One thing that can be a little tricky to achieve in watercolors is white on watercolors. There are however plenty of ways to accomplish that. And I’m going to show you a few ideas in this blog post.
Now, I’m not a watercolor purist! I don’t mind using other media along with it if it helps enhance the art. And besides, art has no rules so play with it, enjoy it and most importantly have fun with it. I’ve shown all of the mediums over galaxies just to make it fun and interesting.
Before I talk about the techniques in white on watercolors, I’d like to make a little disclaimer that this is my way of doing things and each artist has a different perspective. So feel free to share your techniques in the comments.
Method 1 – Using Bleedproof white ink
The thick, beautiful bleedproof white is one of my favorite products to use. It creates a very dense, opaque white on paper. If you see the description on the website, it mentions that the ink is used for covering colors. So primarily it is used to mask out the layer beneath which makes it perfect for the job. It is quite thick, so a little goes a long way. I like to thin it with a little bit of water using an eye dropper. The ink is waterproof and stays opaque.
Method 2 – Dr. Ph.Martins Bombay India ink white
You can use Bombay inks straight from the bottle. They are of thin consistency, and the product sometimes separates in the bottle, so shake well before using. You can dip a small brush directly into the jar or use an eye dropper to get the contents out. The website mentions that it has excellent covering properties. Moreover, they are waterproof, lightfast and permanent.
Method 3 – White gel pen
This method is easily the most convenient way to achieve white on watercolors. There is no use of paintbrushes, no cleaning up and certainly no spillage. But, it is also one of my least favorite methods. This is because I find it time-consuming for more significant works and areas which call for thicker whites. There are several brands namely Gelly roll and Uniball Signo.
Method 4 – Uni Posca pen in white
The Posca pen is an excellent product for creating white on watercolors. It has the advantage of a pen with beautiful covering properties. The pen needs to be shaken well before use, and you’ll need to test it out on a scrap sheet to see if the ink flows appropriately. Once it starts flowing, it creates rich white lines that glode on smoothly. It comes in four different nib thickness.
Method 5 – White Gouache
The medium gouache has the properties of both watercolor and acrylic. It can be thinned down with water but can stay opaque like acrylics. I like to use the Winsor and Newton designers gouache in permanent white mixed in a small container that has a lid. You can only use it thick directly from the tube if your painting calls for it. Make sure the product isn’t diluted too much if you need deep white.
Recommended reading on gouache – A detailed gouache painting tutorial
Method 6 – Masking fluid
Masking fluid makes use of the white of the paper by masking the area on which it is applied. The fluid needs to be applied before painting, and it must be completely dry. Make sure to use cheap brushes and keep a jar of soapy water to rinse it out. My favorite brand is the Pebeo drawing gum because it is thin in consistency, doesn’t smell much and is blue. Other brands are Winsor and Newton Masking fluid and Sennelier masking fluid.
I hope you enjoyed this fun tutorial on how to achieve white in watercolors. I’m sure there are plenty more ways, so make sure you use the comments section below to tell me yours.
As always thanks for stopping by. x
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