Painting Can Be Easy
Learning to paint using watercolours can be a frustrating thing which doesn’t seem to get any easier, no matter how hard you try; first you need the right brushes, then you can’t decide on what paint to buy, and everyone has a different opinion on the weight of paper you should use…
In reality it doesn’t need to be so hard; here are some pointers for the beginner looking to just start without having to do hours of research first.
1) Choose a rough paper to begin with: paper comes either ‘rough’ or ‘not’; rough is self explanatory, not means very smooth. While it may allow more detail, smooth paper also lets your paint run riot, turning your creation into a total mess with one wrong move. Choose the rough variety at a medium weight; the pits in the paper will keep the paint where you want it
2) Don’t paint on a flat table: the beauty of watercolour is that the paint can fall down the page, cascading and exploding into different colours. If you don’t own an easel then simply lean your board against a table, tilting it slightly.
3) Don’t go straight out and spend crazy money on posh brushes: to begin with, a beginner set really will do. They will last longer than you think, providing you take good care of them.
4) Same goes for paints: the temptation is to buy the best available, because these paints are more light-fast (the colour will remain vivid for a long time). In fact, there’s nothing wrong with the amateur paints. They are much cheaper and chances are you may not keep all of your first paintings anyway.
Before I go, I have a couple of friends who are looking for Art Jobs in secondary education. If anyone knows of any places that are hiring now, it would be really useful information to pass along.