And another challenge.

Just as you're finishing your Urban Sketcher 30 x 30 challenge for the month of June, along comes a challenge from Doodlewash for a painting a day for the month of July. That would be 31 paintings. If there is no other result, you will certainly be on the fast track to improving your watercolor quickly with such intense practice.

You don't have to do a full size painting. Just a sketch in your journal will be fine. You need not go out. Sit and the table and sketch that box of Corn Flakes.

Time for a Challenge.

Also time to do some updates, but first things first.

Marc Taro Holmes, he of the Urban Sketcher, is participating in a challenge that is just right for both beginners and experienced painters.

Paint 30 paintings in 30 days.

If you have your little portable palette and journal, you can take a few minutes every day to paint something, anything, while going about your day.

If you have more time you can do a larger, studio painting. It doesn't really matter. Holmes is an urban sketcher so he is going to try to get out more. I'll only be journaling in days when I'm not home at all. June 5 is my last day of watercolor class this session so this challenge is a good way to keep going outside of class. We all have difficulty making time to paint.

I do not do Facebook, Twitter or Instagram so I will be posting my efforts on this blog. I may not post them every day but I will endeavor to paint every day and eventually get those paintings posted.

I plan to use this as an opportunity not just for more practice but to explore more palettes and get comfortable painting larger.

I have several palettes mostly Daniel Smith. I have my standard one based on suggestions from Jane Blundell using Daniel Smith. I have a palette of artist made watercolors from Greenleaf and Blueberry with a few substitutions from Jazper Stardust. I am going to try a few paintings using nothing but Daniel Smith Primateks. I am going to try Marc Taro Holmes suggested palettes in both 12 and 21 colors*. And I am going to try a few using nothing but the “original” primary colors as stated on Handprint, there being four; Nickel Diozine Yellow(PY153), Quinacridone Rose (PV19), Phthalocyanine blue, Green Shade (PB 15:3) and Phthalocyanine green, Yellow Shade (PG36). (Don't beat yourself up trying to find PY153. It's discontinued but I have a bit.) I think that will give me plenty to practice on in 30 days. I’ll probably start with journaling, to try out my new Noodler’s bullet proof inks and new Neponset pen and work my way up in size. I hope by the end of the month to be doing larger paintings than I am currently doing. I need to work at working larger than 12 x 16.

* Tyrian Purple is discontinued. Try Daniel Smith Permanent Violet or thioindigo violet PR88 as it has the same pigment number. (Remember what I said about pigment numbers versus the names of colors?) 

Marc Taro Holmes 21 color urban sketching palette

Color Wheels, Color theory and all that geeky jazz.

Handprint is really what got me started on color. That eventually led me to Jane Blundell. But if you really want to get into it, is is a bottomless pit of scientific footnotes and trivia. You can get lost in the Munsell color system.

From the wheel which is really more of a ball to the primaries that are more of a quartet than a triad.

Just a warning about getting deep into color theory. If you can't visualize 3D you may have some problems with it. That is why generally color wheels are presented in 2D. It's also why there are so many of them and none of them quite do the job. Just so you know, flat color wheels are not quite scientifically accurate but good enough for grasping the concepts.

Plus there are plenty of opinions.

Why red is not a primary color.

A brief list of an infinite number of articles. Probably a work in progress.

You can't list all of the articles about watercolor because they number in the billions (at the least, maybe trillions) and since they are constantly being written this list would constantly be added to. Which will probably happen, but the following is at least a start.

Groups to join or just watch as a voyeur.

Whiskey Painter's of America - You can't join. Not even for ready money. Not unless you're lucky to know someone and someone in the group dies and you get nominated. Good luck with that.

Wetcanvas - A great website with all sorts of media represented. You can join for free and everyone is welcome. Check out the watercolor section. One of my favorites is Palette Addicts. Like how many palettes can you hoard. I think I'm very competitive as I have some pretty desirable palettes, plus a few really unique and scarce ones. But there are still a few I so wish were mine.

