What a great idea, Feathers! You are so artistic, I have no doubt you will take to it and enjoy!

I am not actively painting these days but a few weeks ago I told a friend that I want to return to it in 2026! My experience is primarily with acrylics ... but I would love to develop my watercolor skills. I am eager to see what others suggest!

Not sure if this would interest you because it carries beyond painting but I have an online class in Nature Journaling & Field Sketching waiting for me through the Cornell Ornithology program. It is self paced and covers sketching and watercolors as well as journal text. I know you have a deep appreciation of nature and being outside so I thought I'd share a few sample videos from the course:

Free Preview: Nature Journaling and Field Sketching | Bird Academy • The Cornell Lab

Funky, you're right in that is right up my alley--thanks for sharing this. I looked through the previews, and I like that the course is self-paced. And I really like the instructor! I'm a prolific writer in my career, and have journaled a long time, so that part I can do. But do you think the sketching and other lessons require a bit of experience? I'm thinking not... that you could take this course, and then repeat the experiences on your own.

Ilikefriday, great ideas! "Just start" is not my default MO, but since my objective is creativity, I probably need to shift how I approach this. I had no idea about brushes vs palette knives, and oil drying medium. This is why I think I need to spend some time researching this a bit further. But I do have a vision of sorts for what I want in this vintage frame I have, and "just start" might be the way to go.

I’ve taken watercolor classes from 2 very different instructors. Some friends expressed surprise that I’ve begun with watercolor. It wasn’t a well reasoned decision but I like that it’s easy to set up and clean up without a dedicated workspace. Plus I do love the watercolor effects.

I’ve followed a few on line tutorials but the feedback and camaraderie from in person is very helpful.

If you do not like to make (or keep, anyway) mistakes, watercolor is difficult because it can't be modified, you can only try to dab it off very quickly or go over it with something darker.

Acrylic is good because it does not smell and cleans up with water but can be a little "flat" and it also dries quickly.

Oil is almost infinitely modifiable and takes a long time to dry, so you can fiddle with it if that's what you like. But it's messy, has to be cleaned with solvents, and smells. There are less smelly solvents and mediums.

Do not use baby oil as a paint medium if you ever expect the painting to dry. I used that on an oil painting and ten years later it still wasn't completely dry. It wasn't sticky, but you could rub paint off without much effort.

ilikefriday, I was in the same general studio space with an artist who painted in oils and Hot wax. She used one of those old electric buffet food warmers as a palette.

I would like to start painting again, but you also need a dedicated space for oil painting.

Pal a buffet warmer is a great idea. I have never used hot wax I will have to Google some techniques. Btw I don't generally use solvents with oil paint because I rarely use brushes. I cannot deal with the smell. Palette knives only require a paper towel for cleanup.

I used to paint in college and I used oils. So forgiving. I also loved my tangerine-scented turpentine.

As forgiving as it was, nothing i ever painted was really worth keeping, save one very small landscape my BFF still has.

However, i much prefer watercolor. It is far harder to work with, but it has a light-hearted, casual imperfect vibe that I think suits people who want to create but are not "Artists."

In that one sentence you opened up a new world for me. I totally forgot about tangerine turpentine!

Pal, If you work quickly with a wet brush loaded with water only you can lift too much color or the wrong color on a watercolor work fairly easily. Or the right color in the wrong place 🙄

Feathers, I started with acrylics, ”graduated” to oils and ended up with watercolor. I still take the occasional class or workshop in oil or acrylic or pastel but I prefer watercolors. If you have a good studio available I would talk to the owner and tell her what you’re interested in. Before you buy any supplies I’d take an intro class for each of the three mediums and you might know right away which suits you best.

Keep in mind that you will need to find a home for your artwork; I have a stack of paintings in my laundry room that are destined for a jumble sale. The scale of my watercolors is much smaller and therefore more useful to me as cards or gifts. Also I can finish them in a single sitting, which — until we get my home studio set up— is definitely a plus.

I'm following along for tips because the two cards you saw were some of the first things I've ever painted. I bought a set of watercolor paints and watercolor paper from the big A and just started following examples on Instagram. And you know how it is on Instagram - if you even pause at a post the next 20 will be related - so lots of Christmas card ideas are crossing my feed and I just try ones that look easier than others. I'm interested to see what comes across after the New Year!

That said, I can already see that a little technique would really help :) I ordered a workbook that has some brief lessons and then you paint a picture. I'm going to try that and see if I can get some other brush strokes down. I also bought a more complete set of brushes with different sizes. I'm trying to keep it fun though, so not too many lessons or stressing about outcomes. Which is hard!

