To successfully mix these two techniques, start by painting your surface with watercolour. In this example, a uniform layer of Burnt Sienna has been applied. Using repositionable tape, you can create a neat, even area with good hold. This becomes your background.

Once dry, you can easily apply the sanguine on top and complete your drawing.

For this example, we chose a view of Venice. The charm of this drawing lies in two key elements: the background and the graphic rendering.

Tip: The coloured background sets the overall tone of your drawing and creates a gentle, classical atmosphere. Adding too many shadows with sanguine could overload your artwork, so restraint is key.

Using two close shades (red sanguine and burnt sienna) gives the drawing chromatic harmony. You’ll avoid any unfortunate colour clashes!

Now it’s your turn to experiment: mix watercolour pigments to create colourful skies, then add sanguine or even charcoal to draw, for instance, a lighthouse, a landscape, or a boat.

Bonus tip: Using a dark watercolour background allows you to draw with a white pencil. It’s like working in negative. For this, use a pastel pencil and test its opacity and colour first: some pencils are less covering than others, or have slightly different shades of white.

The way you hold your pencil, as well as the pressure you apply, will also affect the result: use the side of the lead for broader areas and the tip for precise lines. The resulting relief effect adds originality and depth to your artwork.

Canson® tip:
To combine watercolour with a dry medium, we recommend using a Mixed Media paper. These papers can handle both wet techniques (such as watercolour, acrylic, or ink) and dry ones (like sanguine, pastel, or charcoal).

Canson® Mixed Media Artist paper, which contains cotton, is ideal for this type of creative work.