Society of All Artists or SAA. In the U.K. so don't pay to join, but see if you can join the "community" for free. Probably somewhat like Wetcanvas.

Most cities of reasonable size probably have some sort of watercolor society or club. There are quite a few in my county and more than one in the city.

San Diego Watercolor Society

There are watercolor societies in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
There is the Minnesota Watercolor Society, the Lake Superior Watercolor Society and the Central Minnesota Watercolorists.

Yosemite: Sierra Watercolor Society.

There are national watercolor societies for all sorts of watercolor. The American Watercolor Society and Transparent Watercolor Society.

There are also Urban Sketchers with chapters all across the country and around the world. Here's a few:
San Diego
Philadelphia
Harrisburg
New Hope
Minneapolis/St. Paul

Some groups have considerable dues and are mostly on the professional level. Some you cannot join unless you submit paintings and they are judged worthy.

Some local groups are free and anyone at any level is welcome.

I encourage you to join a group either online or that meets locally. Feedback, as much as it may hurt, is necessary to help you see what improvements you can make.

Don't forget your local community college. Some have low cost adult classes or if you are experienced, Emeritus classes for those over a designated age, 55 or 60 perhaps.

YouTube, websites and blogs. It’s cheap art school.

Kinda one sided since you can’t really ask the instructor anything. But it’s like having a front row seat. Depending on the camera angle, even better.

Here are a few.

You’ll really need to do your own searching. Once you have the names of artists whose work you really like and want to emulate, start searching YouTube, follow links, etc. You know the drill. You’ll eventually collect videos for painting in the style you’d like to learn.

Art Is Fun - she's got lessons and tutorials on all sorts of stuff.

Brenda Swensen - She uses her blog for instruction. For FREE.

Iain Stewart

Thomas Schaller

Do a search for Joe Zbukvic. He doesn't post his own but others that have taken classes and videoed him have posted on their own channels.

Sorry, this post is interrupted due to a house burglary and loss of my laptop, iphone, wallet, car and house keys, etc. I’ll update it when the dust settles.

Websites. From instruction to artists galleries.

Artists Websites are like a one person gallery show. If you are considering paying to take a workshop from an artist, go to their website and look through your gallery. If you love it and want to emulate some of what you see, go for it. If it isn't your thing, save your money. Most workshops are pretty pricey. A four day workshop at my local society is usually around $400. But that's $100 a day for a 6 hour day. That's about $15 an hour. Peanuts. $15 to learn from a professional artist in a small class environment (usually 12-16 people.) But it's still a lot of money. Don't go by the description of the class. That's marketing. Go look at their work. If they do a lot of detail and you don't want to paint like that, skip it. If they do a lot of portraits and you'd rather to landscapes, skip it. If they have a way of doing buildings and people that gives the impression of one without all of the detail work and you've been dying to learn how to do that....pay the money.

Here are a few artists' websites with galleries of their work and in some cases BLOGS. By all means, look at their blogs.

If any of them have materials lists for workshops take a look. Some of them offer an insight as to how the artist works.

Jane Blundell - She has a a gallery, a blog AND Tutorials. That's FREE instruction. Those tutorials are gold. Read them all. Plus she does plein air sketches. Look at her journals.

Thomas W. Schaller - If you ever have an opportunity to take a class or worshop, DO IT! If you live in Los Angeles, lucky you. I understand he is looking to relocate so go while you can. He also lists workshops on his website.

Iain Stewart - If you ever have an opportunity to take a workshop from him, spend the money and do it. If it isn't local, you might make it a watercolor vacation where you travel to take his workshop, then go out plein air sketching. He's in Auburn, Alabama but in a BLUE are of Alabama right around Auburn University. He also travels to give workshops so look at  his schedule and see if he will be somewhere where you'd like to visit. Just be warned, his workshops fill up fast so you will need to plan months in advance. Boy I would love to attend his workshop next May in Tuscany but sold out. Bavaria? Yeah, I'd love to do that too. Must buy lottery ticket.

