Watching Paint Dry the Right Way

One of the great things about the web is the instantaneous nature of response. I put up my post yesterday and got instant feedback (I think I gave a friend a heart attack).

Needless to say, over-reading, over-thinking and over-analysing, seasoned with a good dose of impatience and not following advice means I did the tinting thing wrong.

Here's what I should have done - listened to Mark Calderwood and Cennino Cennini in the first place. Do each layer, allow to dry in between. Let the paper dry thoroughly. THEN weigh it down if it needs flattening out.

AND ACT WITHOUT FEAR.

I have never dealt with tinting heavy paper (hell, I have never tinted any paper before) and get frustrated by the way lighter papers buckle when wet. Really annoying when you are painting on them. Ticks me off no end. Heavy paper is a somewhat different beast. As I have found out.

Here's Jo's, my printmaker friend, comment on what I did:

...we soak our paper before putting it through the etching press. It is thick paper, but it should be a similar principle to this. Don't stretch it. The paper should return to its original shape. We soak it until saturated and then place it on a towel (towel on both sides) to absorb the excess before going through the press. Otherwise, the inks can run. We then lay them flat on a plastic coated rack (I've used the clothes airer in the past and if I'm concerned about the spacing of the racks, I have laid it face up on another clean towel to slowly dry). With smaller sheets, you can hang them from a line from one end (clipping carefully with pegs). Once dry, If you have rippling, or it's not sitting flat, you can press it under a heavy weight (or use clamps) between some timber sheets, or if you have access to an etching press, run it through that . You can also iron the paper, too. A few more ideas to try, but I would definitely avoid stretching the paper. I don't think it will respond in a positive manner

 So I stand chastised. However, I would be reticent to iron the paper as pigments can have reactions to that sort of heat. Mark followed up Jo's comment:

Pre-wetting helps the pigment disperse a little more evenly, but remember that's not the point of hand tinting where you are trying to create depth, movement texture with colour. Keep this sheet and repeat, build up another layer and see where the experiment takes you- it will give a richer, more dynamic ground and suggest more possibilities for the design. I let mine dry naturally on newspaper because I'm lazy and press under books if I need to, although I find with heavy papers that's not really necessary.

 I am lucky to have knowledgeable friends who aren't afraid to share.

There was one upside of this. Having done the wrong thing with this sheet of paper, all fear of it has been removed. I have, hopefully, done the worst to it that I can, so the only way now is up.

I took Mark's advice and re-wetted the paper, ready for another layer of colour and watched in amazement as the paper relaxed and the corners, where the real stretching had taken place, unwrinkled and contracted. The page had been trimmed square. It developed a decided bow along the two long sides.

Two more layers have now been added (one yellow ochre, the next yellow ochre and a touch of echtorange, so it is slightly more golden). Wrinkles are down to slight ones in three corners. Bowing is still there. I'll just retrim at the end. Mea culpa. And the paper hardly buckles anymore, only when wet. Which I find interesting.

Here 'tis, drying.

So if you have found this in your trawls for information, or if you have linked to this from my previous post, here's how you (and I) should proceed:

Thoroughly wet your paper. Don't be afraid of what it will do. Everything will be okay in the end. Using a broad soft brush or a sponge or rag (depending on what you are after), apply your very dilute pigment (check out Cennini's recipes for this if you want to look at something from the late medieval period, but if you use lead white DO NOT TOUCH THE STUFF WITH YOUR HANDS. WEAR GLOVES, FOR PITY'S SAKE. YOU CANNOT BE TOO CAREFUL). Claxxon done.

Work evenly and quickly. You can wash or wipe it off if you think it is too dark or if you want even dispursement, or it is wrinkling alarmingly, or you can leave it as is. Interestingly, now I read Cennini with a clear head, he says you should only need to remedy the wrinkling straight after the first layer. I understand that now.

Allow to dry. Repeat. Cennini recommends three to five coats. Mark says go till you're happy. I'd agree with Mark. I'm after a particular effect and I'll keep going till I have it.

If it is not flat when you are done and it is dry, follow Jo's advice above for flattening it out again. But I would avoid ironing it without plenty of research on how heat affects the particular pigment/s you have used.

So that's it. Paper tinting, as it should be done.

I have a drawing I need to finish (hang the grocery shopping for the time being) and then I am going to bore you all rigid with geometry. And numbers. And the amazing things you can do with a compass and straight edge.

Duck and cover, guys.