Finally got some watercolors so I’m gonna try to jump on this train!
Alright guys! I know the watercolor club has been sleeping for some time, but I think it’s about time we start up again.
So, here’s the plan – I want there to be multiple elements to this club, as I mentioned, and I’m breaking those down as such:
- Lesson plans – Essentially, we’re all going to commit to studying something each week/every other week. I’ve compiled a list of subjects that we can draw from, and I’ll compile an introductory post on the subject with links to extra information. As we work, we’ll discuss the subject in the thread, post our results, and so on. If a topic seems particularly complex, we might spend more time on it.
- Monthly prompts – I know a lot of people struggle with not knowing what to paint, so I’ll be posting a monthly art prompt. They’ll mostly be broad and open to interpretation so that folks can take them in many directions. It’d be awesome if people could write about their experiences with the painting, things they learned or noticed, and so on.
- Bi-weekly questions – Think of this like a journaling exercise. I’ll throw some questions at you in regards to your art, and you can write a little reflection on your work and your experience with your paints.
Also, I just want to add a small administrative note… I want to keep most of the content in this thread, but I’m planning to add a sort of home base, table of contents element to the first post. So, if you ever want to know when a prompt was posted or track down one of the lesson plans, there will be links right up there in that first post.
Here are a list of lessons I’m planning for us to tackle:
- Making a mark – learning to control the paint
- Paint application techniques - wet on wet, wet on dry, dry on wet, dry brush, lifting color, scumbling, glazing, flat wash
- Color theory/mixing colors
- Highlights and shadows
- Layering and glazing
- Hard, soft, and lost edges
- Adding texture – salt, alcohol, and additives
- Masking fluid
- Experimental techniques
- Composition and elements of painting
- Painting from observation
- Flesh tones
- Simple portraits
- Figures and the human form
- Simple landscapes
Because we’re dealing with a variety of skill levels here, some of these lessons may be very easy, and some may be very difficult. I’ll do my best to suggest ways to ramp up the difficulty for more skilled folks and, for those who are newer, my best advice is to do what you can at the skill level you’re at now and don’t stress if you’re not perfect.
Sooo, that’s all for now. I’m drafting the first lesson plan, and I should have this month’s prompt up shortly as well.
Also, if you have questions or suggestions, feel free to post them!
13 Likes
Alright fam, buckle up, because it’s time for lesson one…
Making a Mark!
So, what precisely is this lesson about? What do I mean by making a mark? Well…
When you’re first working with watercolors, it can be scary. Even for folks that have some level of experience, or who are confident in their rendering abilities, it can be easy to get boxed in, to not feel comfortable takings risks. This lesson is about letting go. The best advice I can give you in doing this is to go in with an open mind, and let go of your fear of failing. You won’t fail, you’ve already succeeded just by giving it your best effort.
The awesome thing about this project is, if you’re not as confident in your skill, the abstractness will seem intentional rather than an error. You shouldn’t feel bad if your anatomy isn’t perfect because it’s not necessarily supposed to be. This is a good way to start feeling okay about the work that you’re doing. And if you’re strong in your skills, this will challenge you to do complex poses and compositions, to think more subconsciously.
So, making a mark is quite literally what it sounds like. You take a blank sheet of paper, put down some random marks, wait for it to dry, and then try to create a coherent piece using the shapes you put down in that initial stage. There are two parts to this, so I’ll break them down as such:
Part One: Making the Mark
- Step one: Set up your palette, fill it with a variety of colors you think you might use. Get a blank sheet of watercolor paper. I recommend something a bit larger, at least 9 x 12in, so you have room to work.
- Step two: Empty your mind. Relax. Try to let your subconscious mind take over.
- Step three: Wet the paper a bit. Don’t drown it, but if you have a spray bottle, just get it moist. Or use a mop brush to wet the paper a bit.
- Step four: Take your brush, pick a color, and make a random mark on the page. Do whatever feels right to you. Repeat this as many times as needed, but try not to go off the page, or to fill the entire page up with paint. You want to make a sort of random shape that you can work out of.
- Additional step: You don’t need to do this, but if you want to add more texture, you can do a few things. One option is to put salt on the painting, and let it sit for several hours. You can also put some plastic cling wrap in the painting, set something heavy over it (like a textbook) and let it dry overnight.
