1. How long does it take you to do a painting?

Frequently asked questions are the steps used in the process of creating one of my watercolor paintings. There are several steps in my painting process:

1. I first take my own photographs, which on any given painting I may use up to 10 different photographs.
 
2. I do several thumbnail sketches for the best overall design.

3. I, then, do a very detailed drawing, so detailed I've been asked to sell it as is.
 
4. Using masking fluid, I mask out the whites or light colors in the drawing. as seen in the adjacent picture. This is done for protection when I apply layers of washes. This will not spoil the true colors in the end process.

5. I now apply watercolor to the paper, when the paint is dry I remove the masking fluid, I, then,  alternate between steps 4 and 5 throughout the painting until I'm finished.

6. All of this takes a considerable amount of time. A smaller piece can take weeks to finish, whereas, the larger pieces take many months to finish.

2. What are Limited Edition Reproductions?

* An offset Lithograph is the more traditional printing process where your print is rolled through a huge 4 to 6 color press machine using high quality inks to print your image. This process is usually done for a larger edition size.

*  A Giclee' (pronounced zhee-clay), a French term meaning "spraying of ink", is a printing process using the most sophisticated digital imaging printer for the production of fine art. This Hi-Tech printing process enables the artist to print one or a few pieces at a time, as needed compared to the Offset Lithos where the prints are run all at once leaving large amounts of inventory to be stored. These type of prints are usually in low number editions.

*  All Limited Edition Prints are signed and numbered by the artist. You can find the signature in the lower right corner of the print along with two numbers. The first number is the Limited Edition number, and the second number is the quantity of prints in the edition. 

3. What materials are used for your watercolor paintings?

* Watercolor artists vary in the materials they use. All of my originals watercolors are painted on acid-free arches watercolor paper (rough or cold press paper) using 140 lb. weight for smaller pieces and 300 lb. weight for larger pieces.

* All of my paints are Winsor and Newton professional series tube watercolors using the highest non-fugitive rating system.

* I use Winsor and Newton's art masking fluid as my masking medium for part of my technique in my watercolor paintings.

 4. How do I Protect my Art?
 
To Protect your cherished Art Purchases, Original Watercolor Paintings or Limited Edition Prints:
 
* Do not store or hang Artwork in areas of high humidity such as basements, bathrooms or other high humidity sources.

* To keep your cherished Artwork from fading do not hang, or leave your Artwork in an area of high direct sunlight or powerful artificial lighting.

5. What kind of Framing and Matting is used?

* On all of my originals I use a single white 100% acid free rag mat.
 
* All framed prints are double matted acid free white core using a darker mat for the inner liner mat and a lighter mat for the outer mat.

*  Framing offered for the Philadelphia Series is a clean, contemporary design style.
 

* Each frame is 2" thick
* The Image size is determined by height and width of the individual work.
* Matting is usually between 2 1/2" and 4" around the image.
* The Framed size is determined by the total image size plus the mat size.
   Please keep in mind that the frame dimension (1" to 3") will add to the overall size of the work.

Thank you for visiting my web site. I hope this answers your questions. If you have additional questions, please, e-mail me at bpalser@bethpalser.com