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 Spac...

(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 ...

(c) jlowatercolor.2018 Welcome back watercolor peeps!  This week is all about supplies. Some of the questions I had when I first started painting included: ·          Do I need special paper? ·          Does the type of watercolor paint matter? ·          Does the type of brush hair make a difference? I will try to cover all of these questions so you can find the supplies that are right for you and get painting! Let’s break it down one at a time… Paper Yes, you definitely need paper specific to watercolor painting. It is designed to hold and absorb the paint in a way that regular paper cannot. Just like with all art mediums, there are a million options for what to choose, but I can tell you a decent and inexpensive starter brand is the Strathmore 400 Series . This line is commonly found at art/hobby stores. Because the price is right, ...

Image Credit: Utrecht Art Supplies Welcome! You may have found yourself here for a variety of reasons: you are looking for a creative outlet and need a starting point, you have always been curious about watercolor, or you are a classmate and have to read it (ha!). Regardless of the reason, I am happy you are here and looking forward to sharing what I have learned about watercolor with you! Introductions: about me… well I guess you could say I have always been a creative person. I enjoyed a variety of artistic mediums in high school and in my early twenties (specifically photography). Funny thing is, as much as I have always appreciated art, I never thought I was “good enough” to consider myself an artist… Fast-forward a bit: Life, it happens; adult responsibilities and a new role as a parent led me to believe I should put hobbies aside. It was my choice and I don’t regret it as I learned a lot of life lessons. As time went on, I found myself wanting to re-explore those parts ...