Watercolor Studio Setup: Painting Basics Class Series

1. Watercolor Studio Setup: Painting Basics Class Series: It's a dedicated room or a corner in your tiny apartment. Learning about having a painting practice will give you confidence by taking a lot of the mystery out of what it means to be an artist today. In this class, showing you how to start an art practice and create an inspiring studio space. Hi there. If you don't know it yet, I'm Chris Beg, a watercolor and creative skills teacher and coach living in a desert. I have over 25 classes here on Skillshare in a variety of creative topics. And I also have a YouTube channel plus more in depth courses available on the website. I've produced creative lessons for Bonnie Christine's flourish membership, Emily Jeffords collective membership, Peggy Dean's art blog, been a guest on several podcasts, and I've created video tutorials for sustainable paint brand Viviva colors. I'm back on Skillshare with a series of shorter classes that will cover many of the watercolor basics like color theory, color mixing, inspiration, sketching versus drawing, watercolor hand lettering, how to break Creative block and More. This class series is designed to help you build your watercolor painting skills from the ground up. Even if you've been painting for a while, it's a great idea to go back to some basic every so often. In case you'd like to refine your process, try some new ideas or up your painting game by going deeper. This class series will be perfect for beginner to intermediate watercolor student. I'll be sharing examples with you along the way, as well as helpful PDF resources so you can stay on track with your processes. In this first class of the series, starting with the studio space will be important in order to give you a base to grow from as we move on to other topics coming up in the series. I'll share my best tips with you about how to create a space that motivates you to paint and take you into my own studio to show you how I like to set things up. I'll invite you to share images of your studio space in the project gallery. Possibly before and after you implement some of the tips I'll be sharing with you. My painting process has become more than just a fun hobby or diversion. It's a stress reliever when I'm feeling pressure, a dope am booster, when I'm feeling down, and a form of meditation that can give me a break from the real world for a while. I can't wait to share how I do that, so you can do it for yourself, too. Ready to join me in making your studio space the best it can be? I'll see you in the neck fletson to get started. 2. Your Project: In this class, your project will be to take a look at your own studio space, and then, if needed, adjust it according to the simple tips I'll be giving you in the upcoming lessons. The idea is to make your studio space more effective, more efficient, and more inspiring for you to create it. I'll be sharing easy actionable techniques you can use right away to improve your studio space for your watercolor painting practice, making it ideal. For you to create your best work. Don't forget to download the course workbook on the projects and resources page of the class. Then take a picture of your studio before and after you apply the tips to your space. Share them with us in the project gallery to get feedback and to inspire others. You never know who needs to hear what you have to share and take a look at the projects from other students to get ideas for improving your own studio space. Please keep in mind that you do not have to have a separate dedicated room for your art practice in order for this to work. I'll be sharing tips with you that are perfect for part time dining room, kitchen table, or bedroom, shared studio spaces. Also, please know that many successful artists work in tiny studio spaces or a studio space, share with another room. The amount of space you actually have to be creative doesn't make you any more or less credible as an artist. So please don't be shy. Just share your studio space with us in the project gallery because I cannot wait to see where you create. Sharing is honestly the best way to grow your creative practice. First, you'll go to the Projects and Resources tab under the class videos. Then click the Green Create Project button. From there, you'll want to upload your cover image for your project. Choose a file Then click Submit. From here, if you want to replace your image, just click the button below, find an image, and below, you can make it larger or smaller with the slider, or you can drag it side to side to position it. When you're happy, just click Submit. Now your project needs a title. It can be funny, descriptive, or whatever you like. Below is your personal project field. Click Image to add image files. Then position your cursor underneath the image to add descriptions. I'm adding a series of images to show my entire process for this project. You can do it anyway you like. Below, you can also add a video or links. When you're done, just click the Green Publish button. Once it's published, you can go below the videos and see your project on the right hand side. When you click on it, you can see that all your images have uploaded. On the right is where people can comment and like your project. I comment on every project, so I can't wait to see you in this space. If you need questions answered, please reach out to me in the discussions page of the class under the class videos, and I'll be happy how. In the next lesson, I'll talk to you about what it means to have an art practice. 3. What is an Art Practice?: Before we talk about how to improve your studio space, let's talk about what an art practice is, which is what you do in your studio space. I know the words art practice sound fancy, but all it is is simply the act of painting on a regular basis. That doesn't mean every day or even every week, but if you do paint regularly over an ongoing period of time, you have an art practice. There's no right or wrong or no exact formula for this. An art studio is where you conduct your art practice. Next, we'll talk about your studio space. 