Watercolors and Drawing

           "Can I still learn watercoloring if I can't draw?" I get asked this question a lot and I have seen this question asked on watercolor groups a lot. The answer is simply yes. You don't need to know how to draw just to learn how to watercolor. In this two part post, I will show you how to do that.

          Let me start by asking one question first: Have you tried learning how to draw? If not there are many videos on youtube that can help you with that as well as many great courses online. You can also find amazing courses on Udemy, SkillShare, and Domestika. There are also many amazing books for the people who like to learn that way. Now let us say you tried all that and STILL you can't draw a straight line. This is when you can go through the route I will explain here.

          I CAN'T DRAW. Okay, but that doesn't mean you can stop from learning about watercolors and making art. So how can you do that if you can't draw? It depends on what you are planning to do with that art. 

          If you are doing it for yourself and you are not going to sell your art, then there are people on ETSY who sell line art which you  can trace and use watercolor techniques to color. They give you permission to use it for personal use only and if you share your work online to show friends always link back to the original artist of the line art that you traced and acknowledge their work. Another thing that I use is stamps and stamp sets. There are amazing ones in different shops online.

          If you are planning to sell your art then there are a few things you can do. You can use your own personal photographs that you took and trace those, or you can look for pictures that are free to use commercially online and trace those. Make sure to always document what you did and where you got your elements. Let me give an example. When I look online for pictures to use freely I usually have a picture in my head that I want to draw. I will look for pictures that have the parts that I need. Like I could take the mountain from one picture and add that to the trees that I had taken a picture of personally and liked then add a house from a different picture and so on until my picture is complete. Sometimes not everything works well together and I change things or add or subtract things. When the line art that I traced from different elements looks like the picture in my head then I start using my watercolor techniques to color it. Be extra careful that the things you use are free to use commercially.  This is mostly theory so the next post I will explain a little more with actual practical examples and some of the tools I use to achieve my own art that speaks to me.

To trace or not to trace...that is the question.

          If you are anything like me then you have tried to study how to draw, taken classes, done all the exercises and read all the books and still suck at it. It might be because my right hand, which is my dominant hand, is a little warped from psoriartic arthritis. So holding a pencil (or any iteration of) for a very long time is out. Also, my perception when looking at things is totally out of wack for some reason. What I see and what I draw turnout to be totally different.  So I bought a light box and started to trace stuff. I always use free pictures on the internet or pictures that the owner gave permission for me to use. I also noticed that sometimes I would trace one thing from one picture and another from another picture and it becomes something entirely new and unique to me. Every once in a while I have this question in my head...should I try learning to draw again? Tracing feels like I am cheating! 

          The other day I was watching one of my favorite YouTube channel and the artist said that she sketches in her sketchbook and then uses a light box to trace her sketch onto watercolor paper. A light went up in my head...how did I not think of this use for tracing? So even people who draw use tracing...granted it is their own work but still tracing is a tool! 

          Another YouTube Channel was also talking about tracing but as a tool for learning to draw. They said that if you trace your hand will get used to drawing and if you practice enough after a while it will become second nature to draw but that everyone has to start somewhere. 

          These are just some musings that were running around in my head that I needed to share. So in the end...to trace or not to trace...that is up to you. But please be careful when you do trace. Make sure that if the picture is not free to use that you ask the original artist or photographer. Make sure they are okay with you using their work. If you sell your work make sure you mention that. Some artists don't mind you copying their work for personal use but will draw the line at selling or using them for competitions. Always, always make sure to mention the name of the artist or photographer when sharing your work online. Give them the credit they are due.