Watercolour is such a magical medium! And it's no secret that I love to paint with it. My journey with watercolour started when I was a Sunday School teacher and bought a rather cheap watercolour set from our local grocery store. It was fun to paint the visuals for the Bible lessons and learning through different tutorials and painting more and more, I find it rather calming. It brings me such joy to watch a blank page transform into something incredible.
I will admit that every time I paint, the outcome isn't always incredible. Actually, it can be downright terrible, but I continue to paint because that is how you grow and sometimes, it isn't about the end result. The process of painting can be far more enjoyable, no matter how your painting turns out! Here are my 5 reasons why I keep coming back to watercolour:
1. Whimsical
Watercolour, as the name suggests, needs water mixed with the pigment to paint. Playing around with the different ratios of water to pigment will yield different results but one of the main characteristics of watercolour is its transparency. And that transparency gives your piece such a whimsical look. It is so beautiful and as colours bleed together, it adds this visual dynamic that can't be beat!
2. Easy Clean Up
This may seem like a rather odd reason why I would love a certain painting medium so let me explain. When you want to get started with a creative hobby, you try to remove as many barriers as possible that hinder you from enjoying the medium. As I used my watercolour paints, I could leave my palette to dry, and then come back to it, add water to the palette and continue using the paint! If I needed to pack up quickly, I could easily wipe my paint palette with a paper towel. This made the painting process much more enjoyable knowing that I don't need extra supplies or steps to clean my work surface. Plus that means I can take my watercolour supplies when we go away at times to paint.
3. Simple Supplies
Often I am asked what one needs to start watercolour painting, and to be honest, not much. Paint, a paint brush and paper - and a jar of clean water! A good tip is to buy the best for your budget. You may want to buy that inexpensive watercolour set at your local grocery store, but I've learnt they don't quite paint in the same way as watercolour paints from your art supply store. Browse different brands and purchase a watercolour set of limited colours (I have a 10-colour set) but make sure they have one of each primary colour such as blue, yellow and red. Then get a pointed round brush, in size 4 or 6, and purchase a paper pad specific for watercolour. If you need a watercolour checklist, then you can sign up to The Artful Library and grab my 'Getting Started with Watercolour Supplies' Checklist to help you when you're shopping for your supplies.
4. Drying Time
I enjoy the fact that watercolour doesn't take a day or a few weeks to dry. That means I can paint a few pieces, if I want, and while the one is drying, work on another piece. Similar to it being easy clean up, having a piece that will dry relatively quickly will help you feel like you've completed something in a manageable period of time. You can practice brush strokes or paint simple illustrations, let them dry and create something relatively quickly. I can paint while I am camping and close my sketchbook after a few minutes and the piece won't get smudged. This is not to say we need to rush our painting time, but if your paints dry quickly, it's another barrier you've removed to nurture one's love for watercolour.
5. Unpredictability
When you paint with watercolour, there is this loss of control, an unpredictability you won't be able to completely manage. The watery pigment just moves in its own way, so it can be a little unsettling, especially when you're using the wet-on-wet technique. But that's what I've grown to love about watercolour - no two pieces will be the same! And there's a beauty in that, as well as growing to love the (uncontrollable) process while you paint.
There are plenty more reasons to love watercolour but these are my top 5. If you're keen to learn how to paint with watercolour, then join one of my in-person Watercolour Winddown workshops in Cape Town. They are designed for the curious creative, those who are keen to carve out time to get creative but unsure of where to start. Browse the dates available and book a ticket with your bestie. I'd love to share my love of watercolour with you!