Hazel Soan
The Silent Heard, watercolour, 11x15in (28x38cm). The irregular patches of untouched white paper representing the light are what bring this painting to life
Though light itself cannot be painted, watercolour has a variety of methods and techniques for conserving, preserving and representing different kinds of light. Bright highlights are generated between washes with untouched white paper; the sparkle of light on water can be mirrored with fragmented strokes of a dry brush; slivers and halos of backlight can be protected with masking fluid; soft lights can be lifted out from dark washes and speckled textures implied with wax resist. The watercolour medium is adept at portraying light because its ground material, the white paper, is the source of the light. All you have to do is conserve it!