Daniel Smith Watercolour Ground 473ml

• Preparation
  Absorbent or semi-absorbent surfaces require no special prep before brushing on DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Ground. These include paper, canvas and other fabrics, wood, plaster, shells and hardboard. Non-absorbent surfaces such as metal, plastic or glass should be lightly abraded with sandpaper or steel wool before brushing on the Watercolor Ground.
• Application
  We recommend using Watercolor Ground straight from the container. It has a thick, brushable consistency. Use a soft-haired synthetic brush for a smooth finish or a hog bristle brush for a more textured finish. Since the ground is pigmented with Titanium White pigment, one coat will cover most surfaces; very absorbent surfaces such as unfinished soft wood may require two coats, allowing the first coat to cure before adding the second. Wash brushes immediately after use.
• Curing
  Let Watercolor Ground dry and cure for at least 24 hours. This allows it to attain the right degree of absorption.
• Painting
  DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Ground works beautifully with watercolors and thinned acrylics. Because it creates a surface more absorbent than paper, you will want to use less water with your paint. Experiment and see what works best for you. It also works beautifully with DANIEL SMITH Masking Fluid.
• Finishing
  As with all watercolors, your work on DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Ground will need to be fixed if it will not be framed behind glass. GOLDEN Archival Aerosol MSA Varnish with UVLS is an excellent spray varnish that will protect your work on any surface. Use it at room temperature in a well-ventilated area.

I liked this painting, but I lost the "lights" in the foreground rocks and tree trunks. With Watercolor Ground, I was able to rescue this painting, add more depth and separate the foreground from the background.

I painted the Watercolor Ground directly to the are I wanted to fix. As I completed this stage, I feathered or softened the edges where the ground met the painting with a dry brush. The Ground is set and dries completely in 24 hours.

Now I added color and brought back the light edge of the rocks and added a few more trees keeping their light edge. AND... with Watercolor ground, reductive work is so easy, the new surface holds up to vigorous scrubbing without damage.