Watercolour Surface Showdown! How Do These Different Watercolour Surfaces Compare!?

[@joymiller9668]

Watercolor ground also works for pastels too

[@LizChadertonArt]

Great comparison. I paint with watercolour on canvas all the time. They vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. It’s so easy just to put ground onto canvas to make your own…three thin layers, dry for 24 hours. The painting must be sealed. A sparky varnish (matte or gloss) with uv protection is good. Dorland’s wax is another brilliant option.

[@nursejobee]

Ooh, I really like that trick you used for making the clouds Emma. Really cool...thanks. 😊.

[@reneebanbury7066]

I really enjoyed this comparison! I also loved how you explained everything! Thanks!

[@lynnash4294]

I use water colour ground on canvas and it works really well. Love this comparison video :)

[@peppamlowe]

Thank you so much for this demo. As a beginner, I had no idea of what ground and watercolour canvas is and how to use it. I love your videos ❣️

[@LisaYoungmpp]

Great comparison video! I’m impressed with the ground coated paper!

[@Ms1lonewolf]

Thank you very much for comparing these surfaces for watercolor painting. It really helps because now I have some canvases I got for Christmas and I was trying to figure out how to paint with watercolor on them and now I know what I'm going to do. I'll just paint the canvas with the watercolor ground first then do my painting with watercolor. I didn't want to ruin the canvas. I learned a lot from this tutorial. Hope you have a great day! Thank you 😎🇺🇸🌴 FLORIDA.

[@scottbarham8455]

Great set of tests very helpful … also you have a nice feel for watercolour … along with obvious experience … sadly so many people offering watercolor guidance online lack the "touch" ... the ground ... surprisingly good pigment flow/blends

[@mariselasanchez4600]

I had never heard of watercolor ground!!! That is soo awesome… I’ll have to try it sometime for sure - thank you for always offering new options!

[@cindyknudtson2938]

Great Demo. It is good for people who are just starting out also. Very informative. Thank you❤️

[@lisagoetsch]

I always wondered what watercolor ground was for. I live all the demos and learning available on this channel. Thank you for that.

[@BackroadsArtStudio]

Great comparison. I guess if a person wants a canvas they could cover it with watercolor ground then paint. Thanks!!

[@ThereIsSoulInArt]

I was thinking exactly the same thing - apply ground to canvas. I need to try that. :-)

[@swat4recon]

Dorland’s (sp?) wax works great to seal canvas painting. Don’t know how, but it doesn’t move the paint. Great video, thank you!

[@recoveringsoul755]

I think Mind of Watercolor has a video on sealing a painting with wax. I saw one channel had some sort of canvas and the paint was flaking off. She used Resin to see what would happen and she was able to seal it in that way. I'm not sure if that will yellow over time or not but it was interesting, like a thick varnish on it and glossy

[@carollycett1329]

Very interesting video on different papers to use stay safe 🙏💐🙏

[@loracharis6814]

So now I am wondering if watercolor ground would improve the performance of cellulose paper. 🤔

[@martyvan5015]

Great comparison. Thanks Have a great day

[@donnafriend153]

Love the demo! This might be a little redundant … I was thinking if watercolor painters want to do a canvas painting, maybe you could paint a layer of watercolor ground on it before you paint on it. Thanks again for the great information!

[@karengould9563]

I use ground on canvas and it works really well

[@karonsky1]

Love this video, gee what a surprise lol, I love everything you do!! Have you ever made DIY ground please?

[@joymiller9668]

I was going to say the water color ground on canvas would be just like gessoing the canvas for acrylic, and your paint would stick better and it would create a more soft pressed surface.

[@jannissen8146]

Really great info! Your tutorials are always so helpful. Thank you so much!

[@maureennicoll2621]

Very helpful and informative

[@reneedansereau4455]

Very interesting! Wonder if I can paint on canvas to practice then wash off.

[@martyvan5015]

Love it best on paper also

[@MiniMu-2008]

I love watching your videos! I learn so much. Thanks 😊

[@MiniMu-2008]

I watched your video twice because I wanted to take notes on this. Question: I know you didn’t pre wet the canvas but did you soak the other 2 paper types.? Thanks

[@firdyk]

Thank you so much for this comparison. I tried wc canvas before and really struggled

[@Sundies_Art]

Thanks for putting this out. I am very impressed as well. I am currently waiting for the watercolor ground to cure on a piece of wood and I want to paint a landscape (possibly) on it. I will see how it goes. I am with you though, using the 100% cotton paper is by far the best in my opinion. Thanks again...awesome job!!

[@marlazeidenberg5247]

Great information. Can you use the watercolour ground to improve cheaper watercolour paper

[@DavZell]

Great video. I felt the paper landscape looked a little streaky. If you could combine ground and paper, it might be ideal. I wonder if the ground would have better results with a stronger pigment load on the brush - more saturation and possibly better retention of detail. Regarding the canvas, I think some of the characteristics you observed may have been from the paint essentially sitting in little "cups" within the texture of the canvas. This may have resulted in lots of pockets of wet paint, which would be (seemingly contradictingly) likely to sit there (untouched) but also likely to move easily when touched because the pockets stay wet longer.

