Paper
• Saunders Waterford or Arches 140# Rough or Cold Press, 1/4 & 1/8 sheets…11”x14” & 5”x7”…I normally use rough WC paper. Buy 22”x30” sheets and cut them and cut them to the size you need.
Brushes
• I use mostly rounds with good points…numbers 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, &14. I have recently been using some Chinese calligraphy brushes with mixed natural hair that I like very much… they are similar in size to the rounds I mentioned. I also use some larger mops for bigger paintings. A 2” Hake. A rigger or extended point brush for sharp lines & calligraphy. Good POINTS are a must.
• Some of you have expressed an interest in my Chinese calligraphy brushes. I purchased them from Asian Brushpainter at http://www.asianbrushpainter.com I have two sets of three brushes each. One set is “Basic Element” – Wolf Hair Sumi-e & Calligraphy Brush Set, which cost $9.99. The second set is “Great Master” – Calligraphy & Sumi-e Wolf Hair Brush Set, which cost $39.99. I also bought a Bamboo Brush Wrap with “Pocket” to keep the brushes in…cost $8.88. The total cost including shipping was $88.21. It took about 3 weeks to get here, but that was a year ago in the middle of COVID-19. You can also find Chinese calligraphy brushes at Amazon and various art supply stores, but be sure their descriptions are similar to Asian Brushpainter’s.
• Natural hair brushes are best for holding water and picking it up, however there are many blended synthetic/natural hair brushes that will work as well…Kolinsky Sables ARE NOT NECESSARY, unless you already have them.
• Escoda makes a wide range of brushes with excellent points, natural hair, synthetic, and blends.
• I’m usually not a fan of synthetic brushes but Princeton Brushes makes a velvetouch Long Round series that comes in a wide range of sizes & it has an excellent point. The only down side with these is that they don’t pickup water well at all…you’ll need to keep a natural hair brush close by to help sop up the extra water.
Paint
• Professional Grades watercolor paints: Daniels Smith, Windsor Newton, Holbein, M. Graham. Bring as many colors as you like.
• I use Daniel Smith (DS), Holbein (HWC), Windsor Newton (WN), QOR, M. Graham (MG), and Schmincke (S). My palette consists of Joseph Z’s Neutral Gray (DS), French Ultramarine Blue (DS), Cobalt Blue (DS), Cerulean Blue (DS), Raw Umber (WN), Quinacridone Gold (DS), Burnt Sienna (DS), Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red, Olive Green (HWC), Colbalt Turquoise (WN), Sap Green, Azo Yellow (MG), New Gamboge (DS), Cadmium Yellow & Light Yellow (WN), Titanium White, Jaune Brilliant No. 1. I typically use
transparent colors in my initial washes, saving the opaques like cadmiums, & whites until the finish. You don’t need all of these, but that’s what a keep in my palette. The absolute musts are: Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson, and Yellow. If you have Reds, Yellows, & Blues, you can do anything!
Palette
• I use an Alvin Heritage Artist 24-Well Paint Palette…a plastic folding palette with a rubber seal around the edge. A John Pike Palette works. Makes sure whatever you use that it has good mixing areas in it.
Miscellaneous
•2B to 8B Fiber Castell pencils for sketching and layout.
•General’s Sketch & Wash Pencil for value studies. It’s a water soluble, soft, black graphite pencil., which may be used wet or dry, or use it dry then apply a water wash.
•Waterbrush for use with water soluble graphite pencils (General’s Sketch & Wash Pencil). I use a Kuretake ZIG Waterbrush pen that I purchased from Dick Blick’s. They carry several brands such as Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle Waterbrush, Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Deluxe Water Brush, Sakura Koi Water Brush, and others.
•12”x16”x3/16” Gator Board, or similar rigid surface to tape your WC paper on…DO NOT USE Foam Core!
• Sketch book or pad for small value & color studies…cheap watercolor paper will work. • kneaded eraser
• a 16 oz. or lager water container to paint from.
• 32-40oz water bottle to restock your water cup
• paper towels & sponge
• water spray bottle / spritzer
• 1” drafting tape (DO NOT use masking tape)
• If your painting outside you’ll need an umbrella to keep the sun off of your painting and you, a painters drop cloth…about 6’x6’ (useful in grassy areas…ticks etc.), and sunscreen.
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