Fresco refers to painting done on fresh lime plaster with water-based pigments, so that the pigment fuses into the plaster as it is drying. The Italian word fresco means “fresh,” but since it can also mean “fresh air,” the adjective phrase al fresco describes activities (such as dining) that take place outdoors.
9 Watercolour Texture Techniques
Unlocking the world of watercolour painting is like stepping into a place where colours dance, brushstrokes come alive, and emotions take form on paper. While the delicate washes and translucent layers of watercolour are captivating on their own, adding texture to your paintings can elevate them to new heights. In this blog post, I’ll dive into the realm of watercolour visual texture techniques, exploring nine creative methods to infuse your artwork with depth, dimension, and visual interest.
What is Visual Texture in a Watercolour Painting?
Visual texture in a watercolour painting refers to the illusion of different surface qualities that are created through the use of various brushstrokes, colours, and techniques. It adds depth, dimension, and interest to the artwork. Artists can use textured areas to create focal points and draw the eye to specific areas of the painting. Texture can be used to convey emotions and enhance the expressive qualities of a watercolour painting.
By employing various brushstrokes, exploring different techniques such as dry brushing, splattering, and salt application, as well as experimenting with granulating paints and unconventional tools like sponges and scraping implements, artists can create visual textures that bring their watercolour paintings to life.
Dry Brush Technique
You can create texture in your painting using the drybrush technique.
The dry brush technique is an expressive approach to painting that produces a random effect.
Mastering this technique takes practice, and the moisture level in the brush is crucial. It should be wet but not excessively. Dab the brush on a cloth to remove excess paint.
Too much moisture transfers excessive paint to the paper, while excessive dryness causes the brush to skip over the paper. Finding the right balance is challenging.
Applying too much pressure results in an undesired paint release. Maintain swift brush movement to avoid excessive paint on the paper and always use a larger brush size.
Dry brushing creates distinctive marks on the paper. The paint sits on higher areas and selectively skips over lower areas, creating a textural contrast.
Gouache
Gouache is a kind of painting using watercolors that are more opaque than regular watercolors because a gum or thickening pigment has been added.
The technique goes as far back as the ancient Egyptians, but many artists of different styles have employed it. Since it is particularly useful for producing vivid fields of color, it appears in the work of many abstract artists, such as Henri Matisse and Agnes Martin.
Craquelure
Craquelure refers to the pattern of fine cracks that appears in the varnish, color, or enamel on a work of art as it dries and ages. While it might sound like an effect of deterioration, craquelure is useful when it comes to distinguishing a genuine work of art from a forgery.
Photo: Quarry, Albrecht Durer
Hatching
Hatching refers to the drawing or engraving of lines close together as a method of shading. The closer the lines, the darker the impression that is created. When the lines are drawn at an angle so as to intersect one another, that is called cross-hatching.
Albrecht Dürer’s sketches were noted for the artist’s adept use of cross-hatching to indicate foreshortening (an appearance of something, such as a subject’s nose, as shorter than it really is due to its being pointed toward the viewer).
The French word for this technique, hachure, is used in English for the drawing of lines close together on maps to depict areas of elevation.
