For the beginning watercolor student ... ... it may seem that the primary purpose of water in watercolor painting is cleaning the brush and wetting the colors. And while that is true to a certain extent, to think of water in such limited terms is really to do a grave disservice to your painting

Even the beginning pastel student will realize that pastels are easily blended ... ... and that the smooth, gradiated tones produce a very different feel from the rougher look that is initially put down on paper. Blending is, of course, an essential tool to have available to you and you should be familiar with

Although in a sense there are as many different approaches to painting in watercolor as there are watercolor painters ... ... there are a few broad methods of approach that can be defined. Because watercolor can be put down in thin washes or intense color, dry brush or flooding washes, flung on the page

Pastel painting, because of the differences between hard and soft pastels, allows for very different approaches to making a finished piece. And although many pastelists combine several styles to create a look all their own, in the most general terms pastel painting comes down to the linear or massive approach. The Linear Approach is