My First Watercolor Class: Fun, Frustration, and a Tiny Boat
I had never touched watercolor before, so naturally, when I saw a watercolor class in my local community recreation catalog, I signed up immediately. New art supplies? A reason to wander around the art store? Obviously, I was in.
I showed up to the first class excited and ready to become a watercolor genius. You know—soft washes, dreamy landscapes, maybe a moody sunset or two. What I actually got was… an experience.
The Class Itself
First surprise: the class wasn’t just for beginners. It was mixed-level. Not a huge deal—except the instructor immediately pointed to one side of the tables and said, “Beginners sit here.”
Nothing like being publicly sorted into the “you clearly don’t know what you’re doing” section five minutes into class.
Even better, she spent about half the class with the advanced students, who had apparently been taking sessions with her for years. The beginners mostly got a demo… from behind her back. Literally. She stood in front of us, blocking what she was doing, while we tried to guess what was happening on the paper.
Was that a tree? A boat? A philosophical statement? We may never know.
Then came the supply critiques. The list said brushes in sizes 8, 10, and 12 only, so that’s what many of us brought. Apparently, that was wrong. We were told we should have had bigger brushes. The paint list said “12 tubes only,” with no color suggestions. Some students brought lemon yellow—and yes, that was also apparently incorrect.
If the supply list had a personality, it would be a trick question.
Actually Painting with Watercolor
Despite the class chaos, I did enjoy trying watercolor—at least a little. I still prefer acrylic, but it was interesting to experiment.
My first painting was of a boat on the water. Very classic. Very “I just started watercolor yesterday.”
The process went like this:
First, you wet the watercolor paper with clean water.
(This would have been much easier with a larger brush… just saying.)
Then you dip a dry brush into the paint and spread it across the wet paper.
After that, you dip the brush in water and pull the color downward, creating a lighter, softer effect as you go.
And yes, it does get lighter and lighter the more water you add.
Which is… fine. But personally, I like my paint the way I like my tea: strong and obvious. This slow fade into nothingness wasn’t exactly thrilling for me.
Will I Keep Using Watercolor?
Short answer: probably not.
I’ll finish the class sessions because I paid for them, and I did enjoy the actual painting part. But once I run out of the watercolor supplies I bought, I don’t see myself rushing out to replace them. Acrylics still have my heart.
For the record, I bought most of my supplies at Michael’s, except for my water bucket—the one with the grooves and slots for cleaning and holding brushes. That little upgrade came from Amazon, and honestly, it was the most organized part of the whole experience.
Final Thoughts on My First Watercolor Class
Am I glad I tried watercolor? Yes.
Will I sign up for another class like this? Absolutely not.
Still, trying a new art medium is always worth it. Even if the class is awkward, the supplies are questionable, and you end up painting a tiny boat while questioning your life choices… you still learn something about your own creative style.
And now I know one important thing:
I’m definitely an acrylic person.
