There are many wonderful books on how to watercolor available through your local bookstore or library. I also find watercolor magazines very helpful. Art stores can give excellent advice on what tools you'll need. Many art store employees are quite knowledgeable and will help you get started. You may also want to look into art classes at schools, colleges or churches.

I learned to watercolor by painting sky. Here's a quick 101 lesson on my technique:

Tips on watercolor painting Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Many people try to paint with watercolor the same as tempera, or gauche. It won't work. The pigment must be used with water, lots of water! The secret is to really use the water! And ALWAYS use clean water. Paint each part of your work in clean water first, add a drop of color and let it glow, with the water doing the work. Add more drops of color gently off your wet brush to get the look you want. Play and have fun!

Tools

watercolor paper
(I use Strathmore or Windsor & Newton 90# not cold press)

watercolor paints
(I like to use Windsor & Newton)
I use a variety of colors:

• Windsor Red, (orange/optional)
• Cadmium or chrome yellow
• Green, hookers green light
• Cobalt Blue
• Paynes Grey
• Burnt umber and a sepia
• Optional colors are pink or rose and a Cobalt Violet

(Remember, there are thousands of colors that can be mixed from the colors you have. Example: mix the red with yellow to make an orange.)

several watercolor brushes (get the best quality you can afford: real hair brushes are best). I use a Strathmore tiny brush #0 for detail, a medium #2 for most things and a large full brush #4 or a #5 for backgrounds and sky.)

cardboard or heavy paperboard

masking tape

Tape edges of watercolor paper to cardboard to keep edges of your paper flat and to keep paper from rolling up.

Step 1, put a thin light water wash over your paper.

Step 2. Let water dry to a damp glisten: wet enough so the color added to the water will bleed.

Step 3. Pick up the paper and let the color roll around to get the look you want.

Step 4. Add color to make storm clouds. Let the water do the work for you, try it over and over. Experiment and see what happens. How can you make it look sunny? Rainy and dreary? Stormy? Explore what happens if you blot semi-dry color with a tissue?

Step 5. Watch what happens when you really look at God's beautiful sky and note the real color. Sometimes a color isn't at all what we think it is. By adding the opposite color on the color wheel, you will get a neutral, more sophisticated color.

Don't forget: the best advice is to PLAY! Go for it, and make mistakes! It's OK! Good luck!