I'm pretty sure that the last time I really painted with watercolors was in high school. And I absolutely hated it. It was so hard to control my water supply and I ended up with mottled paintings that never came close to resembling what object I was trying to paint. So for years I've avoided it by staying with acrylics and oils. There I found forgiveness for my mistakes for I could always just add another layer to cover any rash decisions I happened to make with my paint brush.
But I found that acrylics and oils often deterred me from painting because of the set up time. I don't have the space in my apartment to keep all of my art supplies out all the time. So when I do want to paint, I generally have to spend quite a bit of time setting everything up. And that is just enough work to deter me from starting. Then, I met a new friend that was really into watercolors. On a trip we took to California, she actually painted in the car with a little watercolor set that she had! So I decided that maybe I had been too hard with my high school critique of watercolors.
For Christmas, my sister gifted me with an adorable travel size watercolor set and a some watercolor paper postcards. And so I gave it a try...and LOVED IT! Yes, I do occasionally end up with mushy paintings with too much water, but overall I've been so pleased with my little paintings. I also picked up a watercolor sketchbook and also a slightly bigger brush to help me experiment a little bit more. I've even watched some Youtube videos to help me with different techniques. Mostly, though, I've just been enjoying the play and experimentation that it allows me have.
So in case you, too, have been avoiding watercolor painting for whatever reason..I encourage you to give it a try! You may just find that you love it!
No comments:
Post a Comment