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1) Begin by painting two blocks (one dark and one light in
value) separated by a thin line of unpainted paper.
Allow to completely dry before proceeding. |
2) Once the area is dry, gently brush on plain water over
the light value block of color. With a clean damp brush and using
only the very corner tip, gently scrub the edge using tiny circular
motions.
Here I started on the bottom left edge of the light
value block and worked my way around to the right and top. |
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| 3) As you work the hard edge by
gently scrubbing, use horizontal brush strokes from the side edge towards
the inside area of the block to blend and smooth loose pigment. |
4) Continue working the edge. |
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| 5) Clean your brush often and
dab excess water on a folded paper towel. Continue softening the
edge. |
6) Like you did on the side
edge, use vertical brush strokes from outer top area down into the center
of the block to blend and smooth loose pigment. |
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| 7) Gently dab with a clean
tissue, concentrating on the edges, to pick up excess pigment .... |
8)
.... this helps keep a new hard line from developing as the area dries. |
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| 9) Allow to completely dry.
Evaluate the edges and repeat if necessary. |
10) To eliminate and blend the
hard line in the center, you want to wet the entire painted area (both
dark and light value blocks of color).
Using short horizontal brush strokes, pull some of the dark pigment
over the center unpainted line into the light value area. |
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| 11) Illustrates where pigment has
been pulled over into the lighter value area. |
12) This shows where more dark
pigment was pulled and blended using horizontal brush strokes.
It is important to use a very light touch when blending. |
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| 13) Evaluate the center where the
unpainted area was. If there is still a division, repeat pulling
dark pigment over from the left into the right with the horizontal brush
strokes. |
14) Gently dab a tissue,
particularly around the edges, to keep a new hard line from forming and
picking up excess loose pigment. Allow to completely dry. |
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| 15) Wet the entire area of color
and begin softening the hard edges as you did with the lighter value side. |
16) As you scrub the edge, you
may notice a collection of loose pigment collecting in the scrubbed area
(more noticeable when working with darker values). Dab with a clean
tissue to pick this up. |
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| 17) Remember to clean your brush
often, dab on folded paper towel, and continue. |
18) This illustrates as I
continue softening the hard edge. |
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| 19) Dab edges with tissue to keep
new hard lines from forming as the area dries. |
20) Allow to completely dry. |
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| 21) If there is still a slight
division between the two values due to the unpainted thin strip initially
left, or if the area looks "blotchy", re-wet the entire painted area and
use vertical brush strokes from left to right.
"Walk" the brush which means to make a brush stroke (top to bottom),
repeat slightly overlapping the previous stroke and continue over towards
the right. |
22) Keep the edges clean by
dabbing with tissue. |
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23) Allow area to completely dry. Notice there is still a slight
division there in the middle. That can still be fixed. |
24) Re-wet the entire painted
area with water. Pick up a slightly darker value of blue than what
is showing on paper and make a vertical brush stroke over the division. |
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| 25) Working quickly, use gentle
horizontal brush strokes starting from top working down to the bottom.
Pull new pigment from just left of the right edge of the new pigment and
pull over into the darker side.
It's important to use a very light touch for smooth blending. |
26) Repeat to blend the right
edge of the new pigment over into the lighter value side.
Allow to dry and evaluate.
Repeat the steps if necessary. |
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| BEFORE |
AFTER |
