How To Fix Your Overworked Watercolor Paper

Overworking is a term that artists frequently use. People frequently fear that they have overdone a piece, and teachers caution against it. But what exactly is overworking, and should it be avoided?

Especially when it comes to overworked watercolor paper, people usually go for working on a new paper rather than fixing the previous one, which they have been working on.

How to Fix Overworked Watercolor Paper

Apart from the usual “start again with a new paper” solution, if there is just a little overworked area, you may remove the tiny curled up pulps and press the remainder of the paper fibers back down, using the back of a spoon on a flat surface with some effort. In that area, do not use water again.

It won’t be exactly like a new one, but it’ll suffice if you make a minor error.

While removing color, don’t scrub the paperback and forth with a brush. When I scrub an overworked area halfway, the paint usually feels dense. So, I like to rub out as much as I can and start over. Yes, watercolor is the polar opposite of acrylic and oil painting in many ways.

Let us get into the details of this article to get a better knowledge about fixing overworked watercolor paper and avoid overworking.

What is Overworking?

The term “overworking” has a rather ambiguous and diverse definition. It is sometimes used when individuals ‘over-blend,’ and the other times when there are just ‘too many strokes.’

Perhaps it’s due to the lack of a focal point and the application of too many elements. Or does it have something to do with working on your artwork till your support can no longer handle it and begins to break apart?

It happens when you don’t know what you’re doing,” says Robert Genn.

Overworking a Painting

It’s not so much about going on too long as it is about going on aimlessly.

Overworking is not a stage that develops as a result of working too hard for too long. It is not something that can be prevented by quitting and declaring your artwork complete early.

You can overwork yourself when you lose concentration and start painting without a strategy or design, believing that it would magically cure your crooked cottage or painted eye.

When you’re not sure what you’re doing or where you want to go with a painting, it’s easy to just throw paint on the canvas or paper. It may lead someplace, and your concentration and focus will return to normal.

However, it can sometimes result in nothing but muck and ambiguity. As there has been no concentration in your motions, the markings do not adequately depict shape and color.

If you have an unsatisfactory area in your painting, infinite quantities of paint and brush strokes will not cure it until you think, look, and plan your approach.

Trying to Fix it without a Solution

When there is a visible issue region in the painting and you can tell that the artist has attempted to resolve it over and over again but doesn’t know how to succeed, the term ‘overworked’ is used.

The forms and colors are left unsettled and ambiguous. Again, this is not an example of overworking, but rather an unresolved section in a painting.

It must be repainted, scraped off, or over-painted if feasible and after you’ve worked out how.

5 Ways to Avoid Overworking your Watercolor Painting

Here are five strategies to avoid overworking your art;

1.   Work Little and Often

How to Fix Overworked Watercolor Paper

The first technique that you must try is to make your painting sessions shorter. For example, suppose you have used to slave away all day but learned that you are far more efficient and can retain impartiality if you restrict your time to approximately 2 hours each piece. In this way, you won’t burn out and will be more eager to return to it the next day. It is always preferable to leave yearning for more, whether it is a wonderful dinner party or a very little delicious dessert.

2.   High Energy

When you are starting something new or when your work is going well, you have a lot of energy. When things get too difficult or start heading in a negative direction, there is a matching sense of ennui or low energy. Pay attention so that you can modify the process in which you are participating to one that creates a more favorable sense for you. If your sentiments abruptly change, it may be time to call them quits.

3.   Make Several Things

Working on many projects at the same time is the most efficient method to maintain objectivity. After an hour or so, try to move towards something different. When given a new opportunity to perceive and contemplate something new, the soul revives. Working on a second item frequently yields useful knowledge for the first.

4.   Sleep on it

If you can go away, you will always have a new supply of objectivity and non-attachment after you return. By the next day, the specific art issue that has troubled the majority of the novices will have become completely irrelevant. Go away for a day, and everything will be thankfully different when you return.

5.   Is it Wonderful?

It’s critical to interrupt your work if it appears to be excellent. Ask yourself, “Does this offer me a sense of wonder?”

Suppose someone is strolling down the street and noticing your painting lay on the ground. Will they stoop and pick it up? If they did, they would be able to cease working.

You want them to come to a halt and, preferably, put it in their pocket and take it home with them after making sure no one is looking. In that case, you’ll be glad you stopped.

Final Verdict

By following the above methods, you can avoid overworking any kind of painting especially the one on watercolor paper, because it is most likely to be overworked as compared to acrylics and oil paintings due to more layers of color being applied to create a shade. However, if you forget some of the tips and get your watercolor paper damaged a bit, you should not waste it. Instead, you can fix it by following the tips mentioned above.

Good Luck!