Second batch for #Washtober2020 watercolour challenge
More fun, one dud, and lessons learned
This is the second lot of my #Washtober offerings. I did do one more piece, but it was so awful that I’m not including it here. The day’s theme was “coins”, but mine ended up neither shiny nor circular. I told myself at the beginning of the month that I would publish every single work I did during October, and I did put it on my Instagram feed – and even got some likes. So it is there if you want to look. A plus was I had a nice conversation with another artist who kindly gave me some tips on how to achieve shiny effects in watercolour.
Obviously I did not do 31 pieces of work. I actually have some real writing/editing work to do at the moment (first for four months!), but when I have completed it in a couple of days, I will go back and try to do the ones I missed out. Really.
What did I learn from #washtober?
- I don’t have to spend hours and days on a “masterpiece” every time I do watercolour in the studio
- I did these pieces on small paper – mostly 12.5x18cm (5″x7″) Acquarello Watercolour Artistico cotton paper, 300g/m2, cold pressed
- Don’t overthink things – these are meant to be quick and dirty
- Mix up A LOT of the major wash colours before you begin (it must be my Scottish Presbyterian/Welsh Calvinist background that makes me stingy with tube colour)
- Almost anything makes for an interesting subject
- Joining in a group activity like this is a good way to build followers and find new people to follow, through the #Washtober2020 hashtag on Instagram
- Liron Yanconsky (lironyanil on Instagram) is awesome for starting this project!