Watercolor painting by
Jialing Guo
Jialing Guo's watercolor learning experience:
This week in class, we used watercolor for a portrait. This seems like the hardest watercolor I have never done, but I had fun.
My preference is a gentleman from a magazine. The most important part of doing a portrait is drawing. Unlike sketch, I will have to draw the person very detailed: the eyes, the nose, the mouth and hair, every part of the person. I spent almost thirty minutes to draw the portrait. With my friends’ and professor’s help, I finally got done with my drawing and I liked it very much, it looks like my preference a lot. I was straggling when came to the part to paint. I didn’t want to put any color on it. I thought it looks good already, if I use watercolor, it will only destroy my drawing. But then I realize that drawing is just a preparation for watercolor, just like sketch. Watercolor is to help the drawing looks more alive, more fun, and with all the dancing water, it will make the painting happier. The goal in watercolor is to have fun, to enjoy and relax. I think I did that. Watercolor did make me happy and I had fun doing it.
This watercolor portrait is the first portrait that I have done in my whole life. It’s a baby of mine. Even though that European gentleman came out like an Asian man in my painting, I still like it a lot. I never know that I can do a portrait this well, I am so proud and shows my painting to everyone. I found a different me in this watercolor class. My mom says “I never know that you’re an artist!” It encourages me to do something that I never did in life.
