In the beginning, choosing fabrics for watercolor projects can be very confusing. I found that I had to learn to look at fabrics in a whole new way. General guidelines for watercolor are:
1. Choose medium to large prints.
2. Choose fabrics that are multi-colored: a minimum of 3 colors.
3. Choose fabrics that are "busy".
4. Choose fabrics that have an irregular, or arrythmic pattern.
5. Watch for designs that move or rest the eye.
This is all well and good. But what does it MEAN? Being a very visual person myself, I needed specific examples to understand these concepts. So I present to you a discussion of watercolor fabrics, accompanied by specific examples. I hope you will find this presentation helpful as you learn to choose fabrics for the 6"+ watercolor swap, or any other watercolor project you are involved in.
Guideline # 1: Choose prints with a medium
to large pattern. Let's begin with some types of fabrics that 
are considered
inappropriate for watercolor. These calico prints are commonly 
used in quilts,
especially by more traditional quilters. We are all familiar with these
fabrics.... lovely little florals on a solid background. The pattern, however,
is very tiny. Using 2" squares from these fabs, it is impossible to get colors that flow from one square into the
next.
Now
of course there are always exceptions to the rule. Notice the difference
between the calicos above, and the print to the left.The design of the print
to the left uses a tiny design element, tiny
little flowers. But study it more closely,
and you will notice that the tiny flowers form little clusters of color
which make this print acceptable.
The print to the right, though small, is not tiny. I believe this is what is sometimes referred to as a "freckle" fabric in the books about watercolor quilting. It is a print that is multicolored at the 2" square level, and that rests the eye.
This
lovely pansy print on the left is an excellent example of a medium scale
print that is useful in watercolor projects. Notice the color variance.
and the flowing design lines. When cut into 2" squares, it will still
be multi-colored.
Large prints can also be useful for watercolor projects, if the design elements are multi-colored. Notice that in this print to the right the scan
only has two of the large flowers. However, each flower is multi-colored.
And most importantly, it remains multi-colored at the 2" square level.
This
lovely tropical print on the left moves us into questionable territory.
Notice what happens when it is cut into 2" squares. Most of them will
be entirely green. There is enough color variance that it isn't exactly
tonal. But most of the squares would just be two colors. I would consider
this an inappropriate fabric for a watercolor swap, though it is very lovely.
This is considered a giant print. Generally
speaking, giant prints are 
inappropriate choices.
The ice cream print on the right is another example of a giant print. The inappropriateness of this fabric, with its solid background, is more obvious.
Now let's take
a look at guideline # 3: Choose fabrics that are "busy". Let's
begin with an excellent example that is a novelty print. Notice all of the color: a
lime green, a more minty green, hot pink, yellow, white, raspberry, and
even a little purple and orange. The watercolor artist's 2" squares
will be colorful and have flowing design
lines.
The more
neutral hues of the butterfly print on the left, and the corn on the right,
also combine to form busy prints. Notice how the lines of both prints move the eye. And though the color range is more limited, there is still plenty
of color. The butterfly print ranges from a light tan to a dark grey 
and also incorporates
splashes of light blue and green. The corn print ranges from a pale cream
to a deep rust, incorporating a pale green and shades of beige. And check
out the great blueberry print below!
Now take a
look at the pinecone print on the left, and the lovely raspberry and maroon
china pattern on the
right. Why would they NOT be appropriate for a
watercolor swap?
They certainly are busy. These lovely prints do not, however, meet the three color rule. The pinecone print basically uses tints and shades of the same type of brown. And the gorgeous china pattern, though it includes white, is basically tints and shades of the same color also. If it had one more color in it, it would be great. And the curved design element could easily be incorporated into watercolor projects.
Here
are some more examples of the tonal concept, which is not appropriate for
watercolor swaps. Some of them are
obviously 
inappropriate. The grey floral
on the left and the brown "scrunchy" fabric on the right are not
really even tempting. But how about the blue/grey floral? Notice that there
is a nice value contrast ranging from a very pale tint to dark shades.There
is certainly a lovely flow to the design, and it is a very 
interesting print.
Also, the pale pink fabric below might be tempting as we look for our lightest
light fabrics. However neither of these prints is acceptable as they are
considered tonal fabrics, i.e. using tones of only one color.
These two lovely greens might also be tempting, especially the
one on the left. Always go back to the three color guideline. Which one
would you consider appropriate? I would say that the larger scale print
would be acceptable because it employs a yellow green and a grey-green in
the leaves, and then has a more "true" green in the background,
which is mottled. The vine print would not be acceptable because it is really
shades and tones of only two colors.
The ponies and the paisley on the right are
also moving out of the tonal concept into the acceptable range. Notice how
the pony print ranges from a pale creme to a dark brown, incorporating also
a rust and several shades of beige. Because of the tonal variance within
each horse, I believe this print would yield 2" squares with color
variance, which would make it acceptable.
The paisley also incorporates a nice range
of colors, though they are close to each other on the color wheel.
The tonal
cream pattern on the left might be tempting because it is so pale. However,
it would not be acceptable
because there is no color variance. It is an example of a tone on tone print.
Now let's take a look at a type of busy
print which is not acceptable in a watercolor swap. These are called "ditsie"
fabrics and it is impossible to work them into a watercolor project. They
are characterized 
by a design element that is sprinkled across a solid background.
The most obvious example of a ditsie is a polkadot pattern.
The two fabrics with the tan backgrounds
are what I would call sophisticated 
ditsies, i.e. the design element varies, but there
is still just a sprinkling of the design element across a solid background.
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The interesting background on this shell
print on the left, and also the scale of the shells, would in my opinion
move it into the acceptable range. At the 2" square level, I think
it would yield some interesting pieces. 
The floral/bird print on the right would be great.
This is an example of a scattered design element of a larger scale, that
is more widely spaced. Notice that at the 2" square level it would
yield some very interesting pieces. In contraast the nail polish and valentine
novelty prints below would not work. Both have solid white backgrounds,
and the nail polish print would be very boring at the 2" square level.
If the valentine print had a mottled background it would probably be okay.
Before we end this discussion, let's take
a look at some examples of novelty prints. I love these quilting teddy bears!
And just 
look at all of the color, and
the flow of the design lines. The darker Egyptian print on the right would
also yield some very interesting 2" squares. The fish print on the
bottom would also appear to be appropriate, but raises an interesting dilemma.
I ordered this particular print, and think it is great. However, it has
one design element that is too large. When I cut it into squares for the
swap, I am going to have to be careful. When we order online, and receive
a print that we decide is not quite appropriate for the swap, we have several
options:
1. We can set it aside for use in another project.
2. We may be able to cut carefully, and get enough cuts to use for the swap.
3. We may choose to share it with our swap buddies as an extra square.... in other words as a "freebie" that is a 7th square in the packet.
Also, do not be afraid to use scenic or garden prints for the swap.
To make sure they are appropriate, just study them at the 2" square
level. Will 2" squares provide enough color variance? If the answer
is yes, go ahead and use it.
Just
look at fabrics with the 2" model in mind, and you will be on the right
track. Even an occasional stripe might work, if it is composed of colorful
design elements, as opposed to being a solid stripe.There is tremendous
variety available to us online. Florals are always welcome, of course. But
I have used many non-floral examples to encourage you to take a look at
prints that you might not otherwise think about using. If you have questions,
please feel free to ask. If you are shopping online, you can capture the
image by right clicking on the image and saving it. Then you could send
it to me in an email and I would be glad to give you my humble opinion.
Aim for a variety of lights, mediums and darks, and enjoy the hunt!
