Scooter and Riley Lesson 22

Now it is time to add some texture to the pillows. I sketched in a simple vine and leaf pattern onto the pillow, making sure the pattern followed the contour of the rounded pillows. If you are painting along with this lesson, you will see that you have a guide to use for this pattern. You may choose to use a different pattern if you like.

I used my number six round brush and my number 6 Fritch Scrubber to gently lift out a subtle pattern in the pillow. I like this technique for this type of application because it lifts only some of the color and the edges of the lifted areas are soft. If they were very crisp they may take away from the focal point of the dog's faces.

To lift, I simply dipped my brush in water, and, using a very light touch, rubbed tiny areas with the damp brush and then quickly dabbed the area with a paper towel. Be gentle and don't overdo this step. Too much lifting will make your watercolor look more like a pastel.