Newbie watercolour questions.

If you go to YouTube, you'll find a number of useful demos - particularly, look out for Alan Owen, one of our regulars here; Steve Cronin, who specializes in using the Hake brush (and Cotman watercolours, though he normally uses the tubes rather than pans), Charles Evans - being much younger than I am, you might even be able to hear him: he seems to work in a cavernous studio in which his voice wafts away in a sort of soft gurgle - and Patrick Leigh-Greaves. There are many others, too, but these will all give you a good introduction - Alan's demos in particular are aimed at the complete watercolour beginner. Know what you mean about despoiling your nice new paintbox, but once you've got the bit between the teeth, I'd use an old brush, or a cheap one, to moisten the paints (or yes, sure, a pipette) - take some from the pan and slosh it in one of the wells or on an old china plate - and when you've got the paint mixed to the consistency you like, bring your better brushes into play. Some pans are a bit softer than others - I don't remember how hard or firm the Cotman pans are: can anyone else help? As for paper - 200lbs might or might not buckle, it depends largely on who made it, and on how much water you tend to use. You can stretch the paper (Google will help for tips), which involves wetting it and taping it down to a board, or just put a bit of tape on the corners to anchor it ..... I've got some of the student quality Fabriano paper at the moment (which I won't be using again) which does buckle; I've used Bockingford for my watercolour sketches in the past, which buckles rather less; if you want a paper that doesn't buckle at all, you'll be looking at a 300lb paper, made of cotton rag: but you probably don't feel ready for that yet. And it's obviously more expensive - worth it in the end: look for Saunders Waterford, Arches, Hahnemuehle, Schoellershammer (the last two aren't easy to find, but will repay the effort). Use plenty of paint, and enough water to make it flow - nothing worse than a tepid watercolour. And - when you've produced something you feel you can show without hiding your face behind a screen (first attempts at watercolour can be, shall we say, a rather revealing learning experience) do show them; even if you don't think much of them, because they do encourage people, and give you a record of where you were, and how far you've come.

Just look at YouTube, where you will find lots of videos which will put you on the right road.

One piece of advice I can offer which I've found invaluable: if you know a reasonably experienced watercolourist (or if you don't try and seek one out) and ask if you can spend time looking over his/her shoulder while he works.. Observe, absorb and ask questions. It's never the same watching demonstrations where you are just one of the audience or viewing videos with fixed camera angles etc. No matter how many videos you watch they are never the same as watching 'in the flesh'. For me the most interesting and informative aspects of sitting alongside people watching them work live is that you can see their techniques at first hand without being limited by other peoples heads, camera angles etc. One of the most important aspects of watercolour painting is in the mixing and preparation of washes (how much to mix, what consistency, which colours) and yet how many videos provide adequate (if any) coverage of the artists palette? The use of the palette is as important as the actual application of the paint - get this wrong and you've lost before you've begun.

Keep searching YouTube, there are other demonstrations - if you want figure studies, though (you might not) they are few and far between, I notice.... Alan paints what most of his followers want to learn, usually - he's also done some flower paintings; provided he hasn't removed the demos, and he's a devil for that, there should be quite a collection. I do agree with Michael, though - however good a video, it won't show everything ... if you COULD find a watercolourist near you, or a local group (provided there was at least one in the number who was any good!) you'd learn a lot, and more quickly. As to 'what to paint' - we're all in that boat, I would imagine: I certainly am - I've got sketches and photos coming out of my ears, and countryside all around me, wildlife in abundance, and still can't make what I'm pleased to call my mind up.....

My art teacher says that with watercolour you need to spend more time planning than painting. First prepping the paper so it doesn't buckle (wetting it thoroughly and taping it down with parcel tape onto the board and leaving it to dry). Planning the order in which you are going to paint (light to dark). Mixing up your washes. Possibly wetting was first before applying paint if you are planning to do wet into wet. old tip is to mix our colours in advance so you are not going back to the pans all the time and you have the ready for quick application. Hope this helps.

If you can, find a watercolour class to attend to get started. Otherwise, just play around with the paints to get a feel for them, without any expectation of producing a finished painting. When I first started with watercolour I found it invaluable to copy something, perhaps another watercolour painting - find one which you really like by an artist you admire and try to replicate it. It's a great way to get to grips with colour mixing, tone etc. Obviously once you're more confident you wouldn't want to copy others' work, but it really is a good way to get started - and don't worry about getting it right first time, I think we all learn more from our mistakes than when we get it right. Watercolour is in fact a more forgiving medium than most people think, especially if you use a good quality paper,which will take a bit of rough treatment - Saunders Waterford, especially in the heavier weights, is very good.