Milt Reynolds: Thinking Out Loud

Tools of the Trade: Watercolor I'm a beginner. I don't paint often, and so I don't paint as well as I'd like. But to the extent that my skill, and patience, allows, here are some thoughts about the tools and techniques of watercolor painting . This are my painting tools. From left to right: Brushes Ruler (six-inch plastic) Pen (ballpoint) Pencil (#2) Paints Jar of water to clean brushes Jar of clean water to add to paints Mixing palette Water brushes Small bottle of water Watercolor paper (fairly heavy, to resist curling) How to Watercolor book Experienced painters will immediately pick up on my innocence... I don't have a clue what type/size/style/quality my brushes are . I don't buy expensive brushes, but I do throw away any that shed their hair. I especially like the small water brushes . The water brush has a small, refillable water reservoir, making it easy to add water to color, create washes, and clean. Gently squeeze the bar...

Creating a Watercolor from a Photograph Mother's Day... I decided to try to paint a couple of pictures for my mother, and for my wife (she's not my mother, but she is a mother, and a great one!) I've collected quite a few photographs, postcards, calendar scenes, magazine pages and newspaper clippings of scenes I'd like to consider painting. Most are way beyond my beginner-level skills, but I found a couple of flower images that I thought, just maybe, perhaps, I could translate into a watercolor painting. I set out my tools, a cup of coffee, and found a comfortable, well-lit place to work. I add a few drops of clean water into each pan of paint and allow the paint to absorb the water, becoming liquid. For strong, bright colors, I'll dip my brush into the pan and paint directly on the paper. For lighter colors, or a wash, I'll swap my brush into the pan, and then wipe it into an empty, clean pan and add more water, or another color to create a different ...