I can do photo-realism in acrylic and colored pencil, but watercolor is so hard for me. I’m too controlling, and I overwork. I’m going to work at learning to let the medium do what it is supposed to and work with it, and be patient with layering.
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Hello Brook @alongsidemom!
Welcome to the forum! I hope to see you often around here as you share your art with all of us to enjoy. We are all full of strengths and weaknesses with different media. Your watercolor is beautiful, I especially like your asemic writing 
!!
I personally love best soft pastels, then colored pencils, graphite and charcoal equally.
Some day I hope to make decent watercolor and acrylic paintings, in the meantime I share your struggles with watercolor, however your skills are way more developed than mine! And acrylics are also very challenging to me. I still try them both enjoying the process very much but outcomes are always sad or left unfinished in a time out corner of “bad paintings”, until they learn to behave haha..
I have found great supportive people and made amazing friendships in this forum. We all have a passion for creating art in common and share openly with trust.
Sonia Alonzo
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Your painting is stunning. Looking forward to seeing more of your art.
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Thank you, Sonia! This is encouraging. Thank you for the feedback. I love your reference to a time out corner for “bad” paintings! That’s too funny, I definitely have my share of those. Thanks again for the kind reply.
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Thank you for the kind feedback, Mike.
Alongsidemom, beautiful job, really like the loose and freeness of it, the earth tone colors and the composition. Thanks for posting, Ron
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Hello Brooke @alongsidemom
I’m a very structured and controlling artist, and LOVE watercolors. Hang in there because what you have posted is delightful. I will tell you that our styles are different. You have a very painterly approach, which I can’t do to save my life. I’m into photo realism. Here is an example of one I started yesterday (I’ve spent about 4 hours on it so far) and have a lot left to do.
The other example is one that Matt did a Members Minute on, that is one of my most difficult and favorite watercolor paintings.
Terri Robichon
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Welcome and that is a great picture love the book and the writing .
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Welcome! Keep trying out different mediums. You will find that watercolor is rally controlling how much water you use when you are using it.
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@robichon That’s very good! I can tell you definitely have more patience than I have with watercolor. 
I like your attention to detail.
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@Denise Thank you! I need to find some exercises to practice the water control.
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@Creativejan thank you!
@rleeelliott thank you for your feedback, Ron!
@robichon I would love to get to this level of meticulousness with watercolor. How long did that second painting take you??
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Hi Brooke @alongsidemom
Regarding the finished watercolor I posted above it is larger than many that I do, measuring 11 x 14. I did this at a weeklong creative girls get-away with my girlfriends and it was my only project. I didn’t track my time, but it was at least 70 hours, maybe more.
Terri Robichon
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These are watercolor ? Oh my gosh they are amazing I love the detail you put in in these . Lighthouses is another of my favorite things to sketch and draw
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Hi @alongsidemom - Brook,
I felt warmly invited for a nice cup of tea by your lovely art work. Made me happily smile. It reminds me of a german illustrator, whose water color art work is stunning.
Thank you - and welcome to the forum,
Buddy
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@Buddy , What a high compliment, when one’s art makes another soul smile and long for a cozy cup of tea! 
Thank you for commenting.
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Welcome! Lovely painting. It’s very charming. It sounds like you know what to do. Keep painting and above all, have fun.
Regards, Nan
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That is Crazy, I Thought The Finished Piece Was A Photo For A Second, Really Cool.
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