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.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
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.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
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.
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.
Monday, January 8, 2018
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.
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.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
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.
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.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
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.
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.
Friday, January 5, 2018
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.
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.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Insanely expensive palette boxes
These are beyond the Rolls Royce of palette boxes. Hand made of brass (so they don’t rust) and enameled for a smooth mixing surface. They cost hundreds of dollars and you have to wait months for your custom, hand made, signed and numbered box.
House of Hoffman - Steve Fanelli. Beautiful and insanely expensive. I kid you not. But I so want one. Hoffman also offers a brass brush "vault." For that amount of money, yeah, it's a vault. For a small sketcher's box, I think I favor his design. He has developed a unique fold away thumb ring that allows you to hold your palette and journal in one hand while painting with your other. He can make them for left or right handers. I also like that all of the little parts for the Sketcher II are hinged and attached so they can't fall off or get lost, unlike the Little Brass Box Company's Travel Palette. USA
The Watercolor Paint Box Company - Craig Young. *THE* name in custom boxes. You can wait from six months to a year. I heard he has retired and his son Robert is now making the boxes. Same quality so not to worry. Boxes are brass and enameled inside and out from a selection of colors. UK
The Little Brass Box Company - John Hurtley. Exquisite. Similar to Craig Young's. I actually favor these designs over Craig Young's because of the optional flap wells and the variety of inserts. They also offer a matching brush case. For a price, of course. They have the widest range of exterior enamel colors and for an additional fee, you can customize it to any color you want. Awesome. UK
The Classic Box Company has a very limited selection but their prices are a bit more reasonable, if you consider several hundred dollars to be reasonable. They feature classic brass finishes like House of Hoffman. David Cooper.
IBA-CO - Ephraim. Out of Oakland, CA and very similar to the Craig Young and Little Brass Box company. In case you wondered why, they are all based on a traditional style created by a famous art supply company in England owned by Charles Roberson. They are sometimes referred to as Roberson boxes. I rather like his SIG box for a studio box. Brass construction and enameled outside with a variety of colors to choose from. He also offers custom colors for an additional fee, but I rather like the purple. USA
La Petite Palette - Peter Berkovski. Here's a new one I just found but the boxes are amazing. Quite beautiful and with a leather case and your name engraved for free. Classic brass finish like House of Hoffman and The Classic Box Company. Well, if you have a brass box, why not show it off? Only three are being offered for now; pocket, sketchers and studio. I quite like the studio. Looks like at some point in the future they are going to offer brushes as well. I will keep my eye on them. Bulgaria
You're looking at approximately $300 and up and up and up.
Are they worth it? Depends on who you talk to. I’ve heard two instructors say they spent prize money they have won for their paintings on these custom boxes and seem quite happy with them.
I don’t have that kind of money to splurge until I win the lottery. But I do have two brass boxes.
I have a Frazer-Price Travel Palette (looks like THIS) that I was lucky enough to pick up on eBay UK for what I consider a song, around $100 with shipping. I was really lucky as they usually go for at least double that and I've seen them listed for $400. It is a lovely little box if a bit bulky to hold in one hand, but it is self contained with a small water bottle, little containers for brush washing, plenty of mixing surfaces and space for either whole or half pans and brushes. My travel brushes do fit in there. I can put in the four primaries, plus a few extras. I might even be able to balance and still hold a journal in my left hand, freeing my right for the brush. I haven’t taken it out yet, so we shall see. I was going to take it to Yosemite but chickened out and took my Whiskey Painters and Daler Rowney instead.
Frazer-Price is still around. He is mostly retired now and paints more. While you can't get one of those 5,000 original boxes any more unless you troll eBay on a regular basis, he also designed a leather brush case that you wear on your arm (with mixed success.) You can still buy that at Jackson's Art in the UK.
I recently picked up an odd little one of a kind box. It is hand made of brass and looks very similar to the current Winsor and Newton Field Box, but it holds 15 half pans, not 12. It won’t hold a brush but the mixing surfaces are both enameled and larger. I prefer it to plastic. After it arrived and I polished it up I found some etching. One said “Sample Box”, another the name Gary Mansfield and inside Pat. Applied and a number. At one point Winsor and Newton was goingt to market the Frazier-Price box but in the end decided it was too fancy and pricey for their customers. This box looks very much like a prototype for their field box. I may never know. I sent photos and information to Winsor and Newton, heard back that it would be passed on in the company to someone who might know but since then I’ve never heard back. At any rate, I’ve “moved in” and will be taking it out for a spin.
If you troll eBay you can pick up some vintage boxes that can be every bit as nice as those expensive custom brass boxes. I've picked up a few, cleaned them up and repainted the insides and they're good as new for taking out for a bit of plein air. I was lucky enough to get an original Roberson
and a Binning Munro that way, plus some vintage Winsor and Newton. I prefer these metal boxes as I can put magnets on the bottom of my half and whole pans to hold them in place, yet easily switch them out to change my color palette.
Here is the mother of all palettes, a giant FOME box I purchased from Kremer Pigments, but they have been branded for others. (That's a small Winsor and Newton Bijou box on the left for comparison.) The giant FOME box is about 8 inches by 14 inches closed so quite large. I would have designed the lid with 6 mixing areas rather than three.
The giant pans in the FOME palette can hold an entire 15ml tube of Daniel Smith paint. 48 pans in total, unless I use magnets to fill the brush storage area with more pans. It is quite large but if you're using large brushes this works great. (Especially now that the wonderful large ceramic Winsor and Newton pans are discontinued. Plus they aren't very portable) If I am attending a workshop that involves very large brushes, this is what I'll take as I just don't like working with fresh paint from tubes squeezed on to a palette. But once it is filled it will weigh quite a lot. Perhaps 10 lbs or more so not what you would call portable.
House of Hoffman - Steve Fanelli. Beautiful and insanely expensive. I kid you not. But I so want one. Hoffman also offers a brass brush "vault." For that amount of money, yeah, it's a vault. For a small sketcher's box, I think I favor his design. He has developed a unique fold away thumb ring that allows you to hold your palette and journal in one hand while painting with your other. He can make them for left or right handers. I also like that all of the little parts for the Sketcher II are hinged and attached so they can't fall off or get lost, unlike the Little Brass Box Company's Travel Palette. USA
The Watercolor Paint Box Company - Craig Young. *THE* name in custom boxes. You can wait from six months to a year. I heard he has retired and his son Robert is now making the boxes. Same quality so not to worry. Boxes are brass and enameled inside and out from a selection of colors. UK
The Little Brass Box Company - John Hurtley. Exquisite. Similar to Craig Young's. I actually favor these designs over Craig Young's because of the optional flap wells and the variety of inserts. They also offer a matching brush case. For a price, of course. They have the widest range of exterior enamel colors and for an additional fee, you can customize it to any color you want. