How to be self-taught using the 4 stages of development in watercolor
I teach myself to paint every day.
I used to feel a little self-deprecating about my status as a self-taught artist, but over the years I’ve realized that every artist is self-taught. The skills required for using watercolor with confidence can’t be achieved except through use, no matter how many classes you take. I love that in our internet age, each individual artist can curate his or her own education, choosing instructors and subjects that are directly connected to what is needed at any point in the journey to mastery.
That doesn’t eliminate the fact that there are times when you will feel like you are struggling artistically. Sometimes what is needed is a helpful instructor, and sometimes we just need to know I am not alone. Over the last few decades, I’ve gone on a journey from the early days of learning techniques to developing my own personal style and becoming my own favorite artist, and I have done so despite obstacles and limitations, despite my own fears and doubts in my ability, and if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that everyone can become their own favorite artist.
I’ve made a career of guiding artists to their own place of fearless creativity, and I’ve identified several stages on the journey that are a transitional part of an artist’s development. This post is to help you figure out where you are on your path to watercolor success and encourage you where you are at. Once you know where you are, and where you need to go next, it's easier for you to figure out your path.
4 Stages of Skill Development
[The stages below are based on the Stages of Learning Theory developed by Noel Burch at Gordon Training International.]
Painting in watercolor isn’t just about competence in technique, but there are levels of readiness that will help you know what skills to work on and when. As you read through these stages of development, recognize that you likely won't fit perfectly in any single stage. Make a list of your own goals and challenges and then seek out those things that will help you meet those needs. Please note that the courses listed below, with the exception of Watercolor Mastery, are all included in our Heart-Led Course membership.
Ready to figure out what stage you're in? Pull out a piece of paper and a pencil and jot down the things below that resonate the most with you.
Stage 1 - Unconscious Incompetence:
You're new to painting. Most of what you are creating (when it pleases you) is accidental, which makes it hard to reproduce success. Your style is hinted at in your interests and influences, more than in your body of work. [This stage is also called Unconsciously Unskilled]
Your goals:
Learn watercolor techniques and how to use them on purpose
Learn about the different types of pigments
Learn how to control the water/pigment ratio
Share your work without fear
Your challenges:
Overwhelm with all there is to do and not knowing what to focus on or how.
Comparing your work to others'. You're afraid to share your work in case someone says out loud that it's as bad as you fear it is.
Frustration at not being able to put on paper what you see in your head. Or not being able to repeat something that worked before.
Discouragement and feelings of failure. You're beginning to wonder, 'Why try?'
Tools we can provide you for this stage:
Learn Watercolor: The Heart-Led Way. This course was designed to offer you the freedom to learn and develop your personal style even as a beginning painter. Learning watercolor can be as individual as you are and you can be heart-led in your painting from the very beginning of your watercolor journey.
Stage 2 - Conscious Incompetence:
You know how far you have to go. Many students give up at this point because it can feel so hard, and successful outcomes can often be more rare than in the previous stage. The sheer volume of the knowledge you need to learn feels overwhelming, and you might not know what to focus on to learn first. While you might be thinking it's important to start developing your style, the most important thing you can do to get to the next level is to put a lot of hours into painting (brush miles) which will grow your technical skills. [This stage is also called Consciously Unskilled]
Your goals:
To 'control' what's happening on the page and get what's in your head onto the paper.
Repeat techniques to achieve a certain look.
Log brush miles.
Have fun at every stage of the process.
Experiment without fear and without thinking you're wasting time, effort, paper, paint, etc.
Your challenges:
Overwhelm with all there is to learn and not knowing what to focus on or how.
Discouragement and feelings of failure. You understand how far you are from where you want to be. You're beginning to wonder, 'Why try?'
You want to be heart-led, but you don't know how.
You want it to be easier and more fun.
Tools we provide you for this stage:
Intermediate Courses to help you think about different subjects and further develop your skills: Creating Simple Landscapes, Creative Watercolor, Watercolour Workout, Color Drenched Florals. In these courses I demonstrate my own decision process and show techniques used in the different stages of painting; this kind of imitation is like “drills” to strengthen and refine your painting skillset.
Zoom Workshops: Monthly livestream workshops on Zoom offer development in both technique and style. Information here.
Does this resonate? Sign up for a series of emails designed to help you become a more Fearless Artist.
Stage 3 - Conscious Competence:
Your hard work starts to pay off and you are better able to plan and anticipate your outcomes. With a greater understanding of watercolor techniques, you have more headspace to start to think more about your personal style and look for ways to express yourself through your paintings. [This stage is also called Consciously Skilled]
Your goals:
To go with the flow: to work with what's happening with the paint on the paper.
To be Heart-Led in your approach.
To understand 'value' and know how to do a value study.
To understand the rules of composition and what makes a composition work.
To understand basic color theory.
To work in series: to explore a single subject with different compositions, colors, moods, etc. and to get enough experience with a subject to understand how to paint it.
Your challenges:
Moving away from copying someone else's work to discovering and developing your own style.
Trusting that logging brush miles will actually work.
Understanding and working with your own creative process.
Silencing your inner critic.
Learning to critique your own work.
Tools we provide you for this stage:
Intermediate/Advanced Courses: The lessons in these courses can be coped step by step for skill development, or used as stepping stones to develop your own work: Lovely Loose Florals, Heart-Led Landscapes, Run-off Series, Photo Reference Mastery
Advanced course: Watercolor Mastery
Zoom Workshops: Monthly livestream workshops on Zoom offer development in both technique and style. Information here.
Stage 4 - Unconscious Competence:
You've mastered the medium to the level where it feels easy and natural. This is when things get really fun! As your brain is less occupied with technique, you are able to focus your full attention on self-expression. Your personal style is free to be more fully revealed. This is what makes it easier to be playful and authentic in your creativity, and it's worth all the struggle of the previous three stages. [This stage is also called Unconsciously Skilled]
Your goals:
Find your WHY? and be able to talk about it.
Develop confidence in your own voice & style.
Polish your skills, review concepts and explore new techniques.
Break the rules.
Consistently produce excellent paintings: Good enough to sell or enter into juried shows & competitions.
Business: How-To, marketing, art fairs, making reproductions, websites, best practices in finishing and framing, cost-effective framing, etc.
Your challenges:
Finding mentors and teachers: to help you keep improving.
Critiques: Not trusting yourself to critique your own work or needing an advanced group to help you look at your work objectively.
Comparing your work with others'.
Overwhelm & Balance: How to juggle studio time, personal/family time and business.
Tools we provide you for this stage:
Revisit courses you've completed: My online courses offer lifetime access so you can choose a course that resonates with you and work through it again. 'New' things will pop out at you that you may not have been ready to think about the last time you went through the course.
Start a study group: Announce to your community that you're interested in doing an in-depth study of a topic [such as value studies, florals, composition] and ask if anyone would like to join you. Be clear on your goal [do 50 value studies, paint 20 florals, read this book about composition] and set aside a few weeks to focus on that. Keep it small and achievable.
Advanced course: Watercolor Mastery
Zoom Workshops: Monthly livestream workshops on Zoom offer development in both technique and style. Information here.
Lessons, Tips, & Videos from Angela and other great teachers. There is always more to learn, a little at a time!
Now that you know where you are...
Sit down for a minute and jot down a few ideas about where you want to go in your journey and the things you want to take advantage of first.
Research shows that just making a little plan like this makes it much more likely that you will make the progress you want to see.
Spend the next few days thinking about your own Path to Watercolor Success. Let us know that you made a plan so we can give you the shout-out and support that you deserve!
And leave a comment letting me know - was this guide helpful? Do you have more understanding about what to focus on and where to go next, based on your current skill level?
Looking for more?
Love every step of your watercolour journey. Become your own favourite artist!
If you're struggling to discover and develop your personal style, if you've dreamed of painting more loosely and expressively but just don't know if you have it in you, fear and lack of confidence could be the major factors holding you back from painting in an authentic style that you thrill to every time you paint. In this series of weekly emails, I share insights to help you confront your fears and doubt and choose a mindset that is free, powerful and courageous.