Reasons to learn watercolour

Arts, Crafts & Performing Arts

Why learn Watercolour painting

Painting promotes stress relief, improves memory skills, enhances motor skills and even promotes emotional growth. Particularly during difficult times starting a new hobby and taking some time for yourself is hugely important.

If you are asking yourself why would you want to learn, why you would want to get better or how can it be so rewarding? Here are more reasons:

1. Watercolour is portable

The basics include a brush, watercolour paper, and a few paints, it is accessible, nontoxic, clean and relatively inexpensive to work with.  Colours are vivid which makes them great for depicting plants, flowers and landscapes and their versatility makes them good for a myriad of other subjects.  Look at the watercolours made by the following artists to see what can be achieved: William Blake, J.M.W. Turner, James Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Paul Klee, Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Hopper to name just a few.

2. Watercolours help us discover our creativity

We all have the ability to be creative, believe it or not. And it doesn’t have to be artistic to be considered creative!

Do you remember when you were a kid? Do you remember creating with reckless abandon? Drawing whatever you want, building forts from materials around the house and dressing up without fear of judgment? The thing is, you’ve always been creative… You’ve just forgotten this part of yourself.

3. Watercolours teach us to slow down

Watercolours, like many hobbies, can be an escape to a place you call your own and you discover purpose when we’re quiet and intentional.  Painting with watercolours requires thought, careful application, and you may have a personal goal to aim for. It’s time we take for ourselves and, in that time, while we paint, we’re slowing down so that we find whatever it is we might need at that moment.

4. Watercolours encourage us to view the world around us differently

Painting, like drawing, comes from first observing. Whether it’s from memory or a reference photo, art is one way that we can share how we see the world.

What colours are in this object? What shape is it? Where are the shadows falling? What are the important details that make it unique?

Watercolours encourage us to really look before we translate what we see onto paper.

We have a Watercolour course starting soon where you can learn techniques and the knowhow to make great images using watercolours, as well as finding out about other artists working in the media, paints, papers and brushes.

For more information and to book your place go to Watercolour course.  Pick up your brushes and give it a go!