Susan Keith - I actually own one of her paintings. Koi in a pond looking down at them. I love it. I attended one of her workshops where we all practiced one of her Flamingo paintings. I learned quite a bit but she uses the Stonehenge hot press that I didn't like and she uses the Mission Gold watercolors which are either mixes or fugitive, which I don't care for. Did I learn something? Yes. Would I take another workshop? No. Because in doing it I discovered that style isn't quite me. But I still love her paintings.

Shuang Li - I've taken several classes with Shuang Li. The first was a week in Tuscany learning how to do journaling and urban sketches. It was a great experience and I still use what I learned in that workshop and in the subsequent class I took.

Roslyn Stendahl - Such an interesting website and she has a blog too. Urban sketching. She has some art material reviews an some tutorials.

Paul Jackson - Not my style but I so admire and appreciate they way he can make glass look like glass. He also has a blog.

Artist's Blogs

In watercolor you learn from others. You learn by seeing and watching, not just by doing. But you will need to do plenty of doing as well. You'll notice that the styles of a lot of the following artists are very loose. That's what I like and that is what I am trying to learn. If that's not your thing, you may need to seek out other blogs and other artists. Studying the work of other artists inspires and sometimes makes something click.

Jane Blundell's Blog - Jane doesn't post too often, then some will come in a spurt. I consider the world's authority on color and color mixing. While she works mostly in Daniel Smith she has color swatched and evaluated many brands of watercolors. Reading through her posts might help to choose what brand or brands of watercolor you want in your palette as well as what colors. Why do I like Daniel Smith so much? Aside from the Buff Titanium that Jane turned me on to, it's because they have one of the darkest, richest Raw Umbers. That is what I use to measure all of the other brands. Some hold their own and some are left wanting.

BrushesWithWatercolor - I really like John Haywood's style. He posts once a week which makes his blog manageable. He also describes his process and his commenters are positive and instructive. There is lots of sharing.

Doodlewash - Charlie O'Shields, perhaps the master of the daily sketch. Worth subscribing for the giveaways. He also runs World Watercolor Month in July.

Iain Stewart - I took a workshop from him and it was fabulous. He doesn't post a lot.

Gurney Journey - James Gurney illustrated Dinotopia. Love the books. Love the blog.

Watercolour Log - Peter Ward does some beautiful work.

D. Katie Powell Art - along the lines of Jane Blundell but much less focused. Some very interesting posts and photos of palettes, work areas and such.

Brenda Swensen - Her blog is a mini-workshop. She has blog posts that are tutorials on how to paint.

Urban Sketchers - They have a group blog that has contributors from all over the country and the world. Really interesting.

Marc Taro Holmes - He's written several books including The Urban Sketcher and the newly released Direct Watercolor.

Several vendors have blogs on their websites (Cheap Joe's and Greenleaf &Blueberry come immediately to mind) and quite a few artists have them on their websites (such as Jane Blundell and John Haywood). If you see a blog, click on it and give it a look.

You may find some of these artists on YouTube, either with their own accounts or videos of their workshops by other people.

On the Road - Going portable

If you want to take your art on the go, you’ll need to pare down to the bare necessities and work out some sort of organized way to take what you absolutely have to have with you. This may be in your purse, in your car or in a suitcase on a plane.

This is where watercolor really shines over oils or acrylics. Not that you can’t take any of them traveling, but watercolor seems to be more hassel-free. With oils you are going to need solvents, canvases are bulky and will not necessarily be dry when you have to transport them, both oils and acrylics come in tubes, acrylics need their own solutions to reduce drying time and clean up and such. There is always the danger that TSA will confiscate something and you’ll end up at your destination sans one item you have to have and no supplier around to buy more. Or some tube of paint will explode in your luggage if the pressure drops.

Not so with watercolor.

You can squeeze any tube of watercolor into a half or whole pan and let it dry for a few days, pop it into one of the many travel palettes there are and that’s it. Spray with water a few times, wait a minute and your watercolors are ready to use. But do check the manufacturers. Some reconstitute better than others and some never quite dry in some climates. That is why I use Daniel Smith.

I like metal palettes so I use the Whiskey Painters palettes made by FOME, Italy. I can replace them and the plastic half or whole pans if they get lost or stolen.

I'll use the standard palette that will hold 8 or 12 half pans. This is probably plenty big enough for journaling and urban sketching.

Or I'll use the master palette that will hold 16 or 24 half pans or, if I fold the separators down, can hold 8-12 whole pans. This is probably my favorite palette and I think I own four of them, each with a different kind of paint inside. If you're doing plein air, you may want a larger color palette. This is my go-to palette for that.

I bought this travel palette from Portable Painter when it was still an Indiegogo campaign. It is a clever design and has a lot going for it; two water cups with edges that hold your brushes, stable like a little table but it only holds 12 half pans and not the standard ones. You can contact Portable Painter to buy extra pans that fit.

For those wishing to go really small there is Expeditionary Art. Their palette is the size of a business card holder and the paint pans are small makeup pans that hold about a quarter pan. If putting together a plein air kit is a bit overwhelming, they even offer a ready made kit with everything you'd need.

If you have a few travel brushes you’re set. THIS is an interesting set. There are three handles and a number of different brush heads that attach to them, all organized in a case. The brushes are synthetic and aren't horrible. For the price it's not bad.

You might consider the ProArte Prolene Plus travel brush set from Jackson's Art in the UK. As of Jan 1. 2018 the set was 32 GBP or $43 USD. Amazon has the same set for $54. It's a #10 round, flat and filbert. Pair it with a Stillman and Birn 8.5 x 11 Beta or Zeta journal and you're set. If you want something more high end there is a set of six Escoda Versatil travel brushes, round 2,4,6,8,10,12. But I got mine on sale from Cheap Joe's a lot cheaper than amazon. The first travel brushes I bought were DaVinci and I didn't like them. The brush itself was OK but I didn't like the design of the handle and the way it screwed together. The connection is solid but they felt clunky in my hand. The handle of the #10 is huge. Way too pricey for the resulting discomfort and performance. Cheap Joe's has some nice travel brushes in 50/50 sable/synthetic. They work well and are reasonably priced, especially when there is a sale. If you want to go cheaper, THESE aren't bad.

I do NOT recommend the set of Jack Richeson travel brushes in case series 7130. They are cheap crap. I use them for my fabric medium when I use my Inktense pencils and blocks. I’ve repurposed the case and put my Cheap Joe’s travel brushes in there.

If I am journaling, I might only bring a single waterbrush. If a regular brush, a #6 round. If I were to add I would add: #10 round, Flat (1/2 or 3/4 inch), #2,  and lastly some sort of mop, probably a squirrel quill mop.

If you're going really small, you might opt for just one waterbrush and container. I've bought several of these because the brush performs well for a water brush and it is the smallest brush I've found so fits in some of my smaller palettes.

You can take a journal of any kind but I like the Stillman and Birn or I make my own by cutting down watercolor paper, punching tabs in it with a Circa punch and then using Circa discs to hold it. That way I can take pages in and out and rearrange them. But I am going to try the Stillman and Birn journals for a while as they are highly recommended. If you get them get the Beta or Zeta journals. These have the heaviest weight paper for watercolor. Not quite 140lb but close. The journals also lay flat so you can paint across the middle to make your painting twice as big as the page; 11 x 17. I have a few Hahnemule zig-zag journals but have yet to try them out.

You can even pack Arches watercolor blocks in your luggage or carry them with you as they come in assorted sizes and shapes.

