Required Supplies (bring these to first class):
- Watercolor Paint: Tubes and/or pans (they are interchangeable and inter-mixable). A basic set of 10+ pan or tube “artist quality” colors is good. Reputable brands include: Daniel Smith, Michael Harding, QoR, M. Graham, Windsor and Newton, Schmincke, and Holbein.
- Recommended Colors of Watercolor Paint: Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Lemon Yellow, Aureolin, Permanent Rose, Cadmium Red Scarlet, Hooker's Green, Viridian, (any) Violet,Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Lamp Black, Chinese (Zinc) White. Please feel free to substitute any similar colors you prefer. The basic idea is to cover the rainbow and to get a warm and a cool of each primary color. In addition, get ochre, sienna, and umber, white, and black.
- Optional: Gouache basic painting set. Same colors suggestions as the watercolor list above. Or, a basic set of ten colors. Some of you might prefer this opaque paint to regular watercolor, or you might like to augment regular watercolor.
- Brushes: Please get brushes sold as watercolor brushes. Some softer made for acrylic brushes will work. Oil painting brushes are not recommended.
- Brush sizes: At least 1 small round soft brush (#4, 5, or 6),at least 1 medium round soft brush (#10, 11, or 12), and a 1” Flat Brush.
- Optional: #18 mop brush, #0 or #1 round brush.
- Optional: water brush (the kind that stores water inside the shaft)
- Paint mixing tray (this may be included in your paint set that you buy). Look for the type where the water does not bead up but lays flat.
- Paper: Watercolor paper. Any paper marketed as “watercolor” paper will work. Arches Aquarelle is best commonly available brand.
- Paper Weight: Recommend is 140lb (aka ~300gsm) weight in general. However, if you are working larger than 16x20”, intend to get your paper sopping wet, or just like a heavy paper, you can get 300lb paper. And, if you are going to pre-stretch your paper on a board or stretcher bars and not work too big, you can get away with 90lb (180gsm) paper.
- Paper Surface: Recommend paper surface is cold press in general, but for portraits or other delicate subjects, you might consider hot press. And, you if you like assertive, physical surface in your work, consider Rough.
- Form factor. Individual sheets, a pad, or a block. Each paper differs in performance and feel. A great way to try different papers is to buy individual sheets. And, if you are unsure about the expense of a premium paper, buying one sheet (one 22x30” sheet can be cut in four or more usable pieces) is a good way to see if it is worth it to you. The advantage of a block is that you don’t have to tape the paper down.
- Size. Recommended minimum size 9”x12”.
- Alternatives. You should know that “cover” or printmaking stock (e.g. Rives BFK, Sommerset Velvet… ~300gsm) can also be used and has a different visual appearance.
- Paper towels. Viva is the best.
- Two containers for water. Small ones are portable while large ones (up to a
quart) means you change water less frequently.
Other General supplies:
- Drawing board - if you are using individual sheets or pads; you will need to attach the paper to something rigid. If you are using a watercolor block, the block alone will suffice. You can also tape your piece to the desk, but you may want to be able to move the piece around while working; a board would allow this.
- Sketch book, for compositional thumbnails, color swatches, notes, etc.
- H, F, or HB graphite pencil
- Pencil sharpener
- White plastic eraser
- Painter’s tape (blue or even better Frog)
- Xacto or Olfa snap-off knife, especially if you get a paper in block form
Optional Supplies:
- Masking Fluid (optional but highly recommended)
- Sea Sponge or any sponge or anything that is absorbent. Working with subtraction is important to my approach. A sea sponge can be used to make irregular marks.
- Spray Bottle - this is helpful for wetting pan colors or to keep a painting wet longer without having to touch the piece with a brush.
- Color wheel. Though my favorite color wheel is online at color.adobe.com">color.adobe.com (to be discussed in class)