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The most common thing I hear when I say I paint in watercolors is; “oh, that’s so difficult.”. I presume it comes down to the fact that in oils or acrylics one can just paint over an area they are not happy with. While this may be true, I find there are several things that I find easier and very appealing about painting with watercolors.
The first is portability and simplicity. I have a small palette and set of brushes that I can take anywhere. Paper blocks work great at home or on the go. Some of my favorite days of travel or hiking have been painting days. Water is available everywhere and is infinitely more pleasant than the solvents needed for oil painting. My studio space can be fairly small and anywhere I want it to be.
I love the close relationship one has with the pigment in watercolor painting. It is a dance with the paper, water and paint. It is possible to paint in a very controlled manner with watercolor, but it’s spontaneity is a delight. My favorite paintings contain both.
Probably the best thing about this medium over the others is light. Actual light, not just the appearance of light that great oil or acrylic artists convey, but real, reflected light. Because of watercolors transparency, each brush stroke of color hits the paper and bounces back through the pigment revealing the color.
Colors glow from the light shining from the paper itself. The careful use of glazes and transparent layers can create incredible depth and beauty. When painting wet on wet, colors blend and reinvent themselves right on the paper.
The greatest challenge for a watercolor artist is the management of water. Water in the palette, water on the paper and water in the brush. Too much and things get messy and muddy. Too little and you lose the movement and spontaneity.
That’s just a few reasons why I love painting with watercolors.
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