.... waving not drowning!
I have been doing a bit more research into FREE watercolour tuition on the Net, - looking at my original sites more closely plus a few new ones. Then yesterday Lisa Call left a message on my previous post which got me thinking I needed to maybe add a little more here about my findings.
Lisa is an extremely talented artist who designs and makes beautiful quilts ... each one is a real work of art so do look! Anyway, she had this to say:
"Your post is great timing except I started looking at Bruce MacEvoy's website and I quickly got overwhelmed - wow - he has a lot of great info but maybe not the best place for beginners.
On further inspection I realise that Bruce MacEvoy's site Handprint Watercolor is very technical and would have to agree with that comment ... but what I particularly liked was his A-Z of colour and his analysis and comparison of watercolour paints from 17 manufacturers. Very, very helpful if you want to assess which are the best value for your particular needs. In each subject covered Bruce links what he is explaining to more 'in-depth' analysis, - so that there is always the choice of how far into anything you wish to go. The site is still under construction and I feel certain that it will become the most comprehensive resource on watercolour painting on the Internet.
After a second (and third) visit I still think a very good start for beginners is with Peter Saw for his tips and practice exercises, and also with Watercolor Painting for guidance on brush control and their step-by-step demonstrations. I found that, although the excellent written lessons to be found at Watercolor Talk cover all the bases, there are no illustrations which makes it hard-going, - for me at least!
If, like me, you enjoy learning from seeing how others paint (I gain insight and inspiration that way) then the following two sites have much to offer. Watercolor Online has excellent articles and demonstrations from professional artists, and the section covering watercolour painting at Creative Spotlight also has step-by-step lessons, in addition to heaps of useful information and guidance.
Anyway, I feel that this particular selection covers most of what I need to get started. Soooo! I made a folder of 'How To' Tips and Exercises and have started practising! .... although it looks like it'll be quite a while before I get proficient at controlling both paint and water!
But I'm still waving (so far at least) .... not drowning!
Technorati Tags Art, Weblog, Blog, Artist, Painting, Lesly Finn, Pastel and Paint: Lesly Finn's Art
