Daniel Smith Watercolour Ground Transparent

Daniel Smith Watercolour Ground produces a unique visual quality on virtually any surface – wood, metal, ceramic, plastic, canvas, plaster, glass, stone and more. Adding a layer of ground gives these surfaces a light, cottony texture that looks and feels similar to cold press watercolour paper. The beautiful medium of watercolour has been confined to a paper-behind-glass niche for too long!

Available in Titanium White, Buff Titanium, Mars Black, Iridescent Gold, Pearlescent White & Transparent.

• Archival and acid-free
• Excellent lightfastness
• Holds up to vigorous scrubbing without any damage to the surface
• Heavily pigmented colours – one coat is usually enough
• Thick consistency that’s easy to apply with a brush
• Perfect for mixed media work as well as watercolour painting
• Made by hand in Seattle, Washington (USA)

Tips for use:

Preparation
No special preparation needed for absorbent and semi-absorbent surfaces including paper, canvas, fabric, wood, plaster, shells and hardboard. Non-absorbent surfaces such as metal, plastic or glass should be lightly abraded with sandpaper or steel wool before brushing with Watercolour Ground. Be sure your surface is clean and dry first.

Application
Use Watercolour Ground straight from the container with a foam or synthetic soft-hair brush. Use a foam roller for a smoother finish, or a hog bristle brush for a more textured finish. One coat will cover most surfaces, but highly absorbent surfaces like unfinished wood may require two coats. Allow the first coat to cure before adding the second. Wash brushes immediately after use.

Curing
Let Watercolour Ground dry and cure for at least 24 hours so it will attain the best degree of absorption.

Painting
DANIEL SMITH Watercolour Ground works beautifully with watercolours and thinned acrylics. Because it creates a surface that’s more absorbent than paper, you may want to use less water with your paint. It also works beautifully with DANIEL SMITH Masking Fluid.

Tinting
A tinted base colour is a terrific way to set the mood for your artwork and gives you the option of matching your foundation to the subject matter. For example, try tinting Watercolour Ground with Aureolin for a golden glow when painting sunny landscapes.

Finishing
Your work will need to be fixed if you do not plan to frame it behind glass or plexi. Spray it with a high quality, archival aerosol MSA varnish (with UVLS) following the manufacturer’s instructions.