Help me choose my next tutorial!
I’ve realised that there are an ever-growing number of tutorials on the website full of different skills and techniques, and I’m someone who never wants to be the cause of someone else’s overwhelm. So here are my tips for tutorials that will get you a solid step further along the learning curve.
Water use - This is everything in watercolour, if you can see brushstrokes then generally you need more water. However, dry brush will be very useful eventually so trying out the most wet and most dry your brush can be are both useful exercises!
Recommended tutorials: Antiperfection circles, Monstera 1, Pansies,Sunsets and skies
Values - The biggest change can be created by getting your darkest darks and lightest lights working for you on the page. I’m still workin on this, it’s a forever project! But it’s so fun.
Recommended tutorials: Pebbles, Level up your pencil skills
Observation - Once you start looking at things properly, really looking and seeing edges, colours, shapes and values, then you’ll not be able to stop. It’s slightly life changing in a very geeky arty way!
Recommended tutorials: Reflections 1 and Reflections 2
Antiperfection - Give yourself a break. I want to put it at number one but you’re be ready for it at that point! I still can’t do it every day. Please be kind to yourself, this is a fun and relaxing thing and I can guarantee that the more hours you get under your belt the easier you’ll find it. There’s literally nothing simultaneously more and also less important than watercolour painting. Try to just play and experiment.
Recommended tutorials: Dreaming of Flowers, Bugs
Trying new things - Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone and try something really different. This is where trying random tutorials off the internet can go really wrong because they can make you feel rubbish or have an annoying voice (at least you already know if you find my voice annoying!) or want you to have lots of materials you don’t have and can’t source easily. These suggestions will get you doing something a bit different but still staying in a positive and antiperfection zone.
Recommended tutorials: Birds, Blackberries and repeat patterns, Colourful Words
…An update a few weeks after I shared this is a handy little flowchart. Who doesn’t love a flowchart??
Oh yes, and if you need to have it explained why these are special tutorials, then please look no further than these blog posts here, and here.
I hope you enjoy these suggestions, I’d love to hear how you find them!
Ps. The Antiperfection Art Club members have access to all these tutorials in their members area for just £20 per month, but if you aren’t already in the club (why not?!) then these bundles will get you a heap of tutorials at a reduced price…