I started to watercolor because I saw someone else's painting and thought, 'Wow, that's beautiful. Can I do something like that?'
The answer is: YES! I've never taken an art class (except for the art classes I had when I was a kid in elementary school). I did a little drawing and coloring with my kids when they were young, but nothing noteworthy. I do love getting creative, though. Years ago, right after I graduated from college, I tried doing the Bob Ross oil painting thing. Those techniques are fairly easy, but the oil paint and canvases were expensive. Not so with watercolor. I can practice on cheap paper and all of the paints (and brushes) last a loooooong time.
Want to check out some watercolor artists who teach? Visit @SnowberryDesignCo, @EstherPeck, @LouiseDeMasi, and @SushHegde. They also offer classes on various platforms. There are hundreds of terrific artists out there, but these four are the ones that got me started.
If you try watercolor and really enjoy it, go ahead and practice with inexpensive materials. However, if you begin to get frustrated when your paint dries too fast or has uneven coverage...or if your brushes hold too much or too little water...or if your paint doesn't have enough pigment or flows poorly...that happened to me, too. Part of the problem can be what tools you're using. The type of watercolors, brushes, and paper matters. Painting got a little easier for me when I upgraded my paper to 100% cold pressed cotton (I like Arches), bought better watercolors (like Winsor & Newton or Turner Artists watercolors), and invested in a high quality brush (I like Princeton brushes).
Believe me, I resisted buying better materials. I couldn't fathom that a brush (or paper or paints) would make that big of a difference. They did! And many artists will explain what materials they use, so if you find an artist that you like, see what they use.
Oh, and one more thing: MAKE MISTAKES!!
Here are some of the things I've made over the past few months:
Do you watercolor? If you're on Instagram, let me know and I'll follow you!
Let's make stuff,
Lynn
