Loose Up Life Drawing & My Birthday

Hi, Friends, enjoying life? My birthday is next Tuesday (thank u, Lydie, you already celebrated it in a comment!). So, instead of next Monday, I upload this post for a make up (= I'm not sure I can post with a hangover).  Also, Editor will come. We'll talk over the project in person at the beginning of November. I'm preparing for it. Lalalala~~~ ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ·.•*•♫°•♫·.•ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

Now, a life drawing class, no tutor, has started. I'd share tips to loose up watercolour life drawing on A2 in a very short time ( = in 1, 5, 15 or 20 minutes). 

1)  The lesser, the better, brush stokes are.
Don't overwork, is a rule of thumb. If you wonder more strokes or not, "Stop it" is a wise option. Actually, no time to think twice in 1 minute! 

2) Limited Palette & Have Your Own Colours
The lesser, the easier, to unify colours in a busy work. Try one colour to study value and movement. Then, pick up your favorite colours to work on in longer minutes. Selection of colours demonstrates your uniqueness and style. Find your own colours.

1 minute

Well, I often pick up too much fresh paints in a big hurry and paint thick on papers. But it comes out more vivid, stronger and much clearer than ever, see below. Her sharp eyes and a scarf's green caught my eyes. Look at her intense eyes! *When I get tired, I SECRETLY sketch other members!! Hahaha, we enjoy results over coffee. 
... and I'll lose my friends one after another?! Gulp.

 

3) Control of water & Know Colours
Control of water is the key for successful watercolour. Each colour has a character like a person. It behaves differently with varied amount of water on paper. To maximise a colour's personality, amount of water is crucial. It's an adventure to manage how much brushes pick up water.
Of course, lots of messes are essential. It's fun for me to taste messes. Yum! I always find something useful! Remember Beethoven did not compose nine symphonies at once. Michelangelo did not make Cysteine chapel at the beginning of a career. All great masters are great hard workers. "Love creating messes" is a watershed to divide people who enjoy life with self-esteem from people end up in regret. 

4) Big Paper is all your playground 
Drawing is a physical exercise! Don't be shy. Move well and use your body, arms, hands, feet, everything rhythmically. Then, you can be stress free! 

5) Drawing Skills & Painting Outcome go hand in hand 
Ultimately, drawing skills decide any painting's result and level. 
I've found the quicker, the better a result comes up, because I very much concentrate on work and make a right and brave decision. Next time, I'll try 20 minutes work with the speed spent in 1 minute work. 

Regarding papers, please use qualified papers even for practice (the thicker, the better). Practicing expensive papers looks wasting money, BUT no! It's the short cut to know papers and learn how to use papers = technically, you'll get better more effectively! 
Talking of me, thin papers are for really a quick job and save money. 300gsm are for interesting subjects and for washes. 
In a class, I'm very happy and never demand myself too much. When I make "one" favorite work, I celebrate it with members. When I joined the class, I challenged watercolour life drawing for the first time. I get faster and faster to organise work. Brushes dance merrily on papers. Friends, challenging is nice! In addition, you will find your own way. Other people's ways are, eventually, for others. 


BTW, I got myself an easel for a birthday present. Ahem! I found a brand new one at Vinnie. Can you guess how much it was? Hehehehe, I'll answer it later. 
Friends, have a wonderful day.
Happy Painting! Lalalala~~~ ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ·.•*•♫°•♫·.•ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Ah, party, party! 

Loose Up Life Drawing & My Birthday