Here are three fun paintings I did to practice the techniques Aima has outlined in her class Essential Watercolor Tools and Techniques for beginners.

 

1. Color Blending, brush strokes, wet on wet and back-runs:

When I started this tulip watercolor, I intended to achieve a uniform blend of different colors in the flower shape. I had a rough idea of what the petals would look like but just for the sake of experimentation and to loosen my style, I went freehand. I ended up introducing too much water right in the beginning which resulted in backruns and color flowing in unexpected ways. I was kind of intimidated and thought I have ruined the piece. But when the colors dried up, I was really pleased with the organic flow of colors and the blooms.

In hindsight, I should have introduced more green in the area where the main flower shape connects with the stem. The leaves were a one stroke thing. I loaded a mop brush with two colors/greens-blues and created the leaves in one full swoop :)

2. Depth and dimension:

With these cherries I was more in control of the painting process. I was quite careful about the amount of water I introduced on the paper. Since I love colors, I went overboard with orange-red color whereas I should have followed the basic watercolor principle of going from light to dark. I had to lift some of the paint and wait for the water to dry before adding darker hues to give more of a dimension and form to the cherries. 

 

3. Layers and transparent glazes:

Patience is not my strong point but for this painting I actually sat down and waited for the first layer of turquoise blue leaves to dry. For the second layer, I mixed tiny amount of purple into the already watery blue. I added a bit of green here and there and really like how it looks.

 

I mainly use Mijello Mission Gold watercolors. I purchased the 36-tube set and have been more than satisfied with the vibrancy of the colors. They are highly pigmented and sometimes I have to add lot of water to tone down the intensity. I have ordinary, no-brand brushes and soon I intend to invest in better quality ones. I bought several pads of cellulose-based watercolor paper initially and I still use them for practice (don't want to waste them). 100% cotton paper makes the layering and lifting a smooth process though it tends to be on the pricey side.

I don't have a fancy setup; in fact it's more of a makeshift setup. I usually do my art stuff in my kitchen :)