Art Unboxed Learning Watercolor

I titled this learning watercolor because I’m still learning, and I’ve been painting for about a decade. I’ve heard people who’ve painted for fifty years say they are still learning. It’s wonderful to be interested in something where you can still learn something new.

Recently I painted a young horse in a different way. It was modeled on some old Greek horses I’ve seen. The same night I painted a more cartoony cow, which I also enjoyed painting. The fun thing about watercolor is not only learning the process, but also the way it lends itself to so many different styles.

Because of world watercolor month, I’ve purposely got to paint watercolors more this month than in a long time. Often I end up sketching more due to time constraints, but this month there was a challenge. I was very happily that I actually have painted more than only the 31 daily watercolors.

In the process I’ve been reminded you accomplish what you make time for. I’ve found the practice has improved my skills. I’ve added some supplies that enhanced what I was doing, like new synthetic sable brushes slightly different from my other set. These are from the Fuumuui Company , they have become my favorite set now. Beyond that, I’ve watched some new watercolor instructors who’ve added to my knowledge in a different way.

While I regularly watch painting videos, I tend to gravitate towards my favorite people. Finding someone different to watch can provide new insights to your painting. Until this month, I avoided splatter, because I think it can be overdone. Now I have added some in certain areas, but in a method I adapted from an artist I saw. The technique is basically the same, but the amount of splatter is more controlled, for me less is more.

I would encourage you to be open to new ideas. The whole purpose of Art Unboxed is to encourage attempting new techniques, or revisiting old ones with a new mindset. I’v even experimented with painting with coffee or ink, though I will advise you to get select a new brush for this, and use it only for that purpose. It can get messy otherwise.

Whether you paint with watercolor, ink, coffee, oil, or acrylic, I would encourage you to try something new today. Thumbnails come to mind, try painting the same scene in one color, three separate times, each with a different color. You may find some new compositions, or lighting effects just by viewing through these lens you’ve never seen before. Learning watercolor has taught me, there is always more to learn.