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Thinking in Watercolor with Jessie Kanelos-Weiner
I had the pleasure of hosting watercolor extraordinaire, on today's Draw Me Anything! We dove deep into her fantastic book "Thinking in Watercolor," which I've been devouring since it came out.
Unlike traditional watercolor books with rigid techniques, Jessie's approach is refreshingly forgiving and experimental. She shared that she wrote it for "the younger version of herself who liked drawing but didn't know what to draw" - someone with time but not necessarily resources or training.
As a self-taught artist living in Paris, Jessie believes watercolor helped her discover herself after moving to a new country. We compared our watercolor setups (my Windsor & Newton kit versus her Kuretake Japanese watercolors) and discussed essential techniques.
Some key watercolor tips from our session:
Use H pencils (4H or 6H) for preliminary sketches - watercolor makes regular pencil marks permanent
Watercolor pencils make great sketch tools that blend with your washes
Always identify your light source to add dimension
When stuck, change your physical position (stand up, work larger, flip the paper)
Patience is crucial - "it's literally watching paint dry"
Make test swatches before committing to your good paper
For quick-drying emergencies: radiators, hairdryers, or sunshine (but never put your watercolors in the oven!)
Jessie also shared a brilliant Paris art supply store roundup!
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