You can usually get water in the classroom so you don’t have to bring that. I use two different types of water containers when I go to class. Either the Guerilla Painters Trio because they stack inside each other or two Faber-Castell click and go cups because I can rest my brush across the scalloped top and it won't roll.

When I do plein air (that's painting outside on site) I bring a plastic flask with a metal screw on cup that fits over the cap. I glue a magnet to the cup so that it will stick to my metal palette to hold it steady. It's the size of a shot class so I have to empty the water often but it works well for me. I have a 10oz and a 16oz. I also use waterbrushes that contain their own water, making plein air ever easier and more portable. They are not as good as regular brushes so cannot be used for fine details or good washes, but for urban sketching they are fine.

If you’re simply traveling to and from class, you just need some sort of tote to carry your materials. You can pack more, but still keep it manageable. I’ve used a few different bags and the two I use most are the HandyCaddy and the Artist's Loft Essentials Bag. Both carry a generous amount inside and have outside pockets. They HandyCaddy occasionally goes on sale for look for it between $28 and $33. Look locally for the Artist's Loft bag. My local Aaron Brothers had it two for $7. If you have a coupon for Aaron Brothers or Michael's you might even do better than that.

When you do plein air, the less you carry the more you paint. If you carry too much, it's too much of a hassle to stop and get everything out and paint. So less is more. When I went to Italy my journaling class went out every day. I had a fanny pack and my Walkstool and that was it. The fanny pack was identical to the Winsor and Newton Cotman Travel Bag but instead it said North Light Book Shop. I bought it for $5, empty, on eBay. Identical except for the brand name. There are pockets front and back to hold a journal and my palette and 10oz flask. The middle section folds out and has pockets and loops for several brushes, pencils and pens. It has a handle on top and a belt for your waist. I had everything I needed and painted every day. If you can't find a North Lights on eBay it's cheaper to buy it from Jackson's. Just replace the Cotman half pans and with artists grade paints. Since they're really hard, you can usually pop them out cleanly.

If I'm going to class I take this tabletop easel as it can fit in my HandyCaddy or my Essentials Bag. I like the design of a bar holding the adjustable positions rather than a little wooden stick. I also have a laptop stand which is even smaller and lighter.

Lately I have been using a travel tripod and a Guerrilla flex easel. They are fairly small, light and portable when closed and adequate for holding Arches blocks when extended. Together with a Comfort walkstool they provide good support and are small enough to fit in a backpack along with the other supplies.

If you want to get really minimal, there is the Accurasee pocket caddy that straps on to a Stillman and Birn journal. The large fits the 8.5x11 and the small fits the 5.5x8. You can stick a small palette and waterbrush in the pocket and a pencil and pen in the loops and you're off.

Bring a Walkstool Comfort with you and you can stop and paint anywhere. Amazon is pretty competitive but try a few places. I think I ended up buying mine from a camping supply website. I recommend the Comfort Walkstool not only because it is very well built and sturdy but also because it is very comfortable. Remember, you may be sitting for an hour or three if you decide to paint plein air (outside.) That's a long time to sit on something that isn't a real chair. I'm all for a bargain and saving a buck but don't be penny wise and pound foolish. This is the stool you want to have. It will last you for years. It even comes with a handy carrying case cleverly designed to be worn over the shoulder or worn over both shoulders like a backpack. In it's case it is also small enough to fit into some backpacks. The stool, tripod and easel will be your bulkiest items. A palette and brushes can be very compact and fit around the three largest items all to be carried in a bag or packed in a suitcase.

For maintenance nothing beats The Master's Mini-Cleanup Artist's Survival Kit. It really is. It has a small container of brush soap, a stain stick and a travel size hand soap that is supposed to remove stains. (Although nothing gets out the Phthalos) I brought this with me to Italy and used the stain stick when I laundered my clothes and the small brush soap container to maintain my brushes. All very compact. Took both to Yosemite too. I keep both with my class materials for occasional brush cleaning when I finish early. The soap not only cleans but also conditions natural hair brushes. Maintaining your brushes will help them last longer, protecting your investment.

