Art has a unique way of turning everyday materials into something extraordinary. In the case of "Copper Image," a captivating mixed-media artwork, Pat Kochan combines watercolor, acrylic, and foil collage techniques to create something truly special. Let's take a closer look at how this beautiful piece came to life.
Copper Image is a mixed media piece made with Watercolor, Acrylic, Foil Collage on Watercolor Board. The size is 30” x 40”.
Artistic Process
The under painting is abstract shapes in watercolor on cold press watercolor board. I glued aluminum foil into the shape of a scroll. I crunched it and melded it into various shapes; being very careful to leave the hole in the middle looking through to the original watercolor
under painting. After it dried, I layered various yellow reds, and orange and burnt umber for the darks acrylic paint. I added modeling paste to make transition from foil to paper with a palette knife. Then painted warm colors to denote gold leaf effect.
I love this piece because it is an opaque scroll against the transparent watercolor under painting.
I burnished the foil with ochers, raw sienna and quinacridone burnt orange and gold. I used browns and brought blues over some of the gold to give a metal greenish look.
View more of Kochan's Gold Leaf Paintings here: