This is a continuation of a series of posts about various art tools and their uses. I’m not going to dictate what you should use, I’m going to simply offer up what has worked for me and what I like or dislike about certain tools.
In the previous post I shared why I started using professional grade artist colors over student grade. To check that out, click here.
This week, I’ll share my top five favorite painting supplies. I’ve already covered the actual paint in post mentioned above. So today, I’ll just cover those tools that I use with my colors.
1. Paper
This may seem obvious because when painting, I need something to paint on. However, not just any paper will perform with watercolors in a pleasing way. I always use 140 lb watercolor paper. I’ve used cold pressed and hot pressed. A couple of my favorite brands are Arches watercolor paper pad hot pressed 140 lb and Canson watercolor paper cold pressed 140 lb. Each one provides a different experience. Hot pressed paper is much smoother in texture and is great for laying in detail. It’s what I like to use for photorealistic painting, like this:
Cold pressed paper has a great deal of texture with a great amount of tooth to its surface. This allows for heavier washes of watercolor to be applied in layers. I enjoy using hot pressed paper for painting illustrations, like this:
2. Fine detail brushes
I love using these brushes as they provide access to detail in creating realistic paintings, such as with this sweet pepper composition.
I also like the triangular handle that helps from getting cramps in my hand. You can find the ones pictured here. There are many brands, but these are some of the ones I use. I have detail sizes ranging from 4 to 000.
3. Porcelain salad plate
I’ve used paint trays in the past, but I don’t like the way the paint never entirely washes clean. I’m a little bit of a neat freak, which doesn’t play well with art. It’s a constant struggle with myself.
The salad plate comes in handy because it cleans perfectly and has a raised rim to help keep the colors from running over the sides. In the past I’ve used a ceramic tile from the hardware store. This works fine for small quantities of paint, but more than one or two mixes and the paint will start to wander over the edges. With the plate I can make several mixes and even leave them for the next day to rewet and use again. Waste not, want not. Since I’m using professional grade colors, which are more expensive, I want them to last as long as possible. In fact, this is my current palette and has lasted me over 6 months already. It looks like it will last for years. Especially with watercolor, a little goes a long way.
4. Paint brush holder
This handy tool was made by my daughter as a Christmas gift, but you can purchase or make one. They work quite well for calligraphy pens too. Before this I used a chopstick rest. This worked fine for one brush or one pen, but more than that and they would slide together. I’ve seen many cute ones on etsy made from ceramic, wood and glass. Before I had this I was perching them in my mouth or balancing them over the table ledge. Trust me, this is way easier!
5. Eye dropper or pipette
Before, I used a separate brush to mix paints onto my plate, but then I read this tip somewhere online and I’ve never looked back since. I simply drop water into the paint pan that I want to use. I’ve also seen people use squirt bottles, but I found this to be too messy if I didn’t get the nozzle aimed just right. After adding the water, I allow it to sit for a few seconds and then it is ready to use.
Of course, these aren’t the only tools I use, but they are my favorite ones that I return to time and time again. They make my creative process so much more enjoyable.
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