We’ve seen confidence in watercolor painting equated with brashness and speed. Quick strokes and faster thinking, all without too much caution. But confidence isn’t an attitude; it’s a skill. Watercolor is a detective for indecision. It shows blips on the nervousness radar more accurately than blunders. To be confident in watercolor, one has to learn to trust what they do and trust the medium even when things don’t turn out perfectly.
The first part of trust is planning. It’s much easier to trust in the brush when decisions have already been made ahead of time. The fewer questions the artist has to ask while painting, the more accurate the brush will move. It’s not that mistakes will not happen, but they are no longer questions to be asked and they no longer need to be eliminated.
It’s no secret that watercolor is permanent. But permanence is one of the more intimidating parts of the medium. It’s much more difficult to make a “permanent” brush stroke than a brush stroke that can be easily corrected. But, the permanence is exactly what helps an artist become confident. Every brush stroke will show and so every brush stroke must be made with the confidence of someone that knows what they are doing. There is no fixing mistakes, only planning to avoid them.
It’s much easier to be confident when the outcome is predictable. Consistency is key. Knowing how much water the paper can take and how pigments will react together are the first steps in being consistent. And, once the artist has these skills down, they will start to get comfortable with how they like to apply them. Once they are comfortable with how they like to apply them, they will start to trust their instincts and the brush will become more confident. The last 3 principles are so much easier if an artist makes watercolor a regular part of their routine. Making a picture every day will teach the artist to be confident more quickly than making a picture every week. The medium will become second nature and will be much easier to trust. This is not to say that an artist must create a painting a day. The frequency of work is not as important as the consistency. And, it’s also not to say that the artist can’t get there making a picture a week. It will just take much longer.
The last principle of a confident brush stroke is restraint. It’s very easy to go too far in watercolor and overwork a picture. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. So, a confident brush stroke is also one that knows when to stop. It knows when enough is enough. It’s one that can walk away. It’s also one that knows when to leave well enough alone. A watercolorist must know when a stroke is working for them and when it’s not. A confident brush stroke is one that knows when to quit pushing a stroke. It’s a brush stroke that is not afraid to leave things alone and come back to them later. In conclusion, a confident brush stroke is not one of bravado. A confident brush stroke is one that knows what it is doing and is not afraid to do it. A confident brush stroke is one that trusts itself and the medium. Watercolor is a process and it will always look spontaneous and fresh, but a confident brush stroke will always show control. It will always show the restraint of the artist’s hand.