Wising Up to Watercolors
Happy Whatever-Day!I mean...I don't know when you're reading this. Could be Monday. Could be Thursday. I hope it's Friday evening, with that nice long weekend ahead of you :)Today I want to talk about a medium I've been dabbling in for a while: watercolors!I remember when I first tried using them, I just had. The worst time. Water control? What even? Everything either turned out too dark or too light. Or worse, I'd try to outline or put in a small detail on wet paint, and everything would turn into a splotchy mess.
A couple years ago I tried my hand at it again, this time after watching several watercolor timelapse videos and tutorials. And, despite using crayola paints, I thought it didn't...look...half bad.Certainly the yellow tone isn't doing the photo favors, but for 3 years ago, with no real experience with watercolor prior, I was mighty darn proud of myself.I remembered thinking that I'd finally gotten the hang of it. At the very least I was certainly attracted to the medium. I recall spending many nights scrolling through endless watercolor paintings, marveling at the diversity and versatility. It could look photorealistic, cartoony, gentle, harsh, you name it. The possibilities were endless, and I knew I wanted to get there.The medium is extremely finnicky, though. A fact I already knew, but was faced with yet again. Sometimes I'd have something decent. Other times...something I'd really rather not share, but for example purposes, will do so.
For about a year I kept at it, plugging away at architectural plein aires that were okay, and oceans that were honestly terrible. I bought an upgraded palette (still in tins, but at least not crayola) that was portable so that I could paint on the go, and a medium small watercolor sketchbook. It became the source of several birthday cards since the pages were perforated.Then I put the paints down again, frustrated. Not just with the medium, but with the sheer amount of brain power and concentration it took to get just the right color, time the wetness of the paint for mixing, or adding another layer when dry. The layers in general. Oh so many layers. I still wasn't at the point where I could perfectly capture what I wanted in watercolor. That effortless look with just enough detail, a carefree meticulous painting accomplished with brush strokes, rather than endless noodling. Or even just a trusted illustration method would have been fine. And of course, none of this was helped by the endless mental tollbooths that were my art blocks.My trip to Oregon last summer helped re-stimulate my fancy for watercolors, and about once a month I'd venture out with my little folding tablet and waterbrush and attempt to paint. I bought tube paints (gasp!) albeit a very limited palette, something I'm regretting now (that gung-ho acrylic mixing logic doesn't exactly translate completely to watercolor...)And then, last month, I signed up for an actual watercolor class. I know!
A couple years ago I tried my hand at it again, this time after watching several watercolor timelapse videos and tutorials. And, despite using crayola paints, I thought it didn't...look...half bad.Certainly the yellow tone isn't doing the photo favors, but for 3 years ago, with no real experience with watercolor prior, I was mighty darn proud of myself.I remembered thinking that I'd finally gotten the hang of it. At the very least I was certainly attracted to the medium. I recall spending many nights scrolling through endless watercolor paintings, marveling at the diversity and versatility. It could look photorealistic, cartoony, gentle, harsh, you name it. The possibilities were endless, and I knew I wanted to get there.The medium is extremely finnicky, though. A fact I already knew, but was faced with yet again. Sometimes I'd have something decent. Other times...something I'd really rather not share, but for example purposes, will do so. For about a year I kept at it, plugging away at architectural plein aires that were okay, and oceans that were honestly terrible. I bought an upgraded palette (still in tins, but at least not crayola) that was portable so that I could paint on the go, and a medium small watercolor sketchbook. It became the source of several birthday cards since the pages were perforated.Then I put the paints down again, frustrated. Not just with the medium, but with the sheer amount of brain power and concentration it took to get just the right color, time the wetness of the paint for mixing, or adding another layer when dry. The layers in general. Oh so many layers. I still wasn't at the point where I could perfectly capture what I wanted in watercolor. That effortless look with just enough detail, a carefree meticulous painting accomplished with brush strokes, rather than endless noodling. Or even just a trusted illustration method would have been fine. And of course, none of this was helped by the endless mental tollbooths that were my art blocks.My trip to Oregon last summer helped re-stimulate my fancy for watercolors, and about once a month I'd venture out with my little folding tablet and waterbrush and attempt to paint. I bought tube paints (gasp!) albeit a very limited palette, something I'm regretting now (that gung-ho acrylic mixing logic doesn't exactly translate completely to watercolor...)And then, last month, I signed up for an actual watercolor class. I know!
The class is taught by Jon Messer, who I had previously taken perspective classes under. He's a cool dude and very passionate about his craft. I've linked his name to his website so you can check out his truly amazing art.So far I'm enjoying myself in the class. It's relaxed, and a great way to spend 3 hours. I'm hoping to beef up my watercolor game in time for my trip to Hawaii at the end of the month, or to at the very least learn some more techniques and expand that arsenal.Despite how...little I've really painted in watercolor, I definitely think I've improved a lot. I guess 3 years will do that to you. Of course, painting a little bit everyday is what will really push you along, and is a goal I am slowly trudging towards.I guess the point of this all is: if you were frustrated before by something you didn't know how to use, but still enjoyed the aesthetic of it when done by other people, go ahead and give it a shot! It certainly wouldn't hurt to try.