Watercolor painting by
Kwan Wong Cheung
Kwan Wong Cheung's watercolor learning experience:
I am taking a watercolor course, because my major requires 3 credits in “Humanities Requirement 6”. I think it is much easier than music or oil painting, so I chose it. Now, I think it is not as easy as I thought, because it is not just coloring the paper. I should consider a lot of things such as values, tones and shadows. I have to learn to mix colors and some techniques.
My first painting was a house. I drew a little picture, it is about 4” x 7”. This little picture is so small, but that does not mean it’s easy. Because I was using a #16 large brush, it was very easy to mess up. When I painted it, I used the tip of the brush. I painted it carefully. We are using 3 simple watercolors, red, blue and yellow, so I had to spend time mixing the colors. I can never mix the colors correctly on my first try. Mostly, I take 3 or 4 times to get it right. Also, I considered tones and shadows and apply lighter or darker colors. I have no idea how to make sure the values of the color are correct or not. Basically, if I think it is good, then it is correct. This is a wonderful way to paint. Finally, I spent 3 hours to finish the picture. I put it on the wall, when I look at it from far away; I think it looks like a real painting. It’s a good start.
My professor said my painting is good, and looks like I have years of experience. I did not learn it before, but I have some pass experience with the watercolor. When I teach my son how to use pencils, I am not teaching them to write but to draw. We are using crayons, pencil colors and watercolors. At the learning journal my son and I have a lot of fun and good times.
