I’ve been avoiding baking lately mostly because I seem to gain weight every time I do a project. I’m experimenting with new recipes or new flavours, and that requires tasting. And tasting. And tasting. And then of course, I want some for myself when I’m done.
I was looking for another activity I could do quietly and that wouldn’t be hurt by interruptions if I had to leave it for a while or do it in small bursts so I don’t burn out or get bored. Working on the computer all day, and then practicing music, and then doing more art exhausts my eyes some days, and having so many things I want to do means either I have specialized days for particular work, or I break things up into smaller pieces.
I chose to go back to something I haven’t done in a decade. I loved my first real art class in high school. I wasn’t very good at it compared to a lot of the students in class, but I loved the format – instead of sitting in a desk and listening to someone drone on and on and writing notes before the dreaded eraser wiped them away, we got to really focus on what we were working on. I didn’t mind if music was playing or not – just that everyone was focused on working, with some casual chit-chat – the mood was relaxed but still productive.
I avoided watercolour for so long mostly because of the time involved. You have to build up your painting in semi-transparent layers, going from light values and slowly painting darker each time. Each time to you a section, it has to dry before you can continue, so the process takes longer. In that way, I do like photography better as you get a result much faster, even though the setup can take more time. And now with digital photography, your result is instant! The time is at the front end with photography – finding the right subject, finding the right time for the right light, getting the right angle etc. etc.
I wanted something for the coming winter to work on inside. I figured painting would be good, and I do like the simpler version – colouring. I also figured winter is pretty grey, so doing work with colour might be good for me.
The other problem I’ve had with watercolour – I do it so infrequently that the paint tubes tend to dry up and then I have to use more water to get them in a paintable state. I tend to like more rich, saturated colours. I suppose maybe I should use acrylic but I like the process of watercolour more for some reason. I decided that I’d get some watercolour pencils instead of paint tubes, that way, they start dry and I don’t have to worry about them over time.
I watched SO MANY review videos on youtube and picked a large set. I don’t want to have to mix colours so much, so having a large set gives me lots to work with out of the gate.
I wasn’t sure if I’d still be able to paint. Much of the process is in seeing more than drawing to get colours, lines, textures just right. I also found the technique to be quite different using watercolour pencils – putting the colours on dry and then wetting them is not the process I was used to with actual paint. I can still do a bit of wet-on-wet with pulling the pigment right from the pencil tip with a wet brush, but I’m finding doing large background washes difficult. The saturation is also not as vivid as I’d like it. I like how the paint is when wet, but it dries much more faded. It could be the paper I’m using – I didn’t go for the top of the line, but I did pick up a ‘artist level 2’ from Michaels.
I’m keeping the paintings small so I can finish faster and make them more technique studies until I get used to the pencils. That, and I get a better sense of accomplishment faster by not doing large paintings or complex layouts.