A Person Needs Watercolor Paints

There's something about a watercolor paint set. Even the cheapest strip from the 99 cent bin is capable of creating beauty and making you feel right with the world. I love a new set of paints. Each color surface is smooth and juicy, waiting for you to begin. Equally, I love an old paint set. The tray is smudged with drips and dried color experiments. The pots of color are worn down and small cakes of pigment are barely clinging to the sides, waiting for you to get just one more dab of paint.

If you've never painted before, this is where to start. Fill the color pot with a little water and get any kind of paper - even old newspaper - and just start painting. Lay down patches of color. Notice how the colors work together. No need to have a plan or a drawing. Just blobs and lines are fine. When you have had a good twenty minutes of making nothing but colorful paper, you will probably notice that you feel a sense of genuine happy. Don't know why...just the magic of these little paints.