This quarter I'm taking Design 1 (meh) and watercolor. I started by creating a space in which to do watercolors, since you generally paint them flat.
It's tucked into the corner in my studio, next to my computer desk.
Fittingly, that table on the right is my mother's kitchen table. I feel good in this space, and close to her. You can see in the middle where I have markers organized - those are specifically water-soluable markers, and in the little tiny flat drawers are graphite, pastels, pastel pencils, charcoal, watercolor pencils, colored pencils, and permanant markers, all neatly organized.
The shelves are shoe racks with the middle shelf taken out. The stool is a "leaning stool" so that you aren't putting all your weight on your butt. You can see my porcelain watercolor palette under one of the shelves, and the double porcelain water container on the right.
I love this space. I love spending time in it.
I bought a couple of Baohong blocks: Artist-grade and academy grade. They're both great. I use blocks because I find "stretching" watercolor paper tedious and time-consuming. At most, I'll tape watercolor paper that's loose to the table to control the buckling that can occur after putting a lot of moisture on the paper.
We had to do a color wheel, of course. Of course, of course. You must always do a color wheel and a value study in every college-level painting class.
value study: boot. I have a folding, water-proof palette for watercolor that I use at school. I've had watercolor supplies for a very long time, but have been afraid to really get into it because it's all about letting go and letting the paint do what it wants to do. Eek!
I purchased some Fuumuui brushes, but also had some Escoda and Silver brushes already.
this was my initial palette. I've changed it now, switching as I have been doing to quinacridones and related pigments, phthalo blue green shade and phthalo green blue shade,
indacridone and anthroquinone blues.
First assignment,: Still life. I did this twice, not satisfied with the first result.
I've messed around on my own and done some stuff. I joined some social media watercolor groups, and try to do some of their "weekly challenges."
watercolor and micron pen.
trees in fog, watercolor 
steller's jay - i think the eye is too far up in his head. 
"stained glass" challenge. Finished with watercolor marker. Latest: a landscape. I have to do this over because i totally ruined the sky.
I've been so encouraged by how much I've enjoyed this that I plurged and bought this little number, again by Fuumuui:
VERY pleased with this little kit. The brush in the holder has about a size 2 round brush, a size 4 or 5 round, and one of the covers has a graphite tip for sketching. I don't know how long the graphite tip will last, but that's okay because I've also got some graphite "forever pencils" to take with me.
I like making my own pans from tubed watercolors. On the right, you see the brush washing cup. There is a clean water container on the top right, next to a sponge for dabbing extra water from your brush. It's held shut with magnets, and has an adjustable little back to hold paper that folds all the way back.
It came with a clip for holding your paper, but I'm pretty sure I'll be purchasing a 5x7" watercolor block once I've used up all my 5x7" watercolor journals and field books.
Design I I've found to be somewhat tedious. So far we've been focused on designing elements to a card game which has a "wild west" theme. We did a collage for the "board"
and I was assigned to create cards for animals:
We're really only allowed to use guache, which I'm not a fan of. It reminds me of that cheap paint we used in grade school. It crumbles to a powder when dry.
And that's a wrap-up of month 1 of the winter quarter of art school. Next quarter I'll be taking Drawing II and Ceramics I.
...
