I have been drawing and painting since I was a child. I don’t really think there is a strict borderline between drawing and painting. They are complementary and should go together like peas and carrots. I like using watercolors, gouache, ink, and colored pencils.
I don’t like when colored pencils give me a headache, break during each stroke, and need sharpening all the time. Here I must pet my colored pencils and remind them that I like them. My colored pencils are rugged and fight bravely on the paper battlefield. I have a lot of fun with them and often use them with colored paper.
Ink drawing is also fun. At least before I sneeze and there are ink spots all over the paper and far beyond. But fortunately, it’s possible to use these spots to my advantage. They have different shapes resembling strange creatures or alien spaceships. And so even sneezing can be a source of inspiration.
My favorites are probably watercolors. I use them most of the time. The thing I like about them is that you never know how the painting will develop. You never know how the watery spots will turn out. There is always a surprise waiting for you. This makes working with watercolors exciting. The unpredictable spots make many different shapes. You can look for many different things in them. It’s like looking at clouds in the sky. You can see chubby sheep with curly wool, dragons with majestic wings, or ancient temples high in the mountains. You can also see things in watercolor spots. Some look like kidneys, some look like kidney beans, and some look like coffee beans. I get a lot of kidneys and beans.
I particularly like creating small things and details. Each millimeter matters. And that’s why I have to use appropriate paintbrushes. The relationship with my paintbrushes is very important. I have to rely on them. Each one develops in time. I like using very thin brushes, but after some time the brush becomes a little bit blunt. Then I start using a brand new thin brush. But his predecessor can still be useful. He is promoted to a different role. Instead of tiny dots, he makes a little bit bigger spots. Instead of whiskers, he paints mouse tails. Sometimes I take a pair of scissors and give my paintbrushes a haircut. I sharpen them up. They regain their pointed tips and I can use them for delicate lines again. But over time, my brushes have fewer and fewer bristles. Contact with paper and stroking against it is a tough job. Eventually, my paintbrushes lose all their bristles. Then it’s time to say goodbye.
While I paint, I usually have a cup of coffee on my table. Sometimes I dip my brush right into my coffee. I think I have done it more times than I have actually noticed. I think that everybody who likes drinking coffee while painting has probably tasted coffee with a tiny amount of paint. When I work on oil paintings though, I make sure my coffee cup is placed on a different table than my jar of turpentine. I think coffee with turpentine flavor wouldn’t be the right thing for me.
WARNING! Do not try sticking your paintbrush into beverages on purpose, otherwise, a hairy monster comes and bites your toes. He will be envious of your blue, green, or purple tongue.
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