I learned a new technique today from an online class I am taking “let’s face it 2016” (all about faces!). I am now able to combine collage with watercolor by using absorbent grounds. Never heard of absorbent grounds until the lesson by Karine bosse. Absorbent grounds is a kind of primer that you can apply on surfaces like wood or canvas and then paint with watercolor. Before I used it, I could only paint watercolor on watercolor paper. Now I can paint on wood, canvas, collaged backgrounds… Woo hoo!

Here is what I did. First I created a page of collage using papers I like.

Then I decided to draw a face on it (of course… A page feels empty without a face for me😉)

At this point, I usually have to paint with acrylic paint since it is not a watercolor paper anymore. This time, I decided to try using absorbent ground as the primer. And used watercolor on top of it.

And viola! So happy with the outcome! This has opened do many new adventures for me. Can’t wait to try on other surfaces!!!

By the way, I could not find absorbent grounds anywhere, so I followed someone’s tip to make my own absorbent grounds using one part modeling paste to three parts gesso. It worked!!!