So far I really do enjoy it and I can already see some improvement, which is also fun.

I know nothing about any other type of paint, but I like the ease of watercolor cleanup and the little sizes of the cards. Those things make it very accessible.

Great perspectives--thank you! What I find interesting are the various learning preferences (such as group classes, one-on-one instruction, self-directed, etc.) and tendencies toward time and perfection.

A friend paints weekly with oils under the direction of an instructor, in a group setting. She's been doing this for a few years, and has produced some special pieces. A few weeks ago, we were on a holiday house tour in which there was a oil painting of the sea hanging over a fireplace. She commented in passing about the talent needed to paint waves with that kind of movement. I just looked at the painting, tilted my head, and thought, "Hmph."

Thanks, everyone, for giving me food for thought here.

I took a combination cyanotype/encaustic wax multi-day workshop last summer. The wax is such a cool (but hot, ha) element to add — or paint with — but you need space and supplies for it. I was tempted to continue with the wax at home but so far I have not.

These all use encaustic wax. The last one was my instructor’s piece. It is pretty tricky to get right.

Sue, I bought a cyanotype on cloth last year, and have yet to frame it. It's such a cool piece. Your work is beautiful!

Do you know what kind of courses you will take? I am just curious because mine have always been non-credit, but they were pretty serious and taught at accredited schools by listed artists, and some people were using them for portfolio building.

I am not saying that as any kind of a brag, but the classes were a little intense for a few of the people in the classes and there were some actual arguments that went on. They were for the most part figurative/realism classes in the "academy style" format. I particularly remember one ongoing power struggle between the instructor and a student that culminated finally in the student saying "But this is just my painting style!" and the instructor firing back "You can't have a style! You don't know enough about painting to have a style! . . . and you aren't going to learn anything with this attitude." I think he dropped out. (Really though his work was not very . . . developed. . . and yet he was very critical of other people's work, solicited or not)

I took an abstract acrylics painting class a few years ago. I loved it. I had never painted before and it was nice to get used to the materials and play with color without having to be concerned about making my pieces look realistic. It was a nice way to learn with some freedom to it.

My first degree was in art and I had a basement studio until I sold my last house. I expected to have a new space set up by now in a spare room and am finally close to achieving this long term goal. I used acrylics for painting but at the end was heavily into pastel pencils etc. Unboxing supplies a few months ago that I hadn't handled in years was such a joy....soon, hopefully....

In starting out also consider quality colored pencils and a drawing pad as a possibility without a big monetary and/or space commitment .

I also think it is interesting how people like to approach learning ... in art and with everything. I almost always ask, "what have you taught yourself recently" in interviews.

I think of art similar to cooking .. you need to go in with confidence and you need to let yourself "fail" and learn/build from the missteps. It is about the process, expression and experience for me.

That said, I have benefitted from guidance over the years-- an artist neighbor used to bring me into his house to paint when I was very young. That's where I started with acrylics. I am considering a class with a local artist to learn oil and encaustic wax... mostly to learn the techniques and tools/products.

For me, sketching is the door to painting ... it opens my mind. Until I move on to some of the trickier techniques, I *want* to experiment on my own ... but that is me. I tend to be less social in general but especially with anything artistic. I get into a zone ...

You asked: "But do you think the sketching and other lessons require a bit of experience? I'm thinking not... that you could take this course, and then repeat the experiences on your own. "

Experience comes with doing .. she does provide some guidance in the videos but I think you just need to put pencil/charcoal/brush to paper, Over and over again. Sometimes I sketch the same thing over and over. Sometimes I sketch over the same object over and over until I get it right. Not obsessively.. but again, getting into a zone and opening up my mind and the flow of my hand.

So yes-- absolutely, I think you absolutely could! The question is would YOU be comfortable with that? Are you ok with just jumping in and giving yourself the freedom and time to develop your skills and comfort level? It helps a lot that you like the instructor.

To some extent, to learn something new, I think you need to be taught. If there is absolutely no external "discipline" or parameters of some sort, I don't think you develop like you could. If you only do whatever you do, do you really get any more "fluent"?

I did .. and continue to .. but as this thread shows, we all learn and do differently.

But I am not dissing instruction and I do intend to get instruction for some things. Feathers was asking about getting started.. and yes, I think just jumping into it is a great way to start.

I wasn't responding to your comment specifically.

