Pastel Hummingbird on Gold Painted Wallis Paper

[japonaise]

Deborah: You must have ESP! I just purchased 3 bottles of Schmincke Tro Col to use for a different purpose and then I read your post. Just love your toning method for Wallis paper. You are so clever!

Regarding the iridescence of hummingbird feathers - have you tried Sennelier's Soft Iridescent Colours for your paintings of hummers? I have found that they work very well for adding that "flash" one views when the sunlight hits the head and chin feathers of a hummer. I use a Royal Majestic 4585 to over paint my pastel with just the slightest dab of water and Sennelier so that the iridescent is just a hint of color - not over powering.

I will try your method of toning and send you a photo with the result. So excited to try something new!! Japonaise

[*Deirdre*]

I'm transferring this to our talk section as it isn't a studio picture...but I'll leave a redirect in case you can't find it.

[robertsloan2]

Thanks for starting this thread again. I remember reading about this and seeing Deborah's hummingbird picture on gold - it was gorgeous! I've experimented with an alternative to the Tro Col because I still haven't bought it.

I found out that a watercolor wash toning the paper with Daniel Smith Luminescent watercolors will work without killing too much of the tooth on Colourfix paper or Colourfix primed paper. Using Colourfix Clear Primer on watercolor paper that's toned with metallic watercolor or acrylics will not work - the metallic effect is lost in the clear primer layer and it looks like a non metallic version of the color.

So any metallic effects have to be washed or rubbed into the surface of a sanded paper. Wallis has so much tooth that a watercolor wash on Wallis Museum would be as effective as the Tro Col, even a strong wash or a couple of layers. One layer under the primer on watercolor paper and one layer over it gave me a good effect with Colourfix, but Wallis has so much tooth that two washes over it would be just fine.

I used the Duochrome Autumn color, which shifts between a coppery pink and a bronze color for my experiment and it was gorgeous.

But I'm also looking forward to the Tro Col and applying it dry, that'll be great too. It'll be interesting to compare them!

Gold or silver metallic gouache washed over sanded paper may work too.