Digging out of a Watercolor Rut

photo credit: pintrest.com

Stuck in the Mud

There have been times that I want to paint and no matter how hard I try, everything I do looks like a muddy mess on the paper. Did I forget everything I knew? Gah! It is frustrating to say the least. Rest assured, it happens to everyone, even professionals. Let’s take a look at how we can move out of these ruts, and back to enjoying the painting process.

Suggestion #1- Take it Easy on Yourself

If there is one important thing I have learned over the last few years, it is that just because you may struggle with getting paintings or drawings “right”, it doesn’t mean you are not an artist. The struggle is simply part of the process… maybe that is something that everyone already knew (except for me, ha!). A misconception I had was in thinking that true artists were just born with this innate ability to make everting look amazing. Getting over that mental hurdle has been incredibly helpful in moving forward and growing!

photo credit: dreamstime.com

Suggestion #2- Go to your “Happy Place”

Try to let go of your frustration by painting something you know you will love. For me that is watercolor galaxies. I find them relaxing and relatively easy to paint- no stress! This often helps me to relax my mind and approach new subject matter optimistically. Funny thing- the more I relax and let go of trying to paint a certain way, the happier I am with the result.

(c) jlowatercolor.2018

Suggestion #3- Keep Painting!

Yes, you may need to take a break from painting for a bit- whether it’s because life responsibilities are keeping you busy, or you simply feel “over it” sometimes. That’s ok, but keep coming back to it, I promise you will be happy you did!

Watercolor is such a beautiful loose medium, but that does not mean it comes without frustrations and hurdles. The biggest lesson watercolor has taught me is to let go of my instinct to control every aspect of what happens on the paper… (which is also a huge life lesson I have taken from it). At the risk of sounding a bit corny, I hope your journey with learning watercolor also reveals some things about yourself and how you “flow” in this world. Thank you for joining me again. Till next time!

Please leave any questions or comments below, I love hearing from you!

Next week’s blog: Watercolor Styles: Loose vs. Tight