watercolours and brushpens

A couple of days ago at the library, while browsing in the art section looking for books on photography, I saw a book on lettering and borrowed it- The Art of Whimsical Lettering by Johanne Sharpe (link to website of author).

via

Filled my 5-page-filled-otherwise-blank sketchbook with a couple of starter quotes and words, then bought two brushpens from the stationery shop. This shop was rather small and didn't have a wide range of pens, so I decided on gold and silver (the others were blue, pink and purple).

I got rather excited and inspired, so the very next day I rummaged through the storage boxes and retrieved my watercolour set. 

I hadn't touched watercolouring since primary school. I remember sitting around a large table with my brothers and a couple of friends and their siblings, doing art as one of our classes in our co-op. So we'd study an artist and the type of art, then do some art. For example, I vividly remember lying on our backs and painting a piece of clay somehow stuck to a plank which was placed between chairs, because we had been studying Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. As you can tell, it was a rather fun class and I had really enjoyed it, also bonding with my friends. 

Speaking of which, one memory popped up where a friend and I were arguing over whose work was worse than the other, while our siblings at the other table were arguging over whose work was better.

Okay, enough reminiscing, the past is the past and there's no use wishing going back to those carefree days.

So this watercolour set hadn't been touched for at least 4 years. The white tube of white paint has long since hardened, and I was amazed the paintbrushes aren't hardened.

it just shows I'm not a good artist

these are just backgrounds, letterings will come another day

Watercolouring and lettering is really addictive. After I finished one piece, I wanted to experiment with another shade, another hue, another colour, and I spent around 4 hours before restraining myself from continuing and doing it for the whole day. I think it's because I'm compensating for the neglected art in me for at least four years.

So at the end of the day, I came to a conclusion:

It doesn't matter if you aren't good in art, drawing or painting or whatever, just do it. It's satisfying, and more than that, it's a really good way to find your inner peace and release stress. Just you, paint and the paper. I myself enjoy this because I really like seeing the gradients and different hues of colours, and it's much easier to get this result with watercolours than with markers.

So even though it's rather obvious I'm not the best in drawing and art in general, I'll still do it, because it's not like there's a rule that says you have to be good at something to do it.

Until next time!