What You Get…. (Benefits of watercolor paint test strips)
Testing…. test strips for Watercolor.
What’s in it for you?
The relevance, the value, The Benefits of having a Test Strip at the ready every time you paint.
It may not sound like fun at first but it certainly can be.
watercolors, a Favorite….. Test Strip
Watercolor Mixing and Testing
Learning Points about Test Strips
Things that I’ve learned & gained from consistently having and Using test strips when I paint:
- using more paper as a Test Strip (ie 5×7) is truly, not a waste
- use the Belly of the brush to test… Not the Tip
- the belly gives more accuracy, the tip will be too tiny and, too falsely dark
- its a great way to warm up before you start painting
- testing the tonal value, how light or dark the color is prior to application is a life saver
- checking the color out first on the test paper, means you get it right the first go
- it saves you time, materials and a whole lot of frustrations
- accidents, hmm, “wayward” paints happen…… let this occur first on the test strip and then see if you can harness that waywardness to your advantage!
- in other words, turn accidents into Assets
Lunar Black, Naples Yellow +Prussian Blue
- very frequently, I find…. snippets emerge to make lovely little mini paintings
- colors on the test strip allows you to try several various glazes on it later, because that color is there already and it is a ‘safe’ place to do so
The Mountain
A student’s oh so lovely, Test Strip!
Color watercolor test strip
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