch! | ||
greg |
Once the paint is dry you can also use a stiffer small ox hair brush (used for oil painting) to lift out a line or something more exacting. If you don't scrub too hard, the paper will retain its natural look and texture. | ||
Robert |
One final thing about Lana--Unless a dark wash is very rich, pin pricks (little micro white snow storms) may form. All that being said , the fact that it tends not to blossom, accepts bold washes smoothly, is receptive to gentle lifting, is very white, and is very easy to do detail work on, makes it an excellent paper. | ||
marie |
The other thing about Lana is that the color saturation doesn't shift as much when the paper dries. If you are accustomed to adjusting for a particular drying shift with Arches, keep in mind that Lana will not shift as much. This can an advantage, if you're expecting it. The old rule of "if it looks right, it's wrong" can get you into trouble with Lana ... or at least it has gotten me into trouble a few times. | ||
Robert |
Re--Lana--I have mixed feelings about it--on the one hand, it seems to absord water at a nice even rate, minimizing backruns greatly. It is also easy to lift (lifting as opposed to scrubbing out)because the surface fibers come off easily. It is also extremely white. On the other hand, it will not take any aggressive scrubbing at all because the fibers come out wholesale if a stiff brush is used to scrub. It is also quite smooth and doesn't have the toothiness necessary for rough brushing. It is also very thin and buckles when soaked a bit more. Re. Lifting--I usually lift lines--as in small tree branches. When the paint is dry , I make a stroke of clear water, let it soak in 10 seconds, then quickly press down and wipe with a tissue. If you put all of the watercolor papers on a continuum, Arches would be at one end and Lana would be at the other end. | ||
marie |
First, I usually lift while the initial wash is still wet. I don't try lifting much after the paper is dry, except as a last resort before I declare a painting a complete failure. I use a paper towel, a kleenex, or a thirsty natural hair brush (sable or squirrel for the most part). Occasionally, I will try a palette knife or a rubber brush shaper. The paper towel or kleenex will give you a harder edge when you lift. It's perfect for the tops of clouds and such. Kleenex will give a slightly softer edge than a paper towel. A thirsty brush will give you a very soft, wispy edge. I find that I prefer a brush to a paper towel for lifting figurative work. By the way, one handy trick that works for me is to keep a white-handled brush in hand for clear water and lifting. I always know that the white brush is the one that is not supposed to have pigment on it. I rinse it and wipe it dry immediately after it touches the paper. It requires some practice to get a feel for when to lift -- and it also depends on the paper you are using. You want the paper to be dry enough so that when you lift, the wet areas don't run back in to the area you just lifted. At the same time, you want the paper to be wet enough so that you can actually lift the pigment from the paper. The important rule is that your brush or tissue or whatever needs to be drier than the surface from which you are lifting -- unless you want blossoms/backruns. As I mentioned before, the type of paper are working on makes a big difference. Lana Cold Pressed (and hot pressed, too) lifts incredibly well -- almost to the point of lifting when you aren't trying to lift anything. Winsor & Newton also allows you to lift a lot. Arches will allow you to lift some, but not as much as Lana or W/N. Waterford is in about the same category as Arches. I tried some Richeson paper last week, and I couldn't lift anything; I found it frustrating. Printmaking papers are for the most part unforgiving, except for Arches Cover. | ||
Kristen |
Since it's been brought up by Greg and Robert, what are some of your techniques for lifting? Anyone ever use lifting preparation (a W&N medium, I think)? BTW, Robert, I really want to try the Lana CP.... |
