Based on my first watercolour ground test I found that 2-3 layers was optimal on normal printing paper (Watercolour ground tests – part 1. I was also curious to see if I could create texture with watercolour ground. I bought a few different types of rollers and sponges from Temu.
I started with drawing 3 sections one for each application style.
– sponge
– roller sponge
– flat printing roller
My daughter helped me draw the cartoon pictures to go along with it.
Then I made 3 more sections for 1,2,3 layers going down the page.
So far the sponge is producing the most texture and variety. It would need at least 2 layers as there are likely gaps in the first layer.
The rubber roller is the next most textured. Then the sponge roller is the smoothest next to the normal flat brush.
I found the sponge the easiest and most economical to apply with the least wastage. The sponge roller was hard to apply an even coat and would need to be fully rolled in the ground first before rolling over the papers. I would think it would cause more to be wasted compared to the sponge. In the end I sponged it on with the normal sponge then rolled it over with the roller sponge.
The flat rubber roller was too large to fit in the container and again was easier to sponge then roll to make the textured finish.
The first layer I left for over a week before putting the next layer on so this will also test to see if curing improves the performance when painting.
Painting test
This was done by first painting a layer of water in the wet on wet column then painting a layer of blue on each of the columns which accidentally picked up some red that was sitting next to it. I think this was ultramarine and you can see some granulation.
I then dropped extra red into the wet on wet to see how the colour would spread and move.
Sponge round results
The first layer for the first layer of the sponge round unfortunately didn’t provide enough coverage and when painting the first layer of water for the wet on wet you could see the water going through the paper.
However the texture of the sponge round was beautiful and more like rough paper. It allowed for the highest amount of granulation and would be great if you were doing clouds and could potentially create more of a 3D effect. Particularly if you used it on just the areas of cloud. I found the colour was more intense when it was wet but after settling it appeared to be much lighter.
This was the easiest to apply but would need at least two layers to be sure you had sufficient coverage.
Sponge roller results
The sponge roller and the most smooth application with some texture and probably most similar to cold pressed. The bleeding between the colours is most evident here. I like this as it provides the most consistent results. This retained the intense colour from when it was wet.
Rubber roller results
The texture is slightly more evident for the rubber roller and is good if you are looking for more prominent granulation but want consistent results. You might be able to achieve more texture by applying a thicker layer to start then rolling it over with the rubber roller.
Overall
I like the results from the sponge roller the best. But for ease of using the sponge round would be the most convenient and with some practise could potentially smooth over or use the sides to roll and achieve a similar texture to the roller. I like the potential to experiment with other effects with the sponge roller. I could also use a combination of sponge followed by a roller but it would mean more watercolour ground is wasted.
For larger surfaces such as canvas a large sponge roller would be useful with the larger 1L bottles of watercolour ground that allow you to pour it directly to the surface.
Rachel Fong Art 