A few weeks ago I saw a post on one of the MANY blogs I follow that really caught my attention. You might not know this about me, but I haven't always sewn. I taught myself to do that, but I did take years and years of art classes. Watercolor was my favorite medium. So when I saw this process I had to try it. I became obsessed. When you're done it should look like an aged parchment.
My first obstacle: coffee. I don't drink it. So one morning I went to Cost Plus and poured myself a cup of FREE coffee they have set up at the back of the store.
I filled the cup a little too full. It was quite an adventure driving home---no lid. I only spilled one drop.
You'll need to tape down your paper so it doesn't buckle. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist so I measured a 1/2 inch margin before I taped.
I used packaging tape. That's all I had. I would recommend masking tape. It is less strong and will peel up easier.
Next, paint a wash over the entire surface of the paper. The first time I tried I used TOO MUCH coffee. See the ripples? Too wet.
Sprinkle coarse sea salt. I don't think my salt was coarse enough. I also over salted the first time.
You can kind of see the separation effect, but the first time I used too much coffee and salt.
This is my second attempt. Less coffee, but my salt didn't quite do what I wanted it to do. I think I still used too much.
Be careful when you pull up the tape so you don't rip the paper. And make sure to rub ALL the salt off of the paper. Now you're ready to sketch your painting. I'm still deciding what my subject matter will be.
I just re-read the original post. I didn't alternate brush strokes of coffee and pure water. Maybe that is my problem. I'll try it again. If you try this, post pics and let me know.
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