Watercolor Exploration: Tips and Advice for Getting Started

(c) jlowatercolor.2016 Finding Inspiration! So you have the supplies you need, you have tried out a few different techniques… now what do YOU want to paint? It seems like an easy question; that is until you sit with your paint and realize that it is not as spontaneous as the online tutorials make it seem. Inspiration may suddenly fall upon us like magic (occasionally), but typically, we have to search for it. Let’s explore a few places you can look for painting inspiration. The world Around Us Outside Our Window Nature is one of the first and most obvious places we look for art inspiration, and with good reason. The sky, trees, plants, and sunsets provide us with dazzling and unlimited material. You can find a multitude of amazing photos online, but I suggest starting with your own environment. You may be surprised at the hidden gems in your own backyard. (c) J.Lomena.2016 On our Shelves Another subject matter is still-life. Similar to nature, you

(c) jlowatercolor.2018 Welcome back watercolor friends! I hope at this point you’ve been able to experience the joy of touching your brush to paper and seeing how the color flows. There are so many fun and interesting subjects to paint, but no matter which direction you choose, it is always helpful to know a variety of techniques. We will cover of handful of them here, but know the possibilities are almost endless! Wet on Dry vs. Wet on Wet These terms are fairly explanatory, and are used to describe the state of your brush and paper. Painting with a wet brush on dry paper will give you crisp lines and bold color. Painting with a wet brush on wet paper will express itself with softer hues and color gradients. See the pic below for an example. photo credit: www.artnebulaph.com Salt on Wet Watercolor This is a fun technique that allows you to experiment with salt from your pantry! photo credit: https://lilyade.files.wordpress.com Painting in Negative Space

(c) jlowatercolor.2017 Maybe you are thinking… can we get painting already?! Ha, or maybe I’m just excited. If you are following along, last week we discussed basic starter supplies and options for materials. There are a few more things you will need. Most of these items you may have around the house already: ·          Large glass jar (or cup) for water ·          Paper towels (for spills and “lifting” paint from the paper) ·          Masking tape ·          Large piece of cardboard or other surface bigger than your paper There are different opinions on how to properly set-up your watercolor paper to paint. I tend to just tape down all four sides of the paper and get to drawing and painting. However, it is true that sometimes the paper will warp a bit. It does not bother me, but if you would like to see one way to professionally “stretch” your watercolor paper, check out this short video by Crystal Beshara: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyTxuzCdXAU Suggest