Introductions!

Hello again! The Community Relations' Traditional Art Team are proud to present to all of you the second instalment of Project TradSavvy.   Joining us here today for the coverage on watercolour is =lolitaAgogo, a wonderful young lady equipped with well-honed talent and a brilliant mind:

The Interview

1. Hello Lolita, and thank you very much for participating TradSavvy as our guest artist! As this article is covering watercolours, please tell us what is it about this medium that draws or fascinates you so.

The number one element that fascinates me about watercolors is that it is a medium with a mind of its own. No matter how you use it, you will never get the exact result twice. I dont expect anything certain of it, just to be what it is, and this appeals to me because this philosophy carries over to my life.


2. Naturally every artist upholds differing principles, or even none at all, when it comes to the mediums they use. Rather than divulge into "methods", is there any one aspect that you would recommend for one to pay attention to when using watercolour?

The goal of watercolor, (I've been told) is to intentionally lay down the "correct" brush stroke so that you dont have to rework or go over painted space. That you live with your serendipitous mistakes as you paint. You can follow this rule if you like, because as anyone knows in watercolor, if you overwork a space it can be easily ruined, but the most important aspect to take away from this rule is that watercolor is a strong meditational medium, and thereby can require patience.


3. What would be your estimated budget for getting all the necessary tools in order to pursue a genuine interest for this medium?

USD$10-100, also I am of the opinion that using what you have on hand is always creative and best.


4. What would be your recommended shopping list?

Find a brush that you enjoy how it feels in your hand. I like to buy variety packs that have a large brush and a fine tip and a flat brush.

Some Strathmore paper is easy and cheap to find in a cold press or variety pack, 140lb/300gsm weight, whatever dimensions you wish.

I adore Windsor & Newton watercolors. There might be better and there might be worse but they are archival quality, wet down nicely after drying, and have nice bright pigment.

In any case you should be able to find an introductory kit of some sort for $10-25.

5. What are the differences between one type of material/tool over the other? What in your opinion justifies the difference in cost?

For me, I haven't found anything that justifies an expensive brush for any medium so long as the bristles will not come out while I am painting. Tug on the bristles in the store to check this, personally I love a nice cheap variety pack.

As for paint, it comes in dry form called pans or cakes, in tubes as a paste, or as a liquid like ink. The cost is similar for high quality paint in any form. I find cakes to not be bright enough pigment wise, and for me liquid is hard to control, so I prefer the tubes which are probably most versatile. You can let it dry and voila! it is a cake, or water it down and it is a liquid.

As for paper, it may be the most important and unimportant factor at the same time. This will come down to your personal preference. I love any brand of 100% cotton paper with a weight from 140lb/300gsm to 300lb/640gsm. What those numbers indicate is the thickness or weight of the paper, helps prevent buckling, but you can also soak a paper and stretch it on a board then staple it. Hot press paper is a smooth less absorbent surface, rough press and cold press are both more absorbent because of the texture.

6. Please divulge in your methodologies when it comes to using watercolour.

I only really have three initial methodologies for learning watercolor, then you can decide for yourself what you like best.

Use more water than you think you should. water is really the key. Try putting the water down first, then the paint.

Do not use black. It will swallow every other color and flatten out space. Use a mix of complementaries like red and green or a sepia or ultramarine for shading.

I dont use white, try to plan the paper as white spaces or layer light washes (I may intend to but really I am terrible at this too!). Not using white is an old fashioned view, many watercolor artists do use it successfully.

7. Finally, which are some of your favourite ink art pieces, both on and off dA?

Oddly I dont watch too many watercolor artists but these pieces are some of my absolute recent favourites on dA, some are pure watercolor, some are used with other processes:

In closing...

Thank you very much Lolita, and to all of you, we hope this article was enlightening and entertaining.   Please stay tuned for the next installments!   Any suggestions and/or questions please feel free to comment!

Be Inspired, not directed.