When I first started with watercolors, I really didn’t have any idea how to use them. As I said in a previous post, I took a class my town offered which ended up being a disaster on the one hand, but a chance to try on the other. The watercolorist who was the instructor, was busy hustling the retirees by adding extra hours to the class, payable to himself, getting paid to frame their work, besides getting paid to teach the class.
What teach the class? He was totally unethical as I have said. He only demonstrated watercolor painting, by using other artist’s work as a guide for the students. He didn’t teach anything. Not how to set up the colors, not how to prepare the paper, not how to manipulate the brush or the paint. Never set up a still life to work from or a model or go outside. Nothing but demonstrate on other’s art.
When that class was over I continued in my quest with watercolor on my own. At least I had a little idea, but I used these paints as I did oils. I have learned that it’s a totally different medium and it needs a new approach. That’s not to say I haven’t applied these paints just like oils, but they don’t work the same way. I can apply watercolor paint as I do the oil, but they get absorbed into the surface differently.
I found I liked sketching with watercolor from life better than from photos. I know lately I’ve been using pictures of what I want to paint. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. But when I can, I paint straight from the real thing.
John’s Laouto ©2000 Dora Sislian Themelis Watercolor |
Gregory ©2000 Dora Sislian Themelis Watercolor |