Watercolor is notorious for “doing it’s own thing,” and as I am a perfectionist and control freak, it forces me to stay loose. But I’ve grown to love keeping these pieces sketchy, even striving to comprise an image of colorful blobs. Sometimes I’ll embellish with colored pencil on top, or a little bit of acrylics, etc— whatever it feels like it needs.

This method has evolved over time. As a teenager, I would haul printer paper and art supplies around in a big camo zipper binder with me everywhere. It was a lot of stuff lol

As an adult, it’s evolved into a more discreet kit that I can stuff in my purse or backpack. As I am focusing on painting over illustration for now, it’s far easier to take a small watercolor sketchbook on the go than oils or acrylics and still practice related principles.

But I also treat these differently than my oils and acrylic pieces. They are faster, less planned, low stakes, and often feel more like a guilty pleasure. They remind me of drawing during classes and lectures when I was young, with that big ol’ camo binder on my lap. If I ever feel overwhelmed with a larger project, I can spend some time in this medium. It always brings a sense of calm and centers me.