I must say I'm quite enjoying introducing people to watercolor. There are so many people that want to try and have been afraid. Why is it we are afraid of something that can't possibly hurt us? Performance anxiety? Fear of failure? Egos? Whatever it is I hope these workshops dispel those feelings somewhat. We had all day fun practicing washes, getting pigment to flow, lifting, splattering, a bit of masking and other techniques to be loose and have fun. We actually ran out of time before finishing the last birch tree masking exercise-everyone was so enthused!
One huge thing I learned was how student grade paint just doesn't cut it for washes-they were grainy and dull. Probably fine for color mixing experiments if you have them already. I get it-why spend a lot if you don't know if you'll continue? The reality is you probably won't continue if you get frustrated with your results. I always suggest artist grade colors to get, but next time will be more insistent. I'm working harder on finding good deals for beginner sets. Even three tubes of good quality is better than 10 student grade. Will post here with recommendations when I find them!
