All posts by J.P.Keslensky

Watercolor Is Called Art, Not Science

Watercolor is called art, not science. So often questions about watercolor painting are asked in such a way as to expect a highly technical or specific answer. How much is enough water ? To create “Coffee” pigment to water ratio, what percentage is water and what percentage is pigment. What percentage does the intensity applied for a wash remain when it dries ? On and on, the questions continue; and if watercolor was a science there might actually be easy to quantify specific percentage numbers. Some answers are not finite but are often answered with ranges of percentages. To date I haven’t seen an Amazon product advertised as a watercolor moisture probe monitor. Ultimately, this is an art and not a science, and thus the answers almost always have to be answered as “it’s a matter of trial and error” or “you will figure things out over time through trying it for yourself”. Which really means that like any art, it is highly subjective, it’s mostly based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. The more you do it the more you will figure out your own answers. Getting answers really means gaining experience following many hours of practice. It’s important to try and experiment and keep notes to record successes and failures. But neither really is a success or a failure, it’s all positive because each trial and experiment is adding to your understanding. How formally you track your notes or experiences is a personal thing. The important part is learning and keeping some track of your experiences. Your goals are progressing your learning not how fancy you produce your learning notes. Whatever works for you is what’s important and more importantly is continuing practicing and not becoming frustrated or discouraged. Some people will progress quickly, others will move more slowly.