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Painting with Watercolors  Watercolors are made from pigments mixed with a water-soluable solution, such as gum Arabic. Watercolors are easily purchased in tubes or pans. For the artist, watercolors is one of the most dynamic mediums to experiment in. Watercolors are great for outdoor painting. The quick drying nature of the medium offers a wide range of varieties and creative consistencies.
If you're into discovering a free-flowing art adventure, experimenting in watercolors an be quite fun. Painting in watercolors takes practice, and like all things in life worth experiencing, the art form needs to be practiced one step at a time. You have to learn to work with the "behavior" of water, since it can't be controlled or dominated. Getting started with watercolors
Watercolor painting can be a bit difficult first. However, time and practice wins the day. You should never become discouraged by the challenges you’re going to face.
The first thing you’ll need is to purchase supplies. At this stage, it’s best to purchase the best supplies your income can afford. Working with cheap materials may ultimately produce cheap results. You don’t have to go out and spend a lot of money at first. It’s best to start small, and then work up to the more expensive supplies. Your experience will dictate the level of supplies you can use. Choosing the quality and texture of paper is important, and will have a dramatic effect on the final outcome of your painting. The following are three categories of paper used for painting in the watercolor medium: Cold pressed, hot pressed, and rough.
Rough paper has the highest tooth of all watercolor papers. This type of paper will give you the most texture of the three. Cold pressed paper is more versatile, and has a slighter texture to it. Cold presses paper is the most popular of the three types. Hot pressed paper has the smoothest texture among the three types. When buying watercolor paper, it’s best to keep these tips in mind: Watercolor paper is sold by size and weight. Sizing occurs when the fibers of the paper are treated to make them less absorbent. Paper weight is measured in pounds of one ream (500 sheets of paper). Experimenting with the three types will give you a good idea of which medium you’ll want to spend the most time with. Water Color Paints
Water color paints come in both the artist and student quality. Quality paint will have a more intense vibrant color, while student paints have more fillers in the place of pigments. This is the main reason student paints are less expensive. Experimenting with both grades will help you to form your own opinion.
Water Color Brushes
Brushes will be the most important part of your watercolor supplies. Choose brushes of good quality, and that perform well under most conditions. Brushes will come in all shapes and sizes. The two most common types are natural and synthetic. Natural brushes will usually cost more, and overall perform better than synthetic brushes.
Pallette
The pallete is used to mix watercolor paints. The best kind of palette of watercolor mixing is a white palette. The white palette surface works well for being able to clearly see your mixtures. A drafting table, with a fifteen degree angle is preferable, but a regular table will get the job done. The next step is to find a quiet place in your home or elsewhere that will allow for the least amount of interruption.
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