Watercolor Painting for Busy Women
Why is watercolor painting absolutely perfect for busy women who want to make something beautiful? I’ll tell you why.
When I picked up a paintbrush for the first time since college, I was in the throes of being a first time mom. That means I had extremely limited time, and if I wanted to paint, it had to be quick and easy.
When I first began creating again, I was using acrylic paints, which are also great for busy women, but in the last few years I’ve been painting almost exclusively with watercolors. And you know what? It’s absolutely perfect for ladies with limited time, and I wish I’d started sooner! Here are seven reasons watercolor painting for busy women just makes sense.
#1 IT DOESN’T TAKE UP MUCH SPACE
When you picture an art studio, you probably picture a whole room or she-shed dedicated to art making. Shelves on the walls, paints and brushes in containers all over the place, easels and chairs spread around. Well, watercolor paints don’t require much of anything, space-wise. A tiny little palette with your paints already inside, a brush or two, and a piece of paper or sketchbook, plus a container of water. You can set it up anywhere, truly. Paint at your kids’ desk. Paint on the coffee table. Paint on the floor.
#2 WATERCOLOR PAINTS DRY REALLY FAST
This is the most amazing thing about watercolor paints for you busy women out there: They dry super fast. Unlike oil paints, which take days or even weeks to dry and cure, watercolor paints dry in a matter of minutes, or even seconds, if you’re not adding much water. On top of that, you can speed up the drying process with a hairdryer or fan if you wish.
#3 YOU CAN BE PAINTING IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS
In addition to that super fast drying speed, it takes only moments to prepare your paints. While most other paints require you to lay out fresh paints on a palette each time you’re creating, watercolors are already hanging out in their space, ready to be “woken up” with a spritz of water. Plus, when you’re done you just let the paints dry back up; no need to cover them or protect them.
#4 IT’S EASY TO PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF
You don’t have to complete a water painting all in one bang! Sure, you might want to get a certain section done to make sure your paint color and consistency stays the same, but otherwise no worries! Paint a little here, stop, and pick it up the next time you have a few spare moments.
#5 WATERCOLORS CAN GO WITH YOU ANYWHERE
Unlike oil paints or even acrylic paints, watercolors can truly go where you are. Simply get a travel watercolor kit and you’re good to go. Finding a container for water to rinse your brushes is easy no matter where you are; even an empty yogurt cup will do. There’s no lugging a huge canvas, either, as watercolor artists use paper; simply bring a few pieces of watercolor paper or a watercolor pad with you.
#6 YOU ONLY NEED ONE BRUSH
I use one brush for almost every single painting I make. For real! A size 6 round brush from the Princeton Heritage line works beautifully for the kind of work I do, and nothing else is needed. If you have the space, by all means, get some larger and smaller brushes, or even play with angle brushes and fan brushes, but for your every day painting, you just need one brush!
#7 KIDS CAN DO IT, TOO
If you’re one of those busy women who happens to have kids running underfoot, watercolor painting is perfect for you, too. Grab an extra sheet of paper, put it on the floor, and let your kids go nuts with the watercolors. They’re easy to clean up since they’re water soluble, and you can easily find inexpensive kids’ watercolor paints and brushes if you don’t want to share your own!
I hope I’ve convinced you that watercolors really are easy to pick up and use, no matter how little time you have. If you’re ready to expand your creativity, learn how to access your intuition and let the beauty flow through you!