The Power of Iteration

The Way of Watercolor: In this four-part series, Stephen Berry lends his thoughts and expertise in the realm of watercolor painting

-  Stephen Berry

As a watercolor artist, I can't work a painting over time the way an oil painter can. In the moment, as washes dry and wet-into-wet opportunities literally evaporate, watercolors propel you towards the end of the painting. No reworking, scraping paint down to the canvas, or wholesale painting over something. Instead, we have to think backwards but act forwards." That means planning. But, as I'm sure many artists have learned with experience, there's only so much planning one can do. Eventually, you have to get down to the act of painting. We really learn through exploration and experience. And that's where iteration comes into play. When I'm learning a new technique or working on a new subject, I often work iteratively. Working iteratively allows a number of key benefits as a watercolor artist. Let's walk through them.