In a future post I'll upload photos of some of the portable set-ups I have. I use a few different tools and materials, depending on where I'm going, what I'm doing and how much I'm willing to carry. I'll also include easels although I don't use them much. The lighter and easier you can make the process, the more likely you are to paint. When you travel, if you can keep it small and light, you are likely to bring your materials with you. If it's bulky or heavy, you are more likely to leave it behind in the hotel room or just not paint. This is another advantage of watercolor over other mediums. You can easily sit on a stool and sketch without an easel or table. Small is beautiful.

Vendors, Suppliers and Manufacturers, oh my.

Merriartist - competitively priced Daniel Smith, free shipping over $90. Fast shipping. I used to buy most of my Daniel Smith paint from Merriartist. It's at my door in usually 3 days. That beats everyone else. However they have changed their website and now it doesn't save my shopping carts and I find it intensely annoying to come back to revise, find it empty and have to start all over again so I've stopped buying from them unless I have no other supplier available.

Jerry’s Artarama - I’ve bought framing supplies and some matting supplies and paper on sale. But for the most part I don't buy from them. 

Cheap Joe’s - Shipping is slow but prices are good. I’ve bought brushes, paint and paper. 

Dick Blick’s - I buy mats and pans from Blicks. They also carry paint and it’s fairly competitively priced. Now that Aaron Brothers has been absorbed by Michael's and the fabulous buy one get two free sales on paper are no longer, I am reduced to buying my Arches watercolor blocks elsewhere. I still have stock in my stash so haven't had to buy more...yet. But it's only a matter of time.

Jackson’s Art - Located in the UK, I buy my Winsor and Newton half and whole pans directly from them to save on shipping. I have also purchased a W&N giant pan which is ceramic. I really love the paints in them as they are more moist than their regular pan paints. Plus when the ceramic pans are empty, I can refill them with my Daniel Smith. They are discontinued now so I was lucky to get them when I did. Free shipping on brushes. I've bought a few brush cases from them and a nice plein air carryall/easel combo. 

Rosemary & Company. - Handmade brushes in the U.K. You’ll be amazed at the variety. I buy travel brushes from her as she goes beyond the normal rounds and few flats you find. I’ve bought travel brushes in mops, combs, rounds and flats. High quality at competitive prices. If you can't afford Escoda, check out Rosemary.

Fine Art Store - This is the only store that carried the Arches squirrel mops I was looking for. They also have Kolinsky sable rounds in pointed and very pointed. All have long handles. I believe Arches has discontinued them as when they are out of stock they are never re-stocked. They are pricey and shipping is expensive but when they’re the only game in town, you bite the bullet and pay the piper. 

Amazon - amazon is not the most economical source for art supplies. You can usually find an item cheaper from a specialized art vendor. They’re great for seeing what there is, and if you can’t find it anywhere else, at least you can get it and if you have prime quicker than Blick’s, Jerry’s or Cheap Joe’s.
Judson's Outfitters - They have some great prices on plein air equipment, especially Guerilla Painter. They also have "seconds" and clearance items. I've bought two things from them as "seconds" at a great price and have found no defects whatsoever. They also have parts for repair.

