A week ago I was showing some of my paintings on Facebook that I have been doing to honor the Armed Forces and it just so happens there were 5 of them to show off all at once. Why did I show 5 at a time you may ask... it is because I usually start 2 to 6 paintings all together and finish close to the same time.

It never really occurred to me until last week that I never do just one painting when I am working in my studio.
I'm not sure if this stems from being a storyboard artist for most of my life but I have come to rely on this way of painting because I feel it is the best way to paint my watercolors.

One of the reasons I work on more than one painting at a time is that with watercolor there is always so much waiting for things to dry time, so instead of stopping for a first wash to dry, I think it makes sense to keep on a roll with another first wash. This last week I did 6 first washes in a row and I just kept getting better at them the more I did. When I am finally done doing the 6th first wash I am then ready to get to the second wash on the first painting I started and it is usually dry by then. Sometimes I will take a break before starting the second washes so I can get a fresh eye on all the first washes and to see what I have to do next or finish from the first wash. 

Below you can see a progression from a second wash to a third and some a fourth wash. 
The final wash is the detailed wash and that wash usually takes more time so at that point it feels like I am working on one piece until it is finished.

I am bringing this to the attention of my students because I feel this is a way of painting when they are in their studios that could help them in so many good ways when learning watercolor. Painting more has always been a good way of learning. Getting a fresh eye of your paintings after every wash is a great thing for learning to see what still has to be done with your paintings. Waiting for paint to dry is a waste of time for me when just working on one project and is the reason I want my students to start working on more than one painting at a time.

I would suggest to start working on 2 paintings at a time and do more when you feel ready to handle more.

I will have these paintings finished by the end of this week and if you want to see them I will be posting them on Facebook and Instagram by the end of the week.