Matt, on the Sept 18 gettin sketchy of the belltower mentions that watercolor is a difficult medium to start painting with. So, what paint would be the best for a beginner who wants to add a little color to their work to start with. tom
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Hi @tomee43 TOM -
An entire painting that is just watercolor is terrifying for many, but if you just want to add “a little color” as you stated, you should go ahead and give the watercolor wash a try. After all it’s just paint and paper.
I think I should also level out the playing field a bit and let you know that watercolor was what I used first and it is still my favorite by far, with colored ink a close second for me (it handles a lot like watercolor).
Many others like to start with acrylic paint, but then the entire painting would be that. The only down side is that it dries pretty fast so a slow drying medium is helpful. Quite frankly, I personally find acrylics difficult to use.
One other option to consider is watercolor pencils. That uses less water, and is often more controlled.
Hope this helped a little. If you give the watercolors a try, post what you do here. Any questions if you have trouble with it, just ask away and I’ll try to help.
By the way, it is always best to fully tape down all sides of your paper when using watercolors. You should use watercolor paper that is at least 140#, with 300# being the best.
Terri Robichon
Hi Terri, Thanks for the response and helpful advise. I was curious what Matt would choose to start with after he mentioned it’s a difficult medium to start painting with. I’m following along with the live lesson while I continue to do mostly graphite work. Last time I posted was when we showed our work space , maybe I’ll post a graphite pic . I’ll keep in touch
Tom Conn usa
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I would say start with watercolor. I stated with it and took it from there.
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Hi Tom. Yes please share some of your work. And nice to see you posting here again.
Terri Robichon
Tom, just read your post, I’m 77 and have used watercolors as one of my primary mediums on and off since elementary school and have never found it difficult, and I am no expert.
If you need help getting started with the basics there are many lessons online, Matt has several listed and The Mind of Watercolor on You Tube is also very good one along with many others.
As far as paint I use Winsor Newton as it is of very high consistant quality and readily available locally and online. My favorite paper is a minium of 140lb Arches hot or cold pressed. I think I have used every brush know to man over the years and have settled on Princeton brushes for quality and value, and they are also readily available locally. I am lucky, I have a large Michaels art store very close to me that stocks about any paint or drawing supply anyone would ever need.
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Coincidentally I watch Mind of//// and James Gurney , I play around with water color but was curious what Matt would start with being as he mentioned it was a difficult medium. Thanks for taking the time to suggest some direction. tom
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