Due to illness, our scheduled guest for the evening was not able to attend, but Lorraine Douglas and Nicole Coulson stepped in to moderate this workshop.  Lorraine and Nicole both gave us some great tips on integrating calligraphy and watercolours.

We started with a basic primer on watercolour techniques and tools.  Lorraine and Nicole gave us details on selecting the right paper, and preparing the surface.

• Watercolour papers come in three basic forms.  Single sheets, (the best paper usually comes this way), paper blocks, (these do not need to be stretched before use), and tear-off pads, (a more economical way to buy paper, and good for practicing on.)
• Papers come in three surfaces.  Hot Pressed has a smooth surface that works well with delicate calligraphy nibs.  Cold Pressed, or Not, has a slightly textured surface.  Rough is a very textured paper, and produces attractive results when doing brush calligraphy. The tools that you use, (nibs, brushes, or whatever) will produce a different result on each paper.  Several paper companies have small sampler pads for sale, with a few pages of each. Trying all three surfaces need not be too expensive.
• The third consideration is the weight of the paper, listed in pounds (lb.).  Thinner paper will usually have to be stretched, a but thicker weight can be used straight if you are not laying a heavy wash.  20lb to 60lb is the average weight of paper used for writing or photocopying. 90lb is often the weight of student grade watercolor paper sold in pads. 140lb to 300lb is used more by artists.  This paper is usually sold by the sheet.
• If you have a lighter paper, or  will be laying a heavy wash, stretch the paper to prevent warping.  Stretching involves dampening your paper to increase the size, and taping it down so that it drys at that size.  But remember, whatever tape used will leave a residue on the paper surface.  Consider this when determining the size of your painting.  You may want to cut off the taped area after you have finished, or at least have it covered by a frame or mat.
• Cut your paper to the size required, place it in a clean sink, bathtub or tray.  Submerge it for about two minutes.
• Cut four pieces of gummed tape long enough to fit each side of the paper, plus a few extra inches.
• Place the wet paper on your board or work top, be careful not to rub the surface of the paper.  Also, make sure that there are no air pockets under the paper.
• Dampen the edges of the gummed tape, (or just use thick masking tape) and tape the paper to the board. Leave it to dry for a few hours or overnight.

Nicole and Lorraine also offered tips on creating decorative edges.  For a deckled edge; fold the paper along the edge of a metal ruler, wet the paper along the ruler line, and gently tear it apart.  This works well on Japanese papers.  Alternatively, use a fine grade sandpaper on the edges of the paper.

Two types of water-based media were discussed.  Watercolour, which is transparent, and Gouache, which is more opaque.  As a rule, watercolours tend to be more delicate, and gouaches more vibrant. Both can be used together, and mixed.

We learned a few basics about the colour wheel.  A detailed description can be found in most painting books, so I will not go into the details here.  Learning it may seem tedious, but a simple understanding of how colours react will help to solve many common painting problems.  If your colours always look muddy, or too jarring, it may be because of the pigments you use.  There is a reason you can buy thirty different reds... they all work differently.

When mixing colours, remember to mix enough!  If you need a lot of one colour for a background, don't count on being able to duplicate it later.  The little canisters that rolls of film come in are great for storing extra paint.

The techniques that can be applied once pen and brush in hand are unlimited.  Check out a few books from the library and try them out.  See the different results from working  into wet paint rather than dry.  Lay down a heavy wash, or build one up from several layers.  Do your calligraphy over a coloured background, or just fleck a few specks of paint onto the page.  And don't assume that paints belong only on a brush, load it onto your pen, straw or sponge and see what you can do!

Copyright 1997 by The Calligraphers Guild of Manitoba