Watercolor Supplies
Fresh Style
with Christine Lashley

Here is the latest supply list, with many notes on how to choose supplies. (It’s easy to get overwhelmed with choices on the big art websites and stores, but this list will help). I will review supplies in the first lesson and beginners can put paints in the wells for the first time in class with my help.

About Your Materials:
These items are recommended. Buy the best you can afford. I know supplies are expensive, but better quality materials mean better results. Try to order supplies ahead via mail order. A local craft store often charges 50-75% more than mail order suppliers. If you have limited funds here is the order in which to spend your money: 1) paper (see below), 2) brushes, 3) paint. Advanced students can bring favorite supplies. For example, if you prefer painting with flat brushes versus rounds that is fine.

PALETTE - large plastic one with a tight fitting lid to keep paint moist and with wells for moist tube watercolor paint. (Example: John Pike palette.)

WATERCOLOR PAPER - 140 lb. sheets or blocks. Cold press is the most popular finish but you may use hot press or rough to experiment with or if you prefer. Size should be at least 9" x 12." Look for the tag line: "100% cotton or rag content." Student-grade is OK for color swatch practice or those on a strict budget. However, your results will be so much better with good paper. You really get what you pay for! With quality paper you can use the back of the sheet as well. Loose sheets are more economical than blocks, but need to be taped to a waterproof board with tape that will not ruin the paper when removed (white artist’s tape is a good choice). Watercolor blocks are prestretched and ready to go as-is. A good size: 9 x 12" watercolor block, 140 # cold press. There are many good brands of paper. I like Arches and Fabriano. Note: paper manufacturers are now making 'traditional' or 'natural white' and 'bright white'. Either is fine. I prefer traditional.

BRUSHES - Synthetic, sable (or a blend) watercolor brushes. Larger is better! Suggested sizes: No. 12 or 14, a No. 8, round. A dozen brushes are NOT needed. Don't get seduced by a big 'jumbo pack' of brushes for a cheap price, these are inferior quality. Instead, put your money into a few good brushes... or just one! If you can only afford 1 brush, buy a #10 round watercolor brush. Choose round brushes that form a good point and spring back to shape when wet.

The best brushes are pure kolinsky sable ('red sable' is good too, but a tiny bit lesser quality). Sable brushes can be VERY expensive. "Escoda" Tajmyr (red handle, series 1212) brushes are very good quality, pure Kolinsky sable, at an excellent price (see link for art sources). Budget choices are Winsor Newton Sceptor Gold 101 Series or Robert Simmons Brushes.

Note: Some new brushes have a hard glue-like protective coat on the hairs. This comes off with plain water. Others come with a plastic protective tube. Do not force your brush back into this tube after you take it out, it can ruin the hairs on your brush.

OTHER - Small natural sponge, and paper towels. Pencil and soft white eraser. Sketch pad of 60 or 80 lb. white paper (8 x 11 is fine) for quick watercolor studies, pencil sketches and notes. Large container for water. Tape and board if using paper sheets.

PAINTS - I buy tubes of moist watercolor paint. There are two kinds of paint, 'professional' or 'artist' grade and 'student' grade. (For example Winsor & Newton’s student grade paint is called “Cottman”). Student grade is fine for experimenting, but to get great results you must use professional paints - they contain more pure, saturated color and less 'filler'. Suggested palette is in Winsor & Newton colors (except my prefference of Maimeriblu's Orange Lake, and Holbein's Peacock Blue). You don’t need all of these colors but they all have benefits. (I have all of these and find them useful at different times when painting.) Buy colors with a (*) if you can only afford a limited palette. Purchasing larger tubes (14, or 37 ml) is much more economical per use. It is better to buy small tubes of Artist-grade paint than big tubes of student-grade paint.

Yellow: *New Gamboge; Cadmium Yellow; Windsor Yellow
Red: Windsor Red; *Permanent Alizarin Crimson
Blue: *Cobalt Blue; *French Ultramarine Blue (not 'deep' version); *Cerulean Blue; Peacock Blue (Holbein) (or WN's Windsor Blue Green Shade... same as Phthalo Blue in other brands)
Orange: Orange Lake (Maimeriblu) or WN's Cadmium Orange
Green: *Hooker’s Green; Winsor Green Blue shade (same as Phthalo Green in other brands), (Viridian is nice and a good color for landscapes)
Brown: *Burnt Umber; *Sepia
Other: *Permanent Rose; * Winsor Violet; White Gouache (great for portrait painting) (NOT Chinese White - it does not mix well)

Fun colors I am experimenting with and like a lot so far: Brown Madder, Cobalt Violet, Quinacridone Magenta

MAIL ORDER CATALOGS AND WEB SITES Call to get a free catalog.
Cheap Joe's Art Stuff - Web Site: www.cheapjoes.com / 800-227-2788.
Dick Blick - Web Site: www.dickblick.com / (800)-828-4548.
Daniel Smith - Web Site: www.danielsmith.com / 800-426-6740.
ASW Express - Web Site: www.aswexpress.com / 800-995-6778

watercolor-online.com

wetcanvas.com

handprint.com (extensive watercolor information on supplies, click on the color wheel or go directly to http://handprint.com/HP/WCL/water.html).