Is YUPO for you?

I tried YUPO for the first time in a workshop over 10 years ago.  It was weird and I couldn't get the paint to do what the instructor was showing us.  I thought "forget this".

Yupo paper is a synthetic water-resistant paper. That means that when used with watercolor, your paint will dry only by evaporation and there will be no absorption by your paper (as would be with regular watercolor paper). The most important thing to know about painting with YUPO is that if you don't like what you see, you can wipe it off and start over.  It's the most forgiving of all watermedia surfaces.  Before you begin you must be sure there are no fingerprint smudges; any oil will act as a repellent and the paint will absolutely NOT adhere.  So handle paper carefully, and wipe with a paper towel wet with alcohol to clean off any oil or fingerprints.

 With YUPO water is the most influential element of your painting.

 You can achieve just about any effect you want.  The trick is find the right tool.  For the weeping willow trees, I started with a darker green and in various stages of drying made long streaks with a small round brush lifting off the paint.  I also scraped with the end of the brush. Other colors were added for variation.  I think it's important to go slow, not get too impatient or discouraged with what is happening on the paper.

This is titled "Beethoven's Fifth".  The notes are DA-DA-DA-dum.   I blocked in the reds, pinks and purples lifting the paper slightly to let the colors run together and downward.  When the reds were somewhat dry, I scraped the bars out with a credit card.  When the red was dry, I lifted out all the paint for the notes and added the blue.  the tales of the notes were the hardest, with a very light touch I added the dark blue-purple lines.     The appearance of a "face" in the top of the painting is a complete accident.   I didn't even notice it until I was done.

This painting was done using a lot of paint and little water.  I formed the clouds by adding just a little alcohol to semi dried paint.  You have to be careful when adding alcohol, you get a good reaction--it repels paint.    Texture can be added using a sponge.  Also splattering water on dry or almost dry paint will add texture.    These "tricks" should be tried.  The more you know what will happen, the easier it is to get the effect you want.  Just about any effect you can achieve on regular watercolor paper, you can try on YUPO.

This flamingo painting was done mostly wet, letting the water colors blend and flow together.  The background palms were also formed while wet.   When totally dry I lifted out the flamingos, then painted them with pinks and reds.
It may help to draw your subject on the paper, if you need guidelines, using a watercolor pencil of a color that will blend with you painting.

All the same techniques I have mentioned were used for the "Moorish Idols".  The water was very wet, many different colors allowed to blend and flow together.  Sponges were used to create the coral and sponges, then the fish forms were lifted out when the background was dry and repainted black, with yellow.  The white is the white of the paper.

Another important piece of advice.  It is easier to take paint off than it is to add it on an already dry color.  Glazing is virtually impossible.  If you try it, it must be with the lightest of touch.
I love YUPO.  It is a challenge but it allows me to paint in a totally different style...much "looser" and that is FUN!

Below are few artists that paint on YUPO,  check out their websites.
Pat Kamerath

Taylor Ikin
Janice Tingum