Why do intelligent adults find it so difficult to learn new things like painting with watercolors?
Children don’t seem to struggle with the most complicated computer technology, so… “Why do grown-ups find it hard to learn new art skills?”
In reality there is no mystery to learning drawing, painting or any other craft skill. All you need is…
- A desire to learn
- Ambition to improve
- Willingness to practice
The problem lies simply in the fact that adults want to complicate everything. They see an expert producing incredible stuff and want to copy the example instantly. And, when the results look crude and amateurish there is disappointment and despair.
The truth is that any expert knows how to make complicated things simple. They learned their craft skills over many years (10 years or more perhaps).
So, there is no shame in accepting that you cannot match the standard of a master’s artwork immediately. The key to your artistic success will come from beginning with simple and easy to do drawings and paintings.
Then, as your confidence grows…
You begin to see ways to simplify the complicated artwork. It can take time but it is worth every ounce of your effort and dedication.
As an example… I had great fun preparing “1- Color Is Best” & “3- Colors Is All You Need”. In fact, I have found more enjoyment from painting apparently simple and basic watercolors than from almost all of the serious pictures I have ever painted… Plenty of thrills with no hassle.
Unless you have tried it, you cannot understand the shock as the tip of a brush full of watercolor color touches the pool of clean water on the surface of white watercolor paper. The effect is electric… it is uncontrollable… it is like an explosion of color.
And then, imagine the paint drying process…
Color moves and settles… wet areas suck color away from darker areas to leave lighter zones with vivid dark edges. Nothing is guaranteed until the paper is dry.
This is where watercolor painting is most exciting. Go on, have a go yourself… Play with watercolors for a while and enjoy letting them paint themselves. Amaze yourself at the way the colors mix and blend naturally to produce unexpected results.
Soon, you will be armed with all the painting knowledge and skills you need to be ready to paint your dreams… and you will have had great fun as you learn.
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Michael Dale is the author of 1 Color Is Best (the quick and easy way to learn to paint watercolor) and 3 Colors Are All You Need (mix any color you want fast using only 3 colors). Visit http://www.Paint-And-Draw.com to find out more. If you haven’t done so already, why not take a look at this video that features some of Michael Dale’s Simple Watercolor Paintings |
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s about time somneoe wrote about this.
Why struggle when the paint will do the work for you and help you win? It makes no sense to fight and lose.