My Own Private Art Classes

I am teaching myself how to paint. I'm artsy, but have not really done anything for a long time. I've done crafty things for years, but artistic stuff, not so much. And painting is something I have never learned how to do. So, with all this time on my hands, and such great views every day, I decided to teach myself how to paint.
My first project was a paint by numbers. It was a silly mindless project that allowed me to hold a paint brush, mix colors, and work with acrylic paints. Well, that project is now complete. How do you like it! Pretty cheesy huh! (I am turning into an American with my huh instead of eh).

Now I am on to my next project. It is a study in watercolor. I picked up a book that had some transfer landscapes in it, and instruction on how to use the watercolors.

I must say, watercolor is so totally foreign to me. And it is very unforgiving. With acrylics you can just paint over your mistake, and the paint dries so quickly that it can be done within minutes. But with watercolor, the damage is done if you make a mistake. And I think I have very cheap watercolors. I am used an old art set that my daughter Jessica got years ago and never used.

It has a variety of mediums in it including both cake and wet watercolors. I am using the wet ones. I am  also using a product called 'masking fluid'. It is a latex product that is painted onto areas of the project that you do not wish to get painted.

So far, when I use it, the masking fluid is ripping the top layer of my paper off when removed. Not good. And the watercolors take some major getting used to. Did I say I liked the acrylic paints better?
Well, I am going to keep working on this project and get some practice with the watercolors. I think I will use the cake paints as well, not just the liquid watercolors. I may prefer the cake style more, who knows. The book has taught me a few things already, so I don't want you to think this project is all bad. The tracing paper thing is really cool.

I can see how it could be adapted to work with photos I take. I could use photoshop to change them into line drawings, print them out, and transfer them to my canvas / paper. And I am learning how watercolors work.
Ward has contributed to the exercise as well. He constructed an easel for me out of some angle iron we had in stock. It folds when not in use, with the loosening of a bolt, and works wonderfully when painting on the beach. I just need to pick up a flat board to rest on it, that will hold my future painting projects.

I have to get a bit more practice in today because I want to make Ward an anniversary card. It's our 4th anniversary today. Usually I create a card on the computer and print it out, put I don't want to pull the printer down and set it up. It would be much easier to whip up a quick card with the watercolors and hand write the sentiment inside.
I better get busy with my project.
Later dudes and dudettes!