My crafty ADD has been kicking into overdrive this year. So far I’ve made jewelry of various types, been much better about taking my film cameras out, pulled out my polymer clay, played with embroidery, started making salted paper prints again, and finally, I’m trying to teach myself to paint in watercolor after a 20 year hiatus. I’m sure I’ve dabbled in other things but it’s getting hard to keep track.
I thought that maybe there were some beginner watercolorists out there that might want to see some of my paintings and hear about where I’m looking for inspiration and techniques. To start with, I was suddenly struck with the desire to pick up watercolors again after a trip to Big Bend National Park in April. There is something about the desert that makes me want to paint.
I’ll share samples first. Discussion will be at the end.
Of course, my first attempt was a little sad. I immediately pulled up YouTube and looked for help. I found The Mind of Watercolor. He makes me laugh and he’s got great tips and tutorials. Here is a side-by-side of my 1st and 2nd attempts:
To the random observer they may not look that much different but to me they are light years apart. I moved on to just getting used to the medium again. For me, making watercolor galaxies was a good way to do that. Even though it seems like everyone that plays with watercolor thinks the same way.
I do like using pen and ink along with the watercolors. This makes it more illustrative in my opinion and it’s fun. I use Pigma Micron pens because they are archival and don’t smear once they dry. Along with these I was doing more desert pictures and working with photographs I’d taken.
I was feeling cocky enough to try portraits at this point. I started with someone I know well and used a picture I took.
That went well so I attempted making a gift for someone. I realized that my portraits can be hit or miss. And that I usually need to do them again to get it closer to where I want it. Practice practice practice. Here is another side-by-side of a painting I had to do over. The 1st one is embarrassing but I think our mistakes teach us far more than our successes:
One, I think working bigger helps. Two, working in layers and slowly building up color intensity also helps. I have real issues overworking the paint and muddying the colors. I look at watercolors that I admire and realize that very few colors are used. I think that learning which colors play well together is essential and I need to spend time layering my paints to see how they interact. One shade of blue may not look as nice as another when layering it over a yellow or red.
I did do a few more paintings. Some I’m happier with than others. I do want to concentrate on looser brushwork. Watercolor isn’t meant for tight control, at least for me.
I’m going to continue to practice, honestly critique my work, learn from my mistakes, and don’t beat myself up. Be proud of whatever you make but see it clearly. There is always room for improvement among the accolades. Just making art is worthy of praise, but we should still strive to make good art.
FYI, I’ve also purchased a few watercolor books. They seem to basically be the same. Go for one written by an artist who’s style you like. You can also find all the same basic info online. You can start with cheap brushes and craft store watercolor paper but the first thing I would invest in is 100% cotton paper. I prefer Arches cold press. Hot press is almost too smooth and holds water differently. Makes wet-on-wet more difficult in my opinion. 140 lb works to start but if you can ever afford the 300 lb get some. It’s so luscious. Also, use a block if you don’t want to mess with stretching the paper and you went with 140 lb. As for brushes, I do prefer natural brushes but some of the hybrids work well, too. My favorite set at the moment are these … The price is good and they work beautifully. One other thing, use 2 to 3 different jars of water. Keep one clear. It helps keep your colors pure. And yes, better grade paint matters, too, but when you are first starting out you may not want to invest the money. You can still get the gist of it with the student-grade paints. If you love it invest slowly with a tube at a time. Every artist has their preferences but this book has a useful chart on a few different brands.
Finally … can’t draw? Again, practice. Drawing and painting are skills that go hand in hand. I admit most of my painting issues come from my lazy drawing skills. But, also don’t feel deterred. Drawing skills are literally a skill like anything else. They come from learning how to see the world. I find photography helps with learning to see light and shadow, which in turn helps with drawing. If you need a boost, use a light box and start by tracing. You still need skill to turn that into something but it’s a reasonable place to start. Plenty of early artists used a camera lucida when they worked. If you need historical permission to trace there you go
I hope this inspires a few people to try watercolor. Have fun! Feel free to reach out to me via Twitter or Instagram with questions or comments.