[@eileenvalachovic9435]

Thank you for doing this. It was very informative. Wonder if watercolor ground would stuck to the watercolor canvas. I have a watercolor canvas board I bought years ago but never hot around to using it.

[@recoveringsoul755]

It sticks to glass and non porous surfaces so I would think it would stick to that canvas too

[@joymiller9668]

I actually love those veiny marks

[@abbythompson160]

This is a wonderful video. I have a couple of aquaboards I was gifted a few years ago and have had no idea what to do with them. Now I’m really curious to play with them and see how the paint plays. In the past I have painted with watercolor on canvas with similar results. I find I prefer it as a substrate for abstract work especially with multimedia where watercolor is just a small part of the overall layering. (Exp: oil pastels over watercolor) I have not heard of the watercolor ground but cannot wait to try it! I’m wondering if the reason the colors muted might be because the ground itself is pigmented? Titanium white is very porous and may be absorbing some of the pigment. Almost like mixing white into your paint. Overall I like the effect if you want something more washy and moody. Reubens cotton rag seems so good - I’m usually an arches girl but am always game to try something new! Love your videos and how down to earth you are!

[@arlenemurphy804]

Great video.

[@GuilHelmus]

Thanks. Very nice way to test different surfaces. I am going to check your older videos if you did one with cold and warm pressed and 100% cotton as well. If not, it might be a nice idea for future content?

[@EmmaLefebvre]

Yes just look up Emma lefebvre hot pressed cold pressed. The video will be there

[@erinkimmel9479]

I wonder if you could just paint watercolor ground on a regular canvas. Seems like that might be the best option if you want to watercolor on canvas.

[@SallyDeBoard]

I wonder what the result would be if you put the watercolor ground on the canvas.

[@chatterrrbox]

Love all your videos and I've tried and learnt so much from you! One question - should the paint cakes be cleaned up, and if so, how?

[@maryannknox7158]

Beautiful

[@joni1]

Very interesting

[@JimJones-sz4vi]

Could you paint the canvas with watercolor ground and get a better result?

[@martyvan5015]

The canvas did have good color in the flowers

[@juliec.]

So so Exciting….👍

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

Emma , this is a wonderful comparison. Have you ever shared your pallet color placement , I have a new porcelain Tom Lynch pallet and want ideas to help me get set up . Thank you 😊!

[@recoveringsoul755]

The Pink Rose looks the most vibrant to me on the Watercolor canvas, and the most defined because the colors didn't run together. Same with the trees below. There were white spaces between the branches. But the Lilacs looked better on the watercolor ground. It was interesting to see the grass "grow" into the sky on 1st one. Was that green Qor paint by any chance? I've heard that Qor paints reach out into other brands of water color in interesting ways. When I saw it, it made me want to get some because it looked like it might be interesting for a cutaway view of roots growing into soil or something. But it takes time to get used to any medium. I know I've seen people use Acrylic medium in sketchbooks, or Gesso even for oil paint in a sketchbook. I think she said she put several coats of gesso down and sanded between coats before painting on it. This was interesting, thanks.

[@cassiesmith4826]

Can you show us How to do a hibiscus flower sometime?

[@marigailsexton8161]

what is the difference in water color ground and gesso?

[@aesthetemanju3212]

Did Emma get that tattoo on her left wrist recently or was it always there and I'm just noticing it now??

[@griffinharvey3910]

Same. I tried to read it, but couldn't make it out. :-)

[@tracyswan3419]

It says Strength

[@griffinharvey3910]

@@tracyswan3419 thanks

[@EmmaLefebvre]

I’ve always had it. It was my first. I’m just usually always wearing a watch

[@aesthetemanju3212]

@@EmmaLefebvre Oooo 😲 looks very pretty 👌❤️

[@cassiesmith4826]

Yay! Video!

[@Kath-Erina]

I loved this comparison. The watercolor ground is such a cool product, I will try that in the future! But one thing I noticed with it in comparison is that you loose definition. The outlines are very crisp and beautiful but if you have a look at the gras - sky like or the clouds or even the orange flower, it just had no definition left. You mentioned it as good color bleeds, wich is very true! But I guess it bleeds a little too much for my liking. That's why I wonder if you were to let flower dry before adding the rest of the leaves and greenery, if it would have kept the definition or if it would still bleed together all that much. (talking about the upper side of the right flower) I guess I have to get it and try it out for myself 🙈🤷🏼‍♀️

[@shark_llama]

love how the ground is pretty comparable with paper! is there a watercolour sketchbook (preferably spiral bound) you recommend to someone on a student budget?

[@magicinhands]

pretty amazing thanks for sharing... stay blessed!

[@martyvan5015]

You speak well ,don't worry.