I began painting over 50 years ago as a child, as many of us do.
My family went to visit my grandparents in Germany and my Grandfather took me to his neighborhood art store in Ansbach and bought me a set of 24 Pelikan watercolors. The lady included a #6 brush. Not a student brush but a pretty good quality natural hair brush. I still have it but it is the worse for wear as I've scrubbed both paint and paper with that one brush. I used it for many years, off and on. It no longer has a point but I keep it anyway.
I still have the paint set too.
I used that paint set and that brush when I took a few lessons in plein air from an art dealer at my church when I was in high school and an art class through my work when I was in my thirties.
But I didn't start to take watercolor seriously until after I retired. I used to be a teacher librarian and the internet is my oyster so it didn't take long before I learned a lot about watercolor and supplies from my research.
Why watercolor? Well, it's inexpensive, easily acquired and can be very portable. Despite what you're told, it is not difficult or the hardest of the mediums to master. It can be quite easy once you've learned some basics and practiced a bit. That is true of any of the arts. But it is also quite difficult to "master". You will spend a lifetime perfecting your art. That is as it should be.
When I first started painting in my teens I tried oils. I hated the smell, the clean up and it took them forever to dry. I would always smear something and have to touch it up, plus I ruined my clothes. Acrylics at that time weren't much better. It was basically plastic oils. They were like colored toothpaste and dried so fast I ruined brushes because I couldn't finish a painting fast enough and get my brushes washed before the paint dried. Once dried it couldn't be removed from my brush or my clothes. They were also expensive as I used a lot of paint to finish a painting so I was constantly buying more. I simply couldn't afford the paint, canvas and new brushes and pay for college at the same time.
Watercolors last a long time, they don't ruin your brushes if you follow fundamental maintenance, they don't smell, some will stain if you're careless but the paint dries so fast I find I'm not getting any on myself if I paint responsibly. I've worn white capris and white tops and painted for hours with not one spot on my clothes. And I'm the person who can't get though a meal without some stain appearing. You'll learn which paints will stain (PHTHALO anything!) and can exercise caution. I do wear an apron. (A white apron) But it's not like brushing against your oil painting and getting a sleeve full of paint.
You can avoid filling your house and bankrupting your accounts with stuff you'll never use with a few useful tips:
1. Buy the best paints, brushes and paper you can afford. More on that later.
2. Don't buy very much to start. You won't know what you'll want or need until you've been painting for a bit. More on that later.
3. Read the blogs of other artists and their recommendations and experiences, but don't consider it gospel. (I am still appalled at artists who defend the use of fugitive paints, I.E. those that deteriorate, fade or whatever over time.) What works for someone may not work for you. Don't take my word as law either. More to come on that too.
There are plenty of free online groups you can join. I like Wetcanvas but you may like another group. I'll be listing quite a few that are easily found online and don't cost anything to join as well as links to artist's blogs and interesting articles.
Your area may have a watercolor society you can join. They are happy to accept any experience level and are very supportive. If that's too pricey, your local community college may have free or reasonable classes offered to get you started. Taking some classes or joining a local group to paint is important because it forces you to schedule time to paint. If you have the discipline, after a while you can schedule painting on your own if you prefer solitude. But the framework of a class forces you to paint rather than take photos or wander around being a tourist.
At some point you are going to need to set up a space in your house for your art. You won't paint if you have to drag your stuff out and work on the kitchen table, then clear it off for dinner, then put it away again. You'll need a dedicated space with some storage. If you've got an old computer desk you no longer use because you're now on a laptop or a tablet, consider converting that to your designated art space. It will usually have some storage areas that you're not using any more for that tower, monitor, scanner or printer.
Eventually, you should get out into the world and paint there, be it in a park, on the sidewalk of a down town cafe or in the dealership while your car is being serviced. I'll be posting about various kits you can put together to carry with you depending on what you'll be doing and where you'll be.
The important thing is to paint. Whether you think it is good or bad, paint and don't throw your efforts away. Start a file in a bin or a box. You'll want to go back and refer to earlier paintings and if nothing else, gauge the progress you have made. They're also great for studying what worked, what didn't and observing the growth of your own personal style. Eventually you'll find what you prefer, loose or tight, develop a preferred color palette, preferred techniques and even preferred subjects. Do you like using an easel or just a chair. Perhaps you prefer standing. But try everything to begin with. It also doesn't hurt to revisit paintings and do them again. Getting better involves practice. There is nothing wrong with doing the same subject over and over again. Hopefully getting some aspect of it better each time.
Watercolor is an easy and relaxing pastime. It gives you a chance to sit out in nature for a few hours doing essentially "nothing" but with the excuse that you are painting. You'll not only stop and smell the roses, you'll paint them too.
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Just a note.
You won't find any of my own art work on this blog. The purpose of this blog isn't to display my own work or sell anything. Nor will this have any tutorials or instructions on HOW to paint, aside from some links to a few YouTube channels and blogs I like. I'm creating this for informational purposes, with links, to help beginners get started, to find sources for the out of the mainstream and to instill some creativity. I am not affiliated with any of the merchants, manufacturers or artists I link to, nor do I get any compensation for any recommendations I might make.
This will probably not be an ongoing blog. Once I've said my peace, I will probably revisit from time to time to update information and links and possibly add something. But on the whole once I finish it's going to be pretty static. If I'm informed of a comment, I may respond or not.
Basically I'm sharing the research I've done and what works for me. Your mileage may vary.
