Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

I admit. I’ve never done watercolors. I’ve used oils for many years, and later added acrylics, a similar medium; but I’ve never tried water colors.

An opportunity came up in my art league, and I jumped at the chance. How will it turn out? I don’t know. I may not even like watercolors. At any rate, I’m still game to try new things even though some would say I’m “past my prime.”


You will have the chance to see me stumble through this class from first drawing to subsequent washes.

I’m also going to share a few pictures of my instructor, Parker Harlow. Parker has donated hours of his time in helping budding artists in our league flourish.

He has also offered space in prime locations for members to display their works. Kudos to Parker!

I started my painting with a drawing and then used masking material to protect those areas that must remain white. In some cases, this is unnecessary, and the artist can simply wait for certain areas to dry before applying more paint to avoid the “bleed.”

After adding my washes, Parker showed me how to define shapes and forms with the darker colors so I don’t lose my drawing completely. When the paint was dry, I rubbed off the masking fluid with a white erasure. The rubbery waste was swept off with a dry paint brush, and later emptied outside in the shrubbery. (Shhh! don’t tell.)

I will have to refresh some of my drawing which was erased out. Next week, I’ll add more washes and start putting in the details. Stay tuned….








Wm. Parker Harlowe is the owner of Harlowe Studios Inc. and is well known for his murals and artwork in the Fort Myers area. To quote Parker: "Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life."



Check out Carol's online gallery at:
 http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com