DANIEL SMITH284055011 Watercolor Ground, 4 oz, Transparent

I used to put a painting surface on a cloth covered sketch book. I used 2 coats to lessen the texture. It didn't run, gave me neat edges and took the waterpaint just like paper!

I used this on several types of things- metal, wood, canvas. I’ve only watercolored over the wood but it worked great! Really opens up possibilities!

This is very much like gesso. Paint it on any surface, dry - then sand it if you want it a smooth surface, if you leave it, it is a very rough surface. I like to do a second coat, and again sand it. Now it’s fully prepped. It is a lot like heavy watercolor paper, but more absorbent. I’ve used it on wood, shells, glass, plastic and it allowed me to use watercolors as opposed to acrylics paints. It’s a great product if you prefer watercolor over acrylic painting. Kind of expensive for a small jar, especially if you’re doing any large projects. But it is high quality.

This is kind of fun. It's not totally transparent with two coats but works fine depending on the surface. Have tried this on Wood and Canvas. On Wood, with two coats the result is close to a lower cost type of Watercolor paper and not too bad! On canvas it works with two coats but the normal blending of pigment you would experience isn't really like watercolor paper, its more of a bleeding effect. I think this is because the water in the paint is trying to get into the fabric fibers below in the canvas like a batik effect and I'm not sure a 3rd coat would help. The dry time after painting is pretty extensive. If you plan on sealing any surface with any kind of varnish you better hit it with some kind of spray fixative first and let it dry a long time because the pigments will bleed otherwise (I've been using Daniel Smith paint that technically should not be releasing or bleeding at all). There's a bit of a learning curve but on the upside if you wet an area with paint, the paint will stay where you wet it like watercolor paper. It holds a wet line but really does not act like 140 lb cotton paper on canvas. I'm going to try it on porcelain next!

I started an art journal and am new to water colors. This medium allowed me to create a base over slick surfaces that otherwise would not have been absorbent enough. Love it.

This is great for making fast fixes on watercolor painting. The jar is generously proportioned. The texture is perfect for fixing watercolor art. And! It is made in northwest USA with that quality water that is pure and clear.

Good stuff

Fast and easy way to make cheap coloring book paper accept traditional watercolor or Inktense with a wet brush. I wanted to use my play time to improve my beginner watercolor skills, instead of relying on colored pencils or markers. But even the books designed for watercolors were pilling and blotching under my heavy handed treatment. The DS transparent ground gives enough protection and a slightly toothy surface, plus allows more lifting, which has vastly improved my results. Very pleased! NB! I cheat on the application to make life easier (it’s play time, after all). Spritz about a teaspoon of water into a recycled mayo jar lid, soak a 1 1/2” flat taklon brush and use it to scoop a good dollop (3-4 tablespoons) of the ground into the lid. Using the brush, stir until the water is absorbed, scrape off the brush into the lid, and paint one thin layer onto as many pages as possible until you run out of ground. Spread them out to dry, wash the brush and lid, and have a cup of coffee. By the time the coffee is gone, something will be dry enough to paint on. Put the other pages away to cure for later, but I haven’t had any problems just diving in, as soon as everything’s dry to the touch. Obviously, this is not recommended to real art, but it works fine for casual play.