I keep thinking (out loud) how much I want to learn watercolor painting. Keep looking, right-clicking at the creations of Stina Persson, Marguerite Sauvage, Fifi Lapin, Miss Capricho and now Valerie Chua. I keep imagining the pictures I will paint, the colors I will use, the techniques I will try, blah blah blah. I never studied art or even the basics of watercolor painting, so one can imagine my fear of coming up with total crap. Of course, I blame this on my Management course (because I chose it for JTA and “practical reasons,” because I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance in the talent test for UP Fine Arts), which, of course, is plain stupid because being a Management graduate doesn’t mean I can’t paint. Right?
So today, while walking around the grocery not helping mom, I concluded that all this time, I’ve just been too scared/lazy to try, and that I will prove myself wrong today. It’s part of my Nike life–the one where I just do it. Because (1) All our Logical Reasons are in fact just Lame Excuses for not doing what we want to do and (2) If I have time to Facebook, I have time to learn watercolor painting and (3) Pag ayaw may dahilan, pag gusto ay laging mayroong paraan.
I walked into National Bookstore and picked out the cheapest stuff (because I didn’t want the price to pressure me into coming up with brilliance this early on). Also, if I do end up being a disgrace to the watercolor world, I didn’t want the endeavor to cost a heartbreak PLUS a bank-break. When I showed dad my loot though, he scoffed at my Lil’ Kids and Best Buy watercolor, saying they would only leave the wannabe artist in me frustrated, and my painting future un-pursued. He picked these out for me:
Look mom, watercolor shopping!
He chose Prang watercolor, the same brand he used back in college, a couple of pencils whose purposes he will show me tomorrow, cheap brushes and paper to play with.
Now that I was beyond my initial P150 budget anyway, I threw in a sale item I spotted from the counter:
Watercolor Shopping Trip Bonus: P22 Classic
An Oscar Wilde quote descriptive of my initial attempts below:
“Art, like Nature, has her monsters, things of bestial shape and with hideous voices.”
First watercolor works: work on it.
Wish me luck that I don’t fuck up and give up!
good luck kim
Oh how I miss painting. I gave up painting in college for a more practical art (design) … eeer
try experimenting with wet on wet style/technique
Design! I think someday I’ll study design, and that for me is already an indulgence, not a compromise! Thanks for the tip Emkey
Naks, umaart! I lovette~
You lovette? Hahaha check!
Wonderful start! Have fun and don’t be afraid to play with it.
It’s all about having fun! So, study it, practice it, but always have fun with it!
Will do! Right now I’m always excited to buckle down for a few hours with my beginner’s kit, and I think following your advice means never losing that enthusiasm for it
Thanks for the tip!
I used the same kind of watercolours when i took up painting as a kid! Prang is wonderful!
Hi Katie! I can imagine you painting your pretty girly doodles
I’m trying oh so hard to learn how to do that…