Part Two: Interpreting the Mark
So, you have your mark. If all went well, it should be pretty abstract now, right? So, what's next? You need to interpret it, find meaning. Think of it kind of like a Rorschach test.Take your painting and look at it from a distance. If you can pin it up on a wall, that would be good (just make sure not to put holes in your painting). Now, look at it up close. Look at it from all sides. See if you see anything. A wizard, a pot of gold, a two headed cow. Maybe ask a friend. It may also help to get some tracing paper, go over the painting, and draw what you see from the marks. That way, if it doesn’t work out, you don’t mark up the painting, just the little sheet of tracing paper.
Once you have an idea of what you want, it’s time to manifest. If you want to, you can lightly sketch over your painting, putting lines where the form of your image is. Now you paint. Develop the form of your idea, create shadows and highlights. Add new colors to clarify what you see.
To give you an idea what we’re going for, here is a link to some work I did last semester using this technique.
I’m not gonna put a deadline on this, but I’ll be posting another lesson in about two weeks or so. For now, I’d love for you guys to try this out. Have fun. Play. I know it might seem kind of odd, but humor me on this one. 
8 Likes
Also, here is the prompt for February. Feel free to include it in the lesson, or do a separate piece, if you prefer. The prompt is…
Ethereal!
So go out and do something dreamy, to accompany this surreal lesson. 
9 Likes
cracks knuckles
Oh man I am so excited to give this a go!!
7 Likes
Since you’ve expressed an interest in costumes, you get an extra assignment - try to manifest your mark into a costume plate. 
Good luck, bab!
7 Likes
Hey guys! So Oracle has expressed some interest in doing costume-related work. Would any of you guys be interested in working side by side on the same stuff I’ll be doing in class? I’m more than happy to type up a little thing about the assignments, if you like, or I can just send 'em privately to Oracle if no one else is interested. 
9 Likes
I’d be interested Rev!
6 Likes
Cool! Then since both of you are interested, I’ll tell you what’s up. Next project is a music number from 42nd Street. It’s called “Dames” . The general idea is that you have all these actresses come out in a costume parade. For the assignment, it’s called Variations on a Theme. The general idea is you come up with costumes for the 14 girls and 4 boys based around a certain theme. So, for instance, desserts or butterflies. In the first example, maybe one girl is a donut, another a parfait, a banana split, etc etc. I’ll link some videos when I’m off mobile so we can see how others have done it.
For Tuesday, if you’re following along at home, you should have a theme idea, and some research. Research means you’re finding images that will inspire you to create your costumes. It might help to read a summary of the show, too.
7 Likes
Ohh this sounds cool. I’m not great will clothing but this is a way to get better! I still need to catch up with some stuff but I’ll try to do that soon.
5 Likes
Can I get in on this costume side-project??
6 Likes
Of course you can, @Tinker!
So, here are some videos of the scene:
The major thing about this song…it can get expensive, so a lot of the companies on YouTube…they don’t have the best costumes. It’s supposed to be very lavish, very ostentatious. But we don’t have the budget issue because we’re not actually realizing this show. So, you really want to turn this up to 11.
Also, if you have questions or would like examples, send me a pm here or on Discord. 
9 Likes
Not sure if anyone is still interested in painting, but would some folks be interested in mini palettes? I keep seeing tutorials on youtube for these adorable little DIY palettes and would love to make some. Might send 'em out a bit later, like sometime late August, but maybe reply to this post of PM me if you’d want to try out some paints? 
Also, for those interested in what I’m talking about, here’s some examples:
9 Likes
Those are so cute!
6 Likes
I know, right? They’re so tiny and cute, but also portable!
4 Likes
I’ve been messing around with travel watercolors lately but mine is by no means this small! It’s so cute. I’ve only really tried the Windsor and Newton Cotman watercolors (their student series).
9 Likes
I recently got into watercolours/art again after not doing anything for years, so I was wondering if this was still a thing? It would be nice to improve/practise with a group
9 Likes
I don’t know that many people are interested in watercolors at the moment. 
But I’m pretty much constantly painting if you’d like someone to talk to? I’d be happy to post some more drills and such as well in this space.
12 Likes
Drills would be great! I’ve been trying to do landscape stuff lately with mixed results. Unfortunately I’m too busy to devote the time I want to to art. 
9 Likes
I’d also really like drills 
I’m really just starting out so I’m not really sure where to start ><;
7 Likes