Trying something new can be very daunting. Just finding reliable, consistent information about the right equipment can be baffling.
The more research you do, you soon realise that everyone has an opinion and you are left with trying to make sense of it all without adequate experience to do so. This is where finding a teacher can save you time, effort and, yes, money in the long run. I lose count of the number of times a new student has shown up with a motley collection of equipment expecting to create a masterpiece.I have seen aspiring watercolourists showing up with a set of hog bristle brushes used in oil painting. People who turn up with thin sheets of office paper or a childs poster painting set. Now whilst it is true that an experienced artist can produce acceptable work from any materials, however crude and basic they may be, please note that word, experienced.
The vast majority of beginners start with watercolour, it seems so simple somehow, but beware! Underlying that simplicity is a sound appreciation of the medium, effective equipment, and technique. Because, lets face it, in painting, particularly watercolour painting, there is a large measure of craft, knowledge and application. Nevertheless it can be learned from whatever point you start and that is very comforting to know.
Finding a tutor can simplify the process for you, advise on materials and techniques which will get you started with confidence producing reliable results. It is on this solid ground that you can build your own unique style and approach.
Having a tutor can also help carry you over the inevitable highs and lows of your creative process. We all have them, even artists of many years experience, if they are honest and humble enough to acknowledge it, are really perpetual students, still pushing their boundaries, stepping outside their comfort zone, it comes with the territory.
The flipside of this is the joy of finding you have created something you never thought you would ever have been able to do. The sheer wonder and amazement as you stare at your work which has surprised and delighted you so completely has it fulfilled your best intentions or even gone beyond them! Wonderful, that kind of satisfaction can last for months.
If you consider joining a class try to find a teacher whose work, attitude and outlook you are in harmony with. People should find the art class a very friendly and sociable environment. Even if you have not picked up a pencil or paintbrush before, the class evironment should be encourageing and supportive. Nobody will judge or belittle your attempts, after all we were all beginners once and so there is more than enough sensitivity, friendship, advice and support.
There are some people who are naturally gifted but application very often triumphs in the end as many well known artists will tell you, David Sheppard, and Jack Vettriano G John Blockley to name but a few. Age, lack of aptitude or confidence are no barriers to painting succesfully, the important thing is to learn to be at peace with yourself and just enjoy the process and, with nurturing and patience, your creativty will blossom.
Don't be too hard on yourself, art is a creative process, if at first you don't succeed in what you attempt have a laugh and have another try. Your failures will teach you so much more if you are open to examining why it did not work out as you intended. The important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process, the goal will take care of itself.
Click on the link above to go to my Free tutorials page where there is a wealth of information for the aspiring artist. Good Luck!