Have you been thinking about signing up for an art class? These days you have many choices if you want to learn how to paint. You can find a class online, watch free Youtube instructional videos, google painting and drawing instruction and find websites, books and dvds that will teach you art skills.
Or you can attend a good old fashioned art class where you leave your house, tote your art supplies to a place where you sit down with other actual people and watch and listen to a live teacher.
Speaking from my experience of learning to paint, finding a live teacher who knows not only their subject but also how to teach it to you, is the best and quickest way to learn. Attending a class in the flesh gives you a chance to learn from the students in the class and the teacher. Plus once a skill has been explained and demonstrated to you so you can see exactly how the teacher moves their brush, how wet their paper is and lots of other details, you need to get feedback from your teacher on how you are practicing the skill in class.
Sometimes an instructor can study what you’ve practiced and give you a correction or tip that helps you paint better. I try to circulate around the class and look at everyone’s work and make helpful comments.
I often remind students to tilt their paper up if there washes are lumpy. This simple correction improves a wash right away. I am not being picky or critical, I’m just trying to point out a correction to improve your painting.
Sometimes if I sense a student is frustrated and tense I make a joke to relax them and remind them, “Watercolor is not rocket science, anyone can learn if they practice their skills. I may add a story about an unnamed student who started painting with me and now sells lots of paintings where ever she goes. You need to find a teacher that you enjoy learning from and see improvement in your work from taking their class.
Here are two of my favorite evaluations from a recent class I taught that made me happy because I think I am helping my students.
