Recently, I had to admit that a critic could have been right to say that my simple 2 stage learn how to paint watercolors course was too simple…
It was aimed at artist beginners who wanted to learn to paint without having to learn to draw first. This meant that although they may not be too good at drawing, they could still get started painting. Painting landscapes, still-life painting, portraits and mechanical objects can come later.
However, there are 2 reasons to go back to the basics of painting watercolors…
- It is a good idea to learn how to paint before painting a Mona Lisa
- It is a good idea to go back to first principles when your paintings are going wrong
Occasionally, there are lucky people who don’t seem to have any problems learning to paint. They pick up a box of paints and a brush and easily paint their first watercolor painting. This minority of people who don’t struggle with painting are fortunate indeed.
On the other hand, most of us aren’t blessed with such talents…
- Truth is that it isn’t so easy to learn how to paint watercolor well
- At times it can seem almost impossible to paint a good watercolor picture
Very soon you can find every brush mark on your painting turning into an awful mess. As you find your watercolor washes flooding uncontrollably, it is easy to create a nightmare of badly blended colors.
All too soon you can turn your great art ideas into a muddy shambles. When you do you are lost. Unless you understand what is happening when watercolor paint flows uncontrollably across the paper, your painting will never get better…
- You need to see how color moves where the water carries it
- You need to understand that you will wreck a color wash if you haven’t left it to dry before adding the next wash
- It is a great idea to learn how to get a range of different color intensities and tone from a single color before adding other colors to the mix
There is great sense in the old saying… “Don’t try to run before you can walk”
Watercolor painting can rapidly convince you that you have no artistic talent. It can make you look like you have no painting skills. It is a shame to become disheartened when your watercolors go wrong.
So, given the choice, which alternative would you choose?
“Frustration and disappointment… or do you prefer to have a deep understanding of how simple and easy watercolors work in your painting?”