This workshop will require a few different supplies than what I recommend for my other watercolor classes.
Designed to help watercolor artists understand both color theory and paint properties, we will explore the properties of watercolor pigments (transparent, opaque, staining, fugitive, granulating, on my!), we will look at different ways of mixing color (on the palette, on the paper, wet-into-wet, glazing), learn about color temperature, color value, low key, high key and experiment with the paints each of us has in our own palettes to better understand color combinations. We will focus on learning mixing with a limited palette initially, and we will learn some formulas that work well for specific subjects (skies, skin, etc.).
Each of the lessons of our workshop will introduce new ideas and exercises, new paints, techniques, and challenge you to think about color in new ways. You will get a creative workout, but in a relaxed, supportive setting, where experimentation and play are encouraged while techniques and observation are emphasized.
I spend a lot of time answering questions about art supplies in general so I put together this video to cover basic information about: watercolor paper, watercolor brushes, palettes, watercolor paints and some miscellaneous studio supplies I use all the time. This is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/70BL589bniU
I hope this helps you decide what you want to buy and what you can wait to buy.
Recommended supplies are listed below. You can click on any item listed to go to a link on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases but the price from Amazon remains the same for you.
In addition to experimenting with the paints each of us already owns, I would like to explore a limited palette approach to understanding mixing colors. For this reason, I am suggesting 9 specific Daniel Smith paints, a cool, a warm and a neutral yellow, a cool, a warm and a neutral red, and a cool, a warm and a neutral blue as listed below:
Daniel Smith Quinacridone Rose
Daniel Smith Transparent Pyrrol Orange
Daniel Smith Hansa Yellow Light
Daniel Smith Phthalo Blue Green Shade
Daniel Smith French Ultramarine
Please feel free to bring whatever other watercolor paints you have in addition to the mandatory nine paints suggested above but do not fill your palette with your paints yet. Bring an empty palette and your tubes of paints to the first day of class.
Finding the perfect sketchbook for this class is challenging. I used to recommend the Moleskine Art Plus Watercolor Album, A3, Black, Hard Cover (16.5 x 12) (Professional Folio Series) for its size. Those big pages allow us to create large charts on one page without having to make small swatches. But the quality of the Moleskine watercolor paper is not great and this particular size is getting harder and harder to find. For this reason, I am shifting my recommendation to the Stillman & Birn Beta Series Hardbound Sketchbook (cold press paper) . Don’t go for anything smaller than this size or you’ll be perplexed about how to split charts up over several pages. All my demos are done in the large Moleskine sketchbook so if you choose a different sketchbook, you’ll need to work out how to layout your charts. It shouldn’t be too difficult though!
For painting swatches I recommend a synthetic 3/4 inch flat brush. I like the Winsor & Newton Series 995 Aquarelle Golden Nylon Short Handle Brush - Flat Wash 3/4 inch
You will also need a palette or white ceramic plates for mixing. For the purpose of focusing on color mixing and the color wheel, I recommend this circular palette but you can use any palette you already have if you prefer.
Bring your watercolor brushes. If you don't have any, buy a watercolor flat brush and a watercolor round brush. There are many options available. The cheapest ones will disappoint you (they will shed hair, carry very little pigment, wear out quickly) but no need for expensive brushes either as we will just be mixing and painting swatches. A price range for decent brushes is between $10 and $20 each.
Since we make a lot of charts in this class, I’ve found these templates really helpful. It’ll speed up the process considerably.
Brushes
There are brushes for watercolors, for oils, for acrylics, for pastels, etc.... Be sure you buy brushes that are for watercolors.
There are natural fiber brushes, synthetic brushes, and brushes that are a mix of natural and synthetic fibers. And the price can vary between $2 and $200 plus!
Then there are shapes of watercolor brushes, each best suited for a particular technique.
Then there are sizes of brushes and to complicate it more, sizes aren't standard. A size 2 brush in one brand might be 3 times bigger than a size 2 brush in another brand. So there's that.
In this class we will be painting a lot of square swatches so this flat brush will make the job easier and quicker.
I like these Princeton brushes. They are really affordable, have a nice tip and come in many sizes. These are the three I recommend for small to medium paintings:
My favorite brushes are the Black Gold Quill Brush 311 series. These brushes have blended synthetic hair (medium tensile strength), with two toned lacquered wood handle. There are other brushes you may add to your collection as your skills and interests grow but these brushes will be a solid set. I do about 80% of all my painting with my Black Gold 311 Brushes. And they are FINALLY available online. Please note that Black Gold makes a lot of brushes and they are all listed on this link. I only use their Quill Brush 311 series brushes.
If you choose to explore other options, just stay away from brushes that cost less than $10/each. They will frustrate you with their shedding hairs and poor quality.
I haven’t found any scrubber brushes that I love so instead I use these fabric brushes. They have a perfect bristle, not to soft and not to hard. I like the angled ones but they also come in flat and round.
Spray Bottle
HB Pencil
A ruler
An extra fine Sharpie
A thick Sharpie
Water Containers (like empty yogurt containers)
Paper Towels
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