Natalia Skatula - Watercolor Wild and Free

I post little clips from my everyday creativity on my Instagram account @nataskalia.

Before you set about your first project, take a little time to have a brief look at watercolor painting. This section will give you useful information about how to get started and what to do about pencils, brushes, paints,and paper. Its only by having a good understanding of the materials you will be working with, and their functions and capabilities, that you will achieve the results and effects you are looking for.

Watercolor painting is a very exciting and sometimes unpredictable technique. It is possible to paint with great precision and detail with watercolors, but they can also be used to produce spontaneous color sequences that are pleasingly imperfect. Depending on how much water you use, the water-soluble paint will run rapidly in different directions over the paper, producing totally unplanned and unique splashes of color. This is precisely what is so fascinating for me with my watercolor work the interaction of the random patterns of color and small detailed touches, from which a finished picture emerges.

When you make your initial sketches, never copy your reference picture in exact detail. Its much more about creating small new worlds of color, allowing the interaction of water and color to take its course and seeing what comes out of it.

It doesnt matter whether its a bear wearing a hat or a sloth hanging in the vines the main thing is that were plunging into a world of form and color that makes us happy and enriches our everyday lives with creative inspiration.

Getting started with watercolor does not require a lot of equipment. You will normally only need:

• pencil
• eraser
• brushes
• paper
• watercolors
• absorbent cloth or paper towel
• glass water container

Considering the wide selection available and the differences in price, finding the right brush may seem daunting, but it does not have to be. Natural hair brushes are normally more expensive than synthetic ones. Your brush should essentially be capable of absorbing water well and holding it. It should be flexible and regain its shape after each brushstroke. It is also important that the fibers do not crumple up after the brush has been used for dabbing splashes of paint or drawing lines. There are basically two types of brush round and flat. A round brush, where the fibers form a point, can be used to produce both fine and broad strokes, depending on how you apply the brush to the paper. This also applies to flat brushes, which are particularly suitable for larger areas such as backgrounds. Some of my favorites are the Cosmotop Spin series of round and flat brushes from da Vinci, which are very soft and dont fray easily. Three or four brushes, ranging from fine to broad, should be enough to get you started on various projects. I recommend round brushes in size nos. 0, 3, 5 and 8 or 10.