Okay! I did my first Facebook Live!
The goals of this Live were:
- To get comfortable using the software and being in front of the camera!
- To introduce people to the most basic-basics of watercolor painting
- And to show everyone the first group project to work on!
If you watched the FB Live, thanks so much for being there and being encouraging! I was nervous! If you haven’t watched it yet, go ahead and do so, hopefully you’ll learn some little nuggets of information.
Click here to go to the Facebook Group and watch the Live video!
All About SUPPLIES!
I talked about a few different supplies in the video, and I’m going to post them below so you can check them out yourself, along with some extra information.
First of all, I have a new and ongoing series all about watercolor supplies called the Watercolor Glossary. So far I have written about watercolor paper and brushes. Click over and read those entries if you’d like even more specifics and recommendations.
The Essentials Kit
At the end of the video, I also talked about the Watercolor Essentials Kit that I make. The kit has everything you need to get started, so if you’re feeling a little unsure of where to start or overwhelmed by so many options, you can click over here to check out and purchase the kit. The kit has a handy metal palette, watercolor brush, pipette, two pre-drawn templates, a color mixing chart, and a note from me. You can also watch this YouTube video to see more about it:
Supplies I Mentioned:
Brushes:
- I HIGHLY recommend these brushes when you’re just starting. They won’t break the bank, but they are great quality. If you’re only buying one, go for the size 6.
- A great set of mini synthetic brushes for detail work.
- That link will take you to the Rosemary Brushes website, and they are just a fantastic place to purchase hand-made, high-quality brushes.
Paper:
- I use hot-pressed 140lb 100% cotton paper for my final paintings, like this one from Blick.
- I also use pads of medium-quality paper for practicing, testing colors, and painting little studies of things. This is a good one!
Paints:
- I make my own palettes of paint now, filled with a bunch of different brands and my own favorite things. I use this palette and fill it up with my preferred paints.
- You can also go the easy route and get a pre-made palette, like this one from QOR, which I like and use often. Please note, these professional palettes can be expensive, but the paints are a much higher quality.
- And remember the Essential Watercolor Kit that I make myself, which has everything you need to get started and is less expensive.
Other:
- These pens are a great purchase because they’re waterproof, long-lasting, and come in a variety of sizes. You can use the pens before or after you paint and the outlines add a lot of detail and interest to your finished piece.
- A pipette!
Group Project for the Week
Finally, here is the image of the project for everyone to work on this week. Post your results in the group here and use the hashtag #groupproject so we can find them easily. Let’s cheer each other on! I’m happy to give some constructive feedback if you’re interested, as well. Watch the FB LIVE video for the step-by-step instructions and don’t let fear hold you back–just get painting, there’s no wrong way to start!
Experiment with different shapes and colors and see how the paint and water interact with each other. This is a great exercise for learning to control the amount of paint/water on your brush, for learning how colors mix and interact, and to gain control painting specific shapes.
There’s a poll up on Facebook asking what you’d like to learn during next week’s LIVE, be sure to get your vote in!
And LAST of all: if you’re not in the FB Group, what are you waiting for? Get over there and check it out!!
Thanks again!
Alex
Alex's Garden Studio 