All About ... the Art Course Day 2

Today, we got to play with the paints! We were all given a set of paint brushes which are ours to keep and the first half hour was taken up explaining about the different brushes, grades of papers and types of paints.  It's a bit of an eye opener - the enormous range of paints and papers and the different results that can be achieved through various combinations of the materials.  We've been advised to steer away from the cheap watercolour paints that are available as it is so difficult to get good results from them - it's one of the reasons beginners often think that they can't paint properly.

 

 

Our first task was creating a colour wheel, which taught us how to mix the primary colours to get the secondary colours and so on.  

 



 

After the break (filter coffee and chocolate biscuits!!), we tackled our first watercolour, using the wet on wet technique.  Mine isn't finished as I had to leave before the end so I'm going earlier next time to finish it.  I still have to 'lift out' some of the paint to create some highlights, which'll give more depth to the painting and I'll learn how to do that next time.  They're apples, in case you weren't sure!

I went wrong on the red one by not adding the paint using a dry brush which has watered down my colour too much.  When it was wet the depth of colour was good but it's dried too pale so I'll know for next time.  Also, I didn't have time to lift the excess paint where it had pooled which is why it has dried with an outline.  After I left they were using the same technique to paint a crocus so I'll see how they got on next week and then have a go myself at home.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed myself this morning, completely absorbed in what I was doing and the time passed way too fast.  I'm going to invest in tubes of the primary colours and a pad of 300gsm watercolour paper so that I can practice at home.  I'm fairly sure that I have a new hobby!