I am leaving for an overdue and much looked forward to vacation in Montana soon which is going to give me the opportunity to see family and (secondarily, of course) do some plein aire sketching that I have been reluctant to do as the summer grinds into its hottest time and the grass (along with all else green) shrivels into a drab brown.
This means I need to take my paints with me (along with brushes, canvas, garbage bags, box for wet canvas, paint clothes, hat, sketch book, pencils, erasers, etc, etc.). Needless to say, I either need a gigantic suitcase (which I have) or I need to scale back.This is always a difficult choice for me because this problem, especially of taking so much equipment would be much less if I took watercolors or acrylic. I have not ventured into watercolors that much, but when I have, I found them, at least for my beginning level, not as fast nor as free as oils. They are thoughtful paints, where the placement of color must be more deliberate (at least that is what I am gathering) and planned. Of course, it also plays to a strength of mine which is drawing. I don' t seem to struggle as much with that, and of course, that could just be that there is an emphasis on values rather than color which simplifies my choices emmensely ( and I DO need to keep it simple!).
I found this website for watercolorists that might just be on my level, since I have no pretense that I am any good at this. Most books glide over and make watercoloring complex; in my experience, the books I have seen are more galleries of what I could do if I were experienced enough (which I am not) I have found them frustrating. This website, however, starts very simply, in a sort of kindergarten, A B C manner.
http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/basics/basics.html
I don't really know much about the person running the website and haven't ordered any of the projects, so can' t vouch for them. But I am enjoying the simple explanations, and post it with the idea that it will help another struggling beginning watercolorist.
This means I need to take my paints with me (along with brushes, canvas, garbage bags, box for wet canvas, paint clothes, hat, sketch book, pencils, erasers, etc, etc.). Needless to say, I either need a gigantic suitcase (which I have) or I need to scale back.This is always a difficult choice for me because this problem, especially of taking so much equipment would be much less if I took watercolors or acrylic. I have not ventured into watercolors that much, but when I have, I found them, at least for my beginning level, not as fast nor as free as oils. They are thoughtful paints, where the placement of color must be more deliberate (at least that is what I am gathering) and planned. Of course, it also plays to a strength of mine which is drawing. I don' t seem to struggle as much with that, and of course, that could just be that there is an emphasis on values rather than color which simplifies my choices emmensely ( and I DO need to keep it simple!).
I found this website for watercolorists that might just be on my level, since I have no pretense that I am any good at this. Most books glide over and make watercoloring complex; in my experience, the books I have seen are more galleries of what I could do if I were experienced enough (which I am not) I have found them frustrating. This website, however, starts very simply, in a sort of kindergarten, A B C manner.
http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/basics/basics.html
I don't really know much about the person running the website and haven't ordered any of the projects, so can' t vouch for them. But I am enjoying the simple explanations, and post it with the idea that it will help another struggling beginning watercolorist.
