Connecting the Whites

There is a near obssession with beginning watercolor students to "save the whites."  The problem seems to be where those whites are saved and why.

Many times I see "popcorn whites"---whites that are sprinkled throughout the painting with no regard for forming shapes.  If you think of white as an important eye-attracting shape, you can use it as a focal point.

Connecting white (or light) shapes can form a pathway through a painting. Surrounding the white shapes by darks will also lead your eye to the important subject matter in the painting.

Be deliberate in your conservation of the white paper.  It can be a powerful director!