Yupo instructions

The Painted Cave, 20"x20" Watercolor on Yupo

Working with Yupo

All of the information in this article is copyright protected and is the intellectual property of Mary-Gail King, Inc.  It may only be distributed with the author's permission.

Yupo is a synthetic paper made of plastic.  The surface is impermeable to water so watercolors float on top of the paper.  As the water dries the pigment adheres to the surface.  Because it will reactivate if it gets wet I recommend sealing with matte medium to protect your painting.  Using this material helps you create intensely colored, loose and textural work.  I find these qualities emphasize what I focus on in my paintings.  It allows me to express an emotional  and painterly quality that is essential to my work.

 

Very opaque paints can be used to  supplement your regular transparent watercolor palette.  You can add Titanium White to your palette to help paints become more opaque.  I’ve discovered that these paints along with other “heavy” paints like the cadmiums and cobalt will stay in place better on the paper than transparent colors.  Just remember not to over mix these.  They will go muddy just as they do when painting on traditional paper.  

The transparent colors tend to travel and create beautiful watery patterns that I integrate into my paintings.  

I also use alcohol and water to manipulate the paint once it’s on the paper.  These along with an assortment of very soft brushes are my painting tools.  Once I get the painting to a place where I’m fairly happy with the abstract quality of the design I work on more definition with Prismacolor pencils and watercolor crayons.  Then I seal the painting with a spray matte medium.  Finally I seal and sometimes mount the finished piece to a backing board such as masonite, board or gatorboard.

Materials:  

Yupo either 140 lb. or 300 lb.

Regular brushes and soft brushes (for burnishing)

Alcohol

Spray bottles with water 

Spray bottles with alcohol

Spray bottles with a mixture of red/ blue and yellow watercolor to tone specific areas of your painting

Droppers with alcohol for taking the paper back to white and for creating unusual effects

Prismacolor Pencils

Watercolor Crayons

Spray Matte Medium

Liquid Matte Medium

Brayers and Rollers

Printing press if available

Printmaking paper to lift paint and create monotypes if desired

Rice paper

Mounting board made of Masonite, wood backing or gatorboard

Your regular watercolor palette

Supplement that palette with:

Cotman cerulean blue

Holbein:  Shell Pink, Compose Green (#1, 2 & or 3) 

Any brand of Naples Yellow, Titanium White

I especially like Indigo as a starting base for intense darks

Viridian Wave, Watercolor on Yupo

Watercolor and  Mixed Media Classes

Join Studio Channel Islands Art Center instructor Mary-Gail King to learn more about painting with watercolor on Yupo.  Classes are held at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, CA in Studio A-2. Contact Mary-Gail to schedule a workshop or demonstration for your art organization.

Yupo and Watercolor Classes at Studio Channel Islands are $100 for 4 classes and run continuously.  The Yupo Workshop is $95. 

Beginning/ Intermediate Watercolor:  Tuesday morning classes 9-12 AM

Yupo Classes: Thursdays 7-10PM 

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Please return this registration form to: Mary-Gail King, 79 Daily Drive, Box 186, Camarillo, CA 93010.  Contact me at: mgking@mac.com or 805/ 217-9539

You may view my work at www.mgkingdesigns.com and my blog at www.marygailking.blogspot.com

Name:

Address:

email (most important!):

cell phone:  

I’d like to sign up for:

Tuesday morning watercolor  ______

Thursday Yupo class  ____________

Workshop on August 20 from 9-1:30 ($95 includes yupo and use of some specialty materials.  Other materials list available upon registration.)  ______

Please return this registration form to: Mary-Gail King, 79 Daily Drive, Box 186, Camarillo, CA 93010 or ontact me at: mgking@mac.com or 805/ 217-9539

You may view my work at www.mgkingdesigns.com and my blog at www.marygailking.blogspot.com

Name:

Address:

email (most important!):

cell phone:  

Amount enclosed:

You may use check, cash or credit/ debit.  Please call if you want to pay with cash or a card and we can do that in a secure manner.  Please contact me  before your first class so you can be ready to paint at your first class.  Thanks!  Mary-Gail