Advance Your Watercolor Painting Skills
Articles
Creating a Great Watercolor Workspace
by Charlene Thomforde
Watercolor Art Timesaving Tip 1
Finding time to paint can be a challenge. If you have to clear off your counter, drag out your paints and set up your palette every time you want to paint, most of your time will be used up before your brush even hits the paper. If you can set aside a space or a whole room where you won't be easily distracted, you can sneak in a few minutes here and there. Ideally, you will be able to close a door, but a even a corner of a room is better than nothing. That way you can leave your supplies in place and you will always be ready to go.
Here are some tips for setting up a studio you will love to work in:
1. Make your space the happiest place in the house. Hang plants and inspiring pictures, and place your favorite objects around to fill the room and make it inviting.
2. Be sure your lighting is good. A task light with a full spectrum bulb works well for low light days and evenings. The ideal natural light is steady north light which comes from the left of your table if you are right handed.
3. Keep a small table beside your work table or easel to hold your supplies. You don't want to crowd your working surface.
4. Work standing as much as possible. Sitting down keeps you from using the full movement of your arms and body and cramps your style and spontaneity. I like to have my table at standing height with an adjustable chair, so I can sit to do areas of detail or if I need to rest. If you must sit to paint, its easy to stand back to look at what you are doing when you work at standing level.
5. Playing music or talk radio can be beneficial. Sometimes too much quiet can cause you to think too much which can block your free flow of creativity. Great music can also inspire you to greater art.
The most important thing is to enjoy being in your working space. Because if you don't, you won't want to spend time there!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charlene Thomforde is a watercolor artist/instructor, and publisher of Inspirations for the Watercolor Journey, a weekly newsletter. For watercolor painting tips and techniques go to www.watercolorways.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~""
Charlene Thomforde is a watercolor artist/instructor,and publisher of Inspirations for the Watercolor Journey,
a weekly newsletter. For watercolor painting tips and techniques go to www.watercolorways.com
Contact the author, Charlene Thomforde
, at charlene@watercolorways.com
.