A Palette Of Possibilities 🎨
An open-door approach to watercolor creativity!
When I began painting I had no clue what I was doing. I had never taken an art class, I didn’t know there were different brushes for different types of paint, I had no clue that you needed special paper. It was overwhelming and exciting at the same time.
Looking back years later I cringe. Brushes were ruined as I left them soaking in water. Carpet was destroyed when I spilled ink bottles. My white cats turned black from licking my palettes (jk, no cats have been colorized in my painting endeavors).
Even though a lot of time has passed I still remember how amazing it felt to be in this new creative space. I remember when I started to see shades of green and my brain connected them to color names like “sap green” or “undersea green.” Blues became “cobalt” or “ultramarine.” A switch had flipped in my brain.
In this newness I overconsumed. Since I didn’t know color mixing was a thing, I thought you had to buy the colors you wanted to paint with. So away I went. Within a few months I had a very robust collection of palettes. Koi, Winsor & Newton, Crayola. My go to paper and brushes were cheap off brands.
I knew I was headed in the right direction but the output wasn’t meeting my expectations. Then, I took my first class and learned about pigments and tube paints. Ah ha! I became Daniel Smith’s best friend and purchased 125 tubes of paint over the next few months. They were beautiful. I lined them up and adored them. The tubes hung in color order on a large cork board as a bold statement: I am an artist!
I had NO CLUE what to do next. I pulled out a paper plate and tried using it as a palette.
Did you know that paper curls when it is wet??
When I am interested in something I go all in (remember the 125 tube paints?). Well, I sampled all of the sketchbooks I could find, all of the brands of paper, all different sizes and textures.
I bought books, watched videos, talked to other creatives, took more classes.
And I painted and painted and painted. As I matured in my creative journey I recognized my initial overconsumption and started shedding the weight of the products I never used or didn’t work for me. My collection of Daniel Smith tube paints is still very robust.
Creativity is giving yourself the freedom to explore.
I love the comments saying, “Your painting is inspiring me to learn watercolor.” Yes!! I also get several comments saying “I would love to paint, but am not creative” or “I have no clue where to begin.” No!! Creativity is not an exclusive club, and learning watercolor doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
Dive in!
For those of you interested in watercolor below are some affordable quick start tips so help you avoid some of the overwhelm and get you to flip your creative switch on.
Watercolor needs a few basic supplies. Paint, paper, brush, water.
Start small but with as high quality as you can afford. Often classes will give you a list of supplies, and that is a great way to build out your collection of tools. However, if you just want to jump in below are a few links to some of my favorites through one of my favorite online stores (I’m not sponsored and don’t get kickbacks, just sharing links from some of my favorite places so click away!).
Cotman Watercolor Sketchers Box Set
https://merriartist.com/products/wn0390640
This is a high quality, affordable paint set with enough colors so you don’t have to color mix but the basics are there to start understanding how to (for example, blue and red mixed together will get you a pretty purple). This set also comes with a small brush, but I recommend not using it as the exclusive start up brush.
Escoda Versatil Watercolor Brush - Round 8
https://merriartist.com/products/esc-1540-8
This is a nice sized brush that can hold water/paint really well. It also has a fine point so you can do smaller brush strokes. This in combination with the travel brush included in the paint set gives you some immediate versatility.
Fluid Watercolor Block - Cold Press - 6X8
https://merriartist.com/products/gl880068
A watercolor block helps reduce paper warping when it gets wet. This brand is affordable so you don’t worry about wasting money while learning. The size is not too big that filling a page is overwhelming, but not too small that it limits your brushwork.
Don’t go it alone!
Learn the techniques so you can find your creative voice. There are many instructional resources more readily available than ever before. The most affordable route is through your local library. Check out instructional books or videos. If you are reading this you probably have access to You Tube, which has an amazing collection of tutorials. And there is the creative community and individual artist websites or classes.
Below are a few links to some of my personal favorites, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Find what resonates with you.
Juliette Crane
Margot Hallac
Karen Rice Art
Matthew White
For those of you that are farther along on your painting journey let us know who you have learned from.
Find your community!
I found confidence in my painting once I opened up and started sharing my artwork with a wider audience. Social media is a wonderful way to display your creative journey. Substack has many like-minded artists looking to connect.
is a great example. Whether it’s your first attempt or you are a seasoned veteran of the arts, people love to see what you are up to. Snap a picture and share!Studio Update
Speaking of sharing… I have been on a moon/mountain phase. It might be the dark, short days or the moody Oregon Coastal weather that continue to pull me into night skies and shimmery water.
I have been overjoyed with the positive response to my artwork since the launch of my website in September. Thank you all for your enthusiasm and encouragement!
Your paint tube wall organization is a thing to behold! What a great post for art-makers of all levels - so encouraging and resourceful! Your paintings are beautiful, too. Two things that moved my confidence meter for making marks of any kind was the encouragement from a drawing instructor who said to draw what's in front of one, every day, even just for 5 minutes. The other bit was from a painting instructor at the beginning of my foray into oils, who taught me how to "paint the shape of a particular value. Instead of telling oneself, 'I don't know how to draw (pick an object or person)', just pick one value of whatever it is (still life, another painting or photo) and just draw the shape of that one value". There's so much to learn and discover. This post was inspirational and encouraging. Thanks!! Happy New Year, too.
I'm glad I found your helpful post! I'm starting a watercolor challenge for myself and I'm brand new to the medium! :)