4. Your Studio Space: As I mentioned before, your art studio is where you conduct your painting practice. Even if you take your painting on the road, most of us have a hone base that we painted more regularly. Please know that an art studio can be a tiny corner in an apartment or a fully dedicated room in your home or even a separate building filled with art supplies and equipment. The amount of space you have doesn't make it better or worse, more effective or less effective. It's mostly about how you feel in this space and how much it inspires you. No matter where you paint, this space should feel like somewhere you can get in the zone. Painting can be quite meditative. So you want your studio space to be comfortable and a place where you can relax. I currently only occupy a ten by ten room, but this is the first time I've had a dedicated separate studio space. I've always paired a studio space with my bedroom in the past, but either way, it's worked really well. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to discount your space, thinking it's not good enough to be considered an art studio. Any space that you can paint or be creative in counts. We've kind of established what an art practice is and what a studio space is for. In the next video, I'll show you how to get started in converting your studio space into a more dynamic and inspiring place for you to be creative. I'll see you there. 5. Assessing Your Space: The first step to creating a beautiful and inspiring studio space is to take stock of what you currently have. What is your starting point? Look around and ask yourself if anything about the space you're working in could be improved. With that in mind, here are some important points to think about. Do I feel inspired in this space? I have good freedom of movement? Is there enough storage for my tools and supplies? Do I have proper lighting? Am I comfortable while working here? Is it cluttered or tidy? What different zones would you create within your art studio for different purposes? Try to look at your studio space with fresh eyes. Distance yourself from any emotional attachment just for a moment and do your best to be objective at this stage. We're just gathering information and there's no right or wrong. Answer the questions on the class worksheet, and I'll meet you in the next video to talk about some simple techniques for improving your studio space. 6. The Inspiration Test: Creating an inspiring and beautiful place for your art practice is not as hard as it might sound. The idea is to make sure you're inspired, comfortable and happy in the space where you paint. If you are, your work will be so much more beautiful and elevated because it will mirror your state of mind and state of being. Making sure you feel good where you create is a form of self care and adds to the quality of your painting practice. Something painting is a frivolous hobby that just isn't that important in the grand scheme of things. But the truth is that creativity is important for cognitive skills, improves memory, dexterity, heightens problem solving skills, and of course, improves your mood. I turn to my painting when I feel stressed, overwhelmed, and I need an escape from the world for just a little while. Watercolor painting even once brought me out of a horrible panic attack at the beginning of the shutdown in 2020. So it's an amazing tool, as well as an art form. As you can see, painting is not just fluff. It's a wonderful way to improve your life, and spending more time and thought improving your studio space is a great investment in you. The most important thing to ask yourself is, do you feel inspired where you paint? This can make or break your painting practice. If you're not feeling inspired to paint, then you won't get as much practice as you need to improve your skills. If it is inspiring, then this is a space you will always enjoy coming to. If you're inspired by your studio, why do you think that is? Even if you don't make any changes to your space, it's really important to note what works for you and what doesn't the next time you pick somewhere else to paint or move studios, you'll know how to make that space just as inspiring as this one. If your space is not currently inspiring you, there are some things you can do. First of all, ask yourself why the space does not inspire you. Do you feel cracked? Is the decor not your style, or is it something else? Sometimes this is a simple matter of decor balanced with practicality. For example, if you're in a basement and there's a huge boiler with pipes coming out of it that just makes you feel like you're an equipment room, perhaps try placing a decorative screen or drape in front of this area to hide it. I've even seen artists who paint their boiler pipes to help this equipment blend in and become an inspiring element instead of an eyesore. Keep in mind that no studio space will be perfect. Be creative with your challenges and see where they take you on this journey. So, what can you do to make your art studio better? In the next video, I'm going to share some ideas with you that you can use to make your adjustments based on your answers from the class worksheet. I'll see you there. 