Watercolor painting & calligraphy
Hi everyone! I'm an aspiring watercolor painter and I'd also like to try out calligraphy (my mom was really good at it).
I want to improve my skills in watercolor painting but I am very poor and can't really afford to pay for courses right now. Other than Youtube, do you guys have any suggestions on how I can improve my skills for free or low cost? How often should I paint in order to improve?
For calligraphy I don't even know where to start! I can't really afford expensive materials so just wondering if you guys have any advice? Seems like there's italic vs modern calligraphy, I am open to trying both.
Hey, @Solome24, that's awesome that you found activities that you're interested in and want to improve on! Arts has been my childhood passion, and I'm trying to get back into it. It's hard nowadays with the rising prices across the board, so I get it. Youtube is great, and if you find someone who can teach it, like a friend, for free or low-cost would be even better since you can get immediate feed back, plus the comraderie that comes with it!
I was given a Master Calligraphy Set for Christmas as a child, and I was able to use it in many occassions. So, it might be good to invest in one or put in on your Christmas wish list.
As for practice, my highschool art teacher told us to atleast practice for 5 minutes, but it really depends on you as you know your schedule.
I hope that you'll be able to exercise your artistic skills/talents, because for me, it gets harder when you don't practice for a really long time.
@friendlySkies6250 Thanks so much for your response! <3 I'm glad you like arts too! I only started dabbling in painting acrylic and watercolor after my diagnosis, and found it really calming and enjoyable. I used to be a writer but that just doesn't do it for me anymore for the most part.
I have a ton of Youtube and Pinterest tutorials I want to try! And I like that you mentioning having a friend teach me. It would be amazing if I could find a mentor some day.
Ah Master Calligraphy Set, I will look this up! I am just a beginner so definitely need a good set that will help me through all the steps. I've never used a calligraphy pen before, at least I don't think I have haha, so will need to learn from scratch.
Yeah with painting I haven't really done it in months, started up again recently and realized my skills are not exactly up to par lol
@Solome24,
P.S. What's your budget for a Calligraphy set? I see online for beginners sets that ranges between $10- $20. One of those sets was what was given to me, and it helped me practice calligraphy and used it for my wedding, too!
@friendlySkies6250 Yeah $10-20 is reasonable! Do I just look for Beginner Calligraphy Set? I'm obviously gonna need an instruction book but I worry even with that I won't be successful/know what I'm doing lol 😬 I wonder if I can practice by tracing letters
Hi, @Solome24, that's a good question. Usually, beginners sets can include the instruction book, the inks, the pen shells with the tips, and lined practice pad. But it's also good to double check. However, you're the only one who knows what you need and what you already have at hand, so you may not even need the whole set.
You seem to be doubtful of your skills when starting out, and that's ok. 
It's also okay to trace letters to practice. You get to set your own pace and your own process of learning, and that can be exciting! I'm interested in knowing what you decide to do 