The Golden Wood, page 2

"Masking" the whites and highlights

Those grey marks aren't paint; it's Pebeo Art Gum. Once I settle on and sketch out my design, I start "masking" -- which means I use a water-resistent substance, or masking fluid, to cover the areas of the paper I want to protect from my first watercolor washes. I much prefer Pebeo's art gum to other masking fluids; the grey color is easier to see, it's more water soluble, has better consistency, and can be removed without tearing or staining the paper. I use something called a "Colour Shaper" to apply the mask to the paper. This rubbery tool has both a pointed end and a flat side. Some of the art gum is carefully applied to protect specific shapes, and more of it is splattered, doodled or drizzled on with the Colour Shaper to suggest texture. I use Winsor & Newton cold-press so I can take advantage of the rough surface of the paper to create even more texture.

After the masking fluid dries, I start with washes of cadmium yellow pale and sap green in the background, warming to gamboge, yellow ochre and raw sienna in the foreground. Pure colors are applied wet-into-wet, with some drybrush work in the foreground. Cool blues and purples are applied to shadowed areas. As I work I begin to feel I want a more defined and slightly foreboding sense of space, so I paint some darks under the distant trees to bring the background forward. Other darks are placed around tree roots, etc. to define form.

LEFT: The first round of washes establishes the overall color scheme and temperature pattern. RIGHT: Subsequent washes establish more color, form and texture.

	The mask is removed. Once it's all off, I apply fresh masking to a few areas and let it dry again.
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