7. Art Studio Storage: You may have a dedicated room or even a building where you have your art practice. If you have plenty of space and plenty of storage, I'm guessing you're all set regarding this lesson. Unless, of course, you need to declutter and reorganize. Clutter is a huge creativity blocker of mass proportions, so gedule some time to clean up your space, and you will believe the difference in how much more inspired you are. If you're in a tiny corner in your apartment and you're feeling a bit crowded, keep your art supplies in a decorative crate, basket or box, you can quickly set up your painting area at a moment's notice. Make bringing out your painting supplies is setting them up on your table a fun ritual, where you create an inspiring space out of nowhere. White magic trick. If you need some additional inspiration in your space, try placing a lovely plant or bouquet of flowers nearby or some objects that make you feel good. For example, a stack of your favorite sketchbooks or a decor item that elevates your rood, or something else. This may seem like a silly thing to do, but it can make all the difference in elevating your space. If you still need more ideas, Pintres is an amazing search engine with loads of images of inspiring spaces that might give you just one or two ideas. Now that we've talked about where you keep your supplies and how to store them, if in next video, I'll talk about setting the mood in your studio. 8. Setting the Mood: Setting a mood in your studio can help you get in that creative zone that allows us to forget about the world for a while. This is a form of meditation and is really important to help us stay balanced and focused as people. If you're not sure how to set a mood, here are some tips for you. Try lighting a candle when you're painting. Turn on your favorite music. Wear something comfortable. Bring your pet in to sit with you. Close your eyes and imagine being in your favorite place before starting. Place or hang your favorite artwork around you for inspiration and encouragement. These are just a few ideas, but if you really think about it, you may come up with even more. If you do, I'd love for you to share this with us in the class discussions page. These are fantastic clues as to what inspires you, and you never know who else might need to hear about them, too. 9. Optimizing Your Space: I love to keep my most used tools out and ready, so I can start painting anytime. This allows me to get right to it when I'm feeling inspired. But don't let this be a hindrance if you don't have the space to do this. If you're feeling inspired and need to paint right away, just grab the minimum you need and go for it. You don't have to set up the candles and the music if you're already feeling like you're ready to go. One of the other things I've done to really make my studio more functional for me is to separate it into zones. My art table is strategically placed in front of my window for natural light while on peening. This allows me to see the tree outside as well as the birds, rabbits and lizards that pass by occasionally, and makes me feel connected to nature. It also gives me lots of natural light when I need to photograph my artwork. Natural light highlights my work in just the right ways and makes my paints look the most vibrant. I also have a desk where I can work on my computer and do more admin stuff and planning. Then I have a separate space where I can sit and enjoy a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, and think, and this gives me a place where I can dream and plan and chat with a visitor or just relax away from my other spaces. And remember, if you're working in a smaller space, you can always just change what's on your table surface for different types of tasks. That is still a way of creating different zones. So, what separate zones would you have in your art studio, and why? I'd love to know. You can share with us in the discussions tab of this class or in your project. I'll see you in the next video. 10. Optimizing Your Painting Time: Now that you have an idea of how to improve your studio space for the better, let's talk about how it affects your art practice. If you have full time responsibilities like a job or a parent or a caregiver or anything else that you might do on a full time basis, you might not have as much time to paint as you would like. In that case, it's important to carve out time from your biggy schedule to make sure that you're getting the painting time you need or as much as possible. Not only is it good for your mental health, physical health, and your state of mind, but that practice will help you improve those skills. Here are a few tips to help you along the way. Identify your best painting time. Is it mornings, evenings or weekends? Block off short sessions regularly. You can get quite a bit done in ten to 15 minutes. You'd be surprised. Leave paintings midway and just come back and pick up where you left off. It's totally okay. Let your studio invite you and pull you in to paint. You don't have to wait for the perfect time. You may even want to create a mobile studio kit to use anytime you're stressed. That way, you'll have it with you whenever you need it. And you can even use it at home, since it's a small kit that you can set up quickly. If you'd like to learn more about travel painting or setting up a mobile kit, you can check out my other Skillshare class called Watercolor Painting on the go. Every artist works and thinks a little bit differently. So it's important that you make your painting time and practice work the best for you. Have some other suggestions, besides what I mentioned. Let us know in your project or in the class discussion page, we'd love to hear from you. 11. Wrapping Up!: I hope you enjoy learning about how to get the most out of your art studio and your art practice. I can't wait to see images of where you paint. And how do you store your supplies? Look for more classes in this series about how to become a successful watercolor painter. And don't forget to post your project in the Project Gallery. If you need project uploading instructions, you can find them in Lesson two of this class. You can also find me on YouTube, Instagram, and on my website, octopuscnecton.com. Get the latest news and behind the scenes in my newsletter. I'll include all these links for you in the about section of the class. Until next time, A, Happy painting.