• You would like to experiment on your own to see which type of painting you would prefer. Please tell us what types you are considering. I am using your words. Do you mean the type of medium? As in oil, chalk, water based or ? Or subject matter? Or a kind of "style" such as realistic, surreal, abstract, Help us heportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitportraitpo

Do you have any art supplies?

Skipping down to add that gouache is a water based opaque paint that can be manipulated like oils and doesn't take forever to dry. We used it often in my graphic arts classes.

And there are a number of drawing exercises that train the eye and hand.

And FWIW, years ago, I was able to audit a drawing class at a local college, mainly to keep my skills fresh. I seem to recall there was small fee. You might be able to do something similar with painting.

Westsider, I'm open to all types of media. I have a few ideas about subject matter, but at this point, they're secondary. I'm more interested in the tools to get started.

Funky, thanks for your additional input about sketching--I hadn't considered that. I like the idea of it in terms of experimenting without commitment. That course is a wonderful way to explore this, and I am comfortable with an uninhibited approach for myself (I think!). From what I know of your profession, your interview question is so insightful, and I'm going to challenge my kids on that, who are in your same general field.

Pal, my local community college has an excellent arts program, but there are no non-credit courses that work for me. But your concerns about instructors are well-noted.

Indigo Rose, I hope you enjoy your new space!

Carol, thanks, I will look into that.

Many watercolorists use white gouache where they need white, either that or a (whisper) white gel pen. One benefit of a live teacher is that they show you all the tips and tricks that are not readily apparent even in video and would take a very long time to work out for yourself.

What is your end goal? I have done art as a hobby since I was a kid and have played with a lot of mediums. I buy paintings to display in my home, but just enjoy creating things on my own as an artistic release..

If you haven't tried different mediums why not start with a couple of kits and see what you enjoy working with.

Watercolor Kit

Watercolor kit 2

There are tons of Acrylic Paint by number sets available that can provide a feel for working with acrylic. If you paint inside the lines with a thin coat of paint you will have an amateurish paint by number result and not learn much, but if you play with blending the colors together, using thicker layers of paint you can get a feel for what it is really like to paint with acrylics (or oils).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhBZjzwZaPI

I loved painting with oils when I had room for a dedicated studio, but I don't have that in my current home.

I can get some great artistic release with just playing with adult coloring books using different mediums. I own alcohol pens and water based pens, watercolor pencils, regular colored pencils, opaque gel pens, and Faber-Castell Gelatos.

Gelatos can be applied dry to make beautiful backgrounds, but can be used with water and will act like watercolor. This was a newer medium that I have tried that I really love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-gKF29opcs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru5qk-gULZc

Thank you for these recommendations, Jennifer! I'm actually heading out to get one of the Emily Lex watercolor workbooks as a last-minute gift for my niece. I may grab one for myself, too.

What is my end goal? Initially, creative expression, and learning a new skill. I also bought a big, beautiful frame from a resale shop last month, and I'd like to put something new in it.

A loftier goal would be to paint a photo of my kids when they were very young. Their backs are turned to me (so I wouldn't have to paint their faces, which I understand can be difficult), and they are walking along a path during the fall. It's my favorite photo of them. I'd like to decide whether watercolor, acrylic or oil would be most suitable, and then start focusing on that media to get to a point where I feel comfortable painting the photo.

FWIW, my grandpa taught himself oil painting after he retired - he copied illustrations from Ford Times magazines, calendars, and had those Walter Foster painting guides We still have a lot of his paintings.

Carol, that is a learning path used by many acclaimed artists.

While you are deciding what mediums to try out, as I said above, I suggest quality colored pencils, gel pens, drawing pencils etc. with a drawing pad. Set up a still life and experiment with color, strokes, style....realism? something else.....you get to decide without a big commitment in time, money or space. Then go from there....

I love your confidence, but if I wanted to do this I would cheat. It takes years and years and years and some foundational talent to become a real artist. I envy those people. . .

I would load a copy into the computer and ask AI or Photoshop or other editor to make it look like a painting rather than a photo. Then I would send that to a company that prints photos on canvas. Get two or three copies so you can play before creating your masterpiece.

I would use acrylics to paint over the photo and add depth.

Its not about the product its about the process

Jennifer, I've looked into those tools, and also considered commissioning a local artist to paint it for me. It's not something I want done right away to display. If I learn that I enjoy painting, then I would continue to improve my skills, and perhaps one day be able to replicate that photo. It's not a necessity in this process. My immediate goals are creative expression and learning a new skill.

Indigo Rose, interesting, I picked up a watercolor workbook for my niece and noticed watercolor brush pens. I don't think I'd like them myself, but colored pencils and sketching do appeal to me.