Blending/grading #2

by Lorenz
(Germany)

This is probably re-inventing the wheel, but nevertheless... Here is another blending/grading method, good for 3D-effects. It needs some experience to do it precisely, but it is fast and has the advantage of very smooth results.

And it can be applied (even repeatedly) with wet or with dry colour. The idea is to wash some of the pigments out of the paper and drive them towards the side of the object which is to be darkest.

If the colour is dry, moisten it first. Fill your brush with clean water. Hold your wet brush with the tip directed to the side that is to be darkest. (See photo: direction of the red arrow.) Start on the side that is to be lightest. Then make many fast side-to-side movements of the brush (in the direction of the blue arrows) while you slowly move it from the light side to the dark side.