Using "Real Coffee" as a watercolor wash

[runlikearhino]

I saw an artist out here in Oregon that uses coffee as a wash over his ink drawings on watercolor paper. I had been doing watercolor over my ink stippling on watercolor paper. I had some black and white prints on standard card stock, so I decided to experiment what happens if I did a coffee wash over them. the originals looked pretty good, except I didn't tape them down,so they were pretty wrinkled. But, when I took them in to Lazer Quick and had them make copies of the wrinkled experiment they came out FANTASTIC!! Let me give you some directions how to try this: 1. Do a very light(and I mean light)wash over the whole picture. 2. When it dries, take your brush and make puddles of coffee on the piece. let it dry! 3. Repeat puddlings until you are happy with the piece. You'll know when to quit. The final effect are a wonderful marbling. I have also done the same technique with just regular water colors. The secret is to try it on card stock, because it resists the liquid put on it. I doesn't work nearly as well on cold press watercolor paper. It might work well on hot press paper. A question about whether it is archival or not on the originals remains to be seen, but the prints will definitely last if you use archival card stock. Anybody else try this technique?? Check out my album to see the results of Coffee washes! Ron in Oregon

[runlikearhino]

Here's my album!! Ron in Oregon

[enchantingart]

Ron, The link generates an error for me. Could you please link it again? Thanks, Juliet

[runlikearhino]

I'll try!

[runlikearhino]

Juliet, I'm having trouble linking it. Perhaps just try going to my album "Ron in Oregon's ART". I'm sure you can see it there. Sorry, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Ron

[drs_art]

I have died fabric with black tea and also with coffee. Dorothea

[runlikearhino]

Dorothea, HMMMMMM!! Maybe I'll try some black tea on my prints. Might be unique,too! Did you try looking at the pieces I have in my album "Ron in Oregon's art?? What do you think of the effect?? Ron

[heather*fox*art]

I just looked at your album & I really like the effect! I've used tea as a wash for fun & it turned out like a nice sepia-toned antique look. I haven't tried coffee, though. Yours turned out really nice! When I used the tea, I also had previously taken some matches & did controlled burns on the edges of the paper. Then I smudged some of the black ash on the paper to make the paper look really old. Fun stuff to play with! -Heather

[ourincrediblejourney]

I frequently use tea as an aging substance, but mostly on doilies (hides stains) and when the lace I have isn't the right color. But I did a doily the other day and it turned out way too dark! I had put 6 tea bags in a dutch oven sized pan. So, it takes experimenting to get the color you want with tea. I like the look on yours, Ron. I think I'll try it sometime! -- Nancy/Washington -- not nanfromtexas!! (Hi Nancy!)

[chicthreadsofalaska]

Ron, Nice coffee paintings. There was another artist, pretty sure it was artistjillian, who did a coffee painting. It was actually a coffee cup full coffee beans painted with coffee. I assume it is not archival as there is alot of acid in coffee, but I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think the salt technique is too archival either. I bet they are better in person. Nancy

[sunshinesketches]

I often use different types of tea and coffee to dye fabrics to warm up colours. The idea came from a friend of mine who is a custom bridal designer, she'd often dye veils and lace to match fabrics. I have to confess, I almost feel like it's a waste of perfectly good coffee, I love coffee so much... so what I do is re-run water through the used grinds of my espresso pot. It gives a nice dilute brown colour. /Karen

[godessofcraft]

Coffee is great to tint fabric...also pearls. Happy Friday, Everyone! Jani

[runlikearhino]

Hey Guys, My wife's name is Nancy. Cool coincidence! Heather, thanks for the burned paper idea. Think I'll try it. Ron in Oregon P.S Hooray!!!! I spelled everything right the first time!!

[chicthreadsofalaska]

Karen, I am going to dye some fabric using the leftover grounds from today. I just have to see how it looks. I have used tea before on muslin. I am wondering what would happen if I soaked the watercolor paper in coffee BEFORE painting?? I'll have to try it. Nancy

[elizas_art]

We dye white bras with coffee to make them a lovely skin color :) An artist friend of mine does huge paintings completely in coffee. I'm not sure about the archivalness of it though! Found a site (not his) www dot justcoffeeart dot com