WATERCOLOR CLASS WITH TIA!

Okay, most of you already know that I do watercolor (and how I love it so!)- if you didn't know this little fact, you either haven't been following my blog very long, or you didn't actually read any of it, and at this point, I feel obliged to tell you that I owe you nothing! XD haha! My suggestion: Go back to the first post of my blog and start there. Otherwise, the rest of this post will make no sense.

The first day I sat at my desk at Pixar (my second day), an email was already in my inbox. It was about classes offered here at Pixar- designed to enrich the creative talents who work here... A WATERCOLOR CLASS! *swoon* Needless to say, I tried to enroll immediately! I got an instant response saying I'd been wait listed. *SAD FACE!* I looked at the email, wondering how hot was this class that it was filled already?! Turns out: email had been sent a week before I started. haha! So, I waited...

Then I got another email. The demand had been so good, that a second section had been put in. I immediately signed up for that! Guess what... Wait listed immediately. I didn't hold my breath anymore. I figured there was no way.

Then suddenly a week later, I got another email! I WAS IN! WHOO-HOOOO!!!!

We had our first class last week, and we covered the basics. Now, I've been painting with watercolor for over a decade? *grimaces* (YEESH!) But I figured the very best thing in the world for me to do was to go back to the basics and kick any bad painting habits I might have picked up along the way. And- whaddya know?!- I was right! I have turned into such a bad painter!

I feel that I should also mention that the class is taught by an AMAZING lady named Tia Kratter. She is a Shading Art Director here at Pixar and most recently worked on Brave.
Actually, I just saw her name in The Little Mermaid credits last night on tv!
I was fortunate enough to meet Tia at CalArts when she came on a Friday night for a Guest Lecture. (THANK YOU, MAIJA!) She did a trivia section, and I correctly guessed- huh... Make that "ANSWERED" XD the name of the one actor who has had a voice acting credit in every Pixar film. She threw me a baby brother bear from Brave plush. After the lecture, I had her sign it because I'd known of here even before she came to visit, through a little animation clip on YouTube. [Bonus points to you, viewers, if you can find it!] That bear now sits behind me at my desk.

Needless to say, getting to take a watercolor class with her is a DREAM! So I wanted to share what we did so far.
Nothing special- just practicing flat washes (on hot and cold press), and gradients.



I didn't fill in one square (the middle of the Italian flag). It was supposed to be a gradient, but I ran out of time.


Then we had class again yesterday and we started some different techniques.



The first one had 6 assignments on it. A lot of basics that I mostly know, but MAN, did it feel good to learn them again! The second image was salt. Oh, how I love doing salt with watercolors! But I din't know yet how this one will turn out. Salt NEVER looks the same dry as it did wet! I am excited to see it again next week!
Sadly, I didn't finish this assignment either. Two hours flies by SO fast!

I feel it is safe to say that dry brush is now my new favorite thing! <3