Ton Ador from the Philippines shared his favorite watercolor tips and techniques:

Here’s a Q&A with Ton:

Why do you make art? 
Self-expression and connection – as an introverted person, I don’t know how to socialize well, so I want to connect to other people through my paintings. I also look for personal growth, to improve and gauge my ability, and to inspire, because I was also inspired by so many artists. I want to be an inspiration to others especially for the beginners. and hopefully my art will become a significant contribution to society.

How long have you been painting?  
I started drawing when I was a kid, but I fell in love with watercolor in 2015.

Did you have formal art training? 
My college courses were not art-related, but I took a vocational course.

Are you a working artist or a hobbyist? 
Before I was a hobbyist while I worked at a fast-food restaurant, but now I am a full-time artist.

What inspires you? 
Usually, I get inspiration from everything that surrounds me – from my loved ones, artist friends and mentors, and from the masters’ paintings.

What kind of music do you listen to while painting?  
Any music that will boost my mood!

Have you had a mentor? 
I am blessed with people who I’ve met online – they’ve helped me pursue my goal. Some of my artist friends eventually became my mentors.  My childhood mentor in drawing was my art teacher named Aladin Antiqueno.

Do you paint every day? 
No, but I always sketch, study and watch art tutorials.

Do you paint one piece at a time or work on several together? Do you create a concept piece first?  
I only work on one piece at a time. I will do an initial sketch first so I can visualize my composition, and then I make a value and color study before I start painting the final piece.

Do you prefer painting in studio or plein air?  
Mostly I prefer painting in a studio. But sometimes I go paint outside, because plein air is the best teacher, it will improve your observational skills.

How many core colors do you use? 
On my palette, I have 21 colors, but usually I will use only the basics like red, blue, yellow.

Tubes, pans or sticks? 
I have plenty of watercolor tubes.

Do you use masking fluid? 
I often use masking fluid, it depends on what I am painting.

When do you know that your piece is finished? 
For me, when I feel satisfied and happy with what I am seeing, it means that it is already finished. Sometimes it doesn’t necessarily need to fill all the spaces or to color all the elements just to say it is finished, there are times we have to leave it as is without finishing all the details.

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Join us online each week via Zoom or Facebook for an Up Close and Personal Conversation with John Cogley (Daniel Smith Owner and CEO) along with guest artists from around the world. On Thursdays (2:00pm Pacific), John and some of our Brand Ambassadors highlight a group of colors and answer your questions. On Fridays (10:30am Pacific), a guest artist shares a demo with their favorite tips and techniques. Click here for the upcoming week’s Zoom links.

If you prefer, you can visit our Facebook page at showtime to watch live. Replays can be watched on Facebook or YouTube. La traducción al español está disponible – selecciona el canal en español en Zoom.