For the last few months I've been exploring one of my original illustration techniques ... watercolor. When I first realized that I am an artist, I was exposed to a new creative medium per week for two semesters at Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School. So, at 13 I was infused into a curriculum that allowed me the opportunity to play with metal, glass, wood, fabrics, photography, sculpture, drawing in charcoal, pencil, conté crayon, painting in all its forms -- oil, acrylic and watercolor.
While I enjoyed all of the mediums and I loved painting, it was too messy -- I'm not a fan of the sloppiness of the painting process and getting my nails and hands all cruddy. So, next in line were pencils -- they offered just as many colors with the ability to deliver images that I could control with a subtle texture. Of all the drawing materials that I discovered in class, I gravitated to Prismacolor pencils and Canson rag paper. It began my life's work of creativity by selling my first piece of art at 13. Then fashion illustration exploded into my world. Wow. Then medical illustration ... but I had to attend a 4-year and then med school ... ah hem, nah! Illustration evolved into graphic design and ultimately advertising. Over time I even became impatient with the pencil drawing process, so digital illustration dominated my rendering passions.
Then I was introduced to watercolor pencils a few months ago while researching a project, hmmmmm. These new tools blew my mind. Aquash water pencils by Pentel and Staedtler watercolor pencils, when combined, gave me what I needed to get back into drawing and painting. Full color options, fast and expressive in ways that my digital illustration work is --- and no mess. Nice.
Now, decades later, I can explore watercolor in a way that I dig and it is filtered though a lifetime of ideas that emote freely. I'm revisiting beauty for now. Back to basics.