Not Your Grandmother's Watercolors

The Studio School
505A Jefferson Street . Downtown Roanoke
540.344.5404
The Academy of Fine Arts
600 Main Street, Downtown Lynchburg
434.846.8499
Virginia Community College

Ok, now as we've said - we will admit to the fact these hobbies weren't exactly up our alley at first, but our whole perspective of watercolor arts has changed since we discovered some amazing facilities here in the area. (Although, we must confess... finger painting is still our favorite! Hey, don't judge us - we're mothers!)


Watercolors are unique original paintings. A mixture of pigments, gum Arabic, and preservatives are used to create the images. These paints are applied using varying amounts of solvent-water. They can be applied dry, wet on wet, dry on wet, or in any combination of fluidity.


The white in a transparent watercolor comes from the paper. No white pigments are used. White pigments tend to be cloudy and opaque, interfering with the special quality of transparent colors. These colors must be applied surely, quickly and yet with control to avoid becoming "muddy." Most watercolor pieces take days, even weeks to create, and most professionals will tell you that it takes years of study to perfect the craft. But, you have to start somewhere, right?

Learning to paint with watercolors can be a little daunting, but with a few lessons you will be off and painting your own masterpieces. Several options locally for lessons include The Studio School in Downtown Roanoke, The Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg and even area community colleges offer watercolor classes for all ages and skill levels. These lessons offer step-by-step instruction from local working artists. They break painting down to where you can understand the technique and provide plenty of instruction so you'll be comfortable with trying it on your own.