OK, I know this is not a painting of a spider, but I kept looking at it and thinking…”Itsy bitsy spider…” It just turned out that way.

I’ve been playing with how to paint ripples and sea foam. It might look like I am painting a sea shell or a crab but really, I want to try new things, play with color and just see what I can do. The shell or crab is really just an excuse.

This time, I wanted to play with sea foam, layering and… well bubbles… as in dishwashing liquid. The crab was just an excuse and the fact that I love any chance to use a bunch of blue.

I grabbed this guy as a reference photo off of one of those free photo sites.

I moved the legs around a bit, drew him out and started to add some sea foam around him as if he was coming out of the surf. I used my usual Fineline Masking Fluid (affiliate link).

See why he looks like a spider coming down the spout? Totally unintentional.

Doodling the little sea foam bubbles is therapy to me. It reminds me of beading or embroidery and I can get lost in it. I continue on with the form of the wave that I had sketched out.

Detail of how it comes together.

This was the idea I had for the sea foam – and a few added rocks/shells – but it doesn’t look quite right.

I don’t like that little “spur” of foam top right and I kinda want to see it go further down. Yes, it is easy to just remove some of the masking fluid.

Now, one thing I have played with recently is layering the background. That is, putting down a light wash, letting it dry, then adding more masking fluid to add texture and different shades of rocks/sand.

This is the first light wash.

I added used a bit more masking fluid in dots and blogs for more rocks/sand then when that was dry, did a darker wash. This is while it was wet – it is not that dark when dry!

I wanted to try using soap bubbles again so after this layer was dry, I got out my bowl, dishwashing liquid and straw to get ready to go.

Working quickly, I scooped bubbles around the painting then dropped brushfulls of watercolor on top of the bubbles.

More!

And more – yes, this is scary!

And here it is dry… It is muddier, darker and dirtier looking than I wanted but I am learning. Then again, I am painting mud/dirt sand so… not a total failure. It seems like bright, clear pigments work best with bubbles…

All that said, I LOVE some of the effects here.

Now to remove the mask.

I love parts of this and I hate parts of this! It really does create an effect.

Masking fluid creates harsh, sharp lines when removed but a quick pass with a damp brush lets the lines soften just a bit. You really can’t see much difference unless you look closely but I still think it improves the overall painting.

Now to paint the crab. I mask a few areas and start adding color and a few shadows. Note, it looks like I am photographing these under trees or something that create shadows on the painting but that is the pigment left by the soap subs. It is kinds neat and kinda awful at the same time.

One of my most used watercolor tools might surprise you… Don’t use your teeth to get that stuck top of the tube – I broke one that way. No muss, no fuss, no strain – just keep these handy.

Now to painting…

I am using Daniel Smith Amethyst, Cobalt, Manganese – which is so intense that to me it has to be used sparingly, Indanthrone (the darker, warmer blue) and a touch of Iridescent Electric blue – which is iridescent and electric but works in small areas (affiliate links). And yes, while some of these watercolors are expensive, most tubes will last you the rest of your life. I am on my second tube of Cerulean and, I think my second tube of Amethyst, but the rest, a little bit will go a long way.

Here’s what I love about Daniel Smith granulating colors; with most paints or inks or whatever, if you mix violet, green and yellow, you get mud. With the “Primatek” paints, the granules don’t seem to mix much but just sit beside each other like grains of sand. In the above, I used Amethyst, Goethite, and Terre Verte. My method is not to “mix on the palette” but to get an area wet, dab in a little pigment, then another pigment and just let them mix together.

All that is left is removing the remaining mask, softening the edges of the areas that were masked and a few finishing details.

The red accents here are done with another wonderful Daniel Smith shade – Garnet Genuine. It’s red but with a brick undertone and does not “dominate” they way red pigment can (affiliate link).

And that’s about it. Even though I still think “Itsy bitsy spider…” I learned a lot and overall, I like this one.