WetPaintArt - Haven't bought anything from them but you never know. St. Paul, Minneapolis.
Ken Bromley Art Supplies - In the U.K. I have purchased Winsor and Newton half and whole pans from him and also the giant ceramic pans. Purchased same from Jackson's. Why? Because neither had ALL of them or the prices varied from paint to paint. So I complied a "cheapest" list from both sites. I think in the long run Jackson's beat out Ken because sometimes Jackson's will ship for free. Yeah. No kidding. Those giant ceramic pans are long discontinued now, more's the pity.
L. Cornelissen & Son - In the U.K. I have them on my list because they have the unbranded metal FOME palette boxes that Whiskey Painter's use. Occasionally they are cheaper than amazon, even with shipping. I think they came up when I was looking for a few other things too. They have a leather travel brush case that would be perfect for my DaVinci travel brushes.
Rex Art - In Miami, FL. Because you can't have too many places to buy art supplies.
Society for All Artists - In the U.K. You need not be a member to buy. Membership makes no sense unless you are in the U.K. They have a nice little community group you can join. They have a store and occasionally sell on amazon in the U.S., which is how I found them.
The Italian Store - In New Jersey. I found them when I was looking for Rekab squirrel mop brushes (which are made in the U.K. You can read their history at Handprint.)
Vermont Art Supply. In Vermont. Duh.
Green & Stone of Chelsea. In the U.K. I swear the U.K has the BEST watercolor art supply stores.
Art Spectrum. They carry Maimeri Blue and Old Holland. They're in New Jersey, not Texas as you might expect.
Terry Madden - There is only one thing I've bought and one thing I recommend. His weirdo palette knife, The Original Scraper. I've been using it instead of the butt end of my brushes to scratch and if that's something you might find yourself doing, you might want to get his tool. I've used the pointy end to scratch lines and the flat end to pick up paint and lay it down in strait lines for fences or rope lines. It's pricey at $12 plus shipping so don't get it unless you're sure you'll use it. if you're frustrated trying to do something with something that is not designed to do that thing, then maybe you need the proper tool. This might be it.

(Also see posts on Palettes, so many choices, Paint manufacturers and On the road - going portable.)

If you get serious and you get good, you can buy some pretty expensive paint. (You can also buy some pretty expensive palettes. See my post on Insanely expensive palettes.)

Etsy has several people who make their paint by hand. I’ve purchased some from Matteo Grillo in Australia. He does his best to keep shipping down and I do like his paints. I have some half and whole pans. Why? Because he makes Indian Yellow with the coveted and discontinued PY153. That’s a pigment. More on that later. There are several others on Etsy that make their paint. Just make sure they are making paint and not just selling you pans they’ve filled with commercial paints from a tube. *YOU* can do that. 

Greenleaf and Blueberry. Jess Greenleaf is in Colorado and she and her company make paints by hand from natural sources. Very much like the Daniel Smith Primatek line, only she carries some pigments that Daniel Smith has discontinued, like malachite and azurite. Her Lapis Lazuli also looks much better. But...you can’t just buy paint. Since her opearation is all hand made they only offer paint on their website perhaps once a month on a certain day at a certain time. You have to be fast to get what you want in the cart and pay for it before it is sold out. She sells both individual half and whole pans, plus some pre-selected travel sets. She will also occasionally offer some limited edition colors like azurite, lapis lazuli, malachite, fuchsite and cotê d’azur. They are VERY expensive. But they are also hand made. If you start to get really in to painting and are thinking of plein air or a lot of journaling while traveling, you might want to try a small travel set. Even just three colors. She also offers dot cards with two different styles of butterflies to try out her paints. I took my set to a day trip to San Juan Capistrano and the more I look at the journal entry I did, the more I like it. Like any paints, they take a little getting used to as these are all natural pigments and so don’t behave like commercial paints. They are more difficult to rewet and may have more granulation or be grainier.

Wallace Seymour - Just recently Jane Blundell had two blog posts regarding an updated company. Pip Seymour is now Wallace Seymour. He and his partner hand make paints but unlike Greenleaf and Blueberry you can actually buy them in stores, but NOT in the U.S., but they do supply to an art shop in Canada, Select Fine Art Materials, where you can pick them up. Only in whole pans but less pricey than Greenleaf and Blueberry. They do have a line of historical earth pigments which look intriguing. When I have a few hundred to spare, I may pick up a set of 18.

So, once you buy your paint, what do you do with it before you smear it on the paper? Well, you need something to hold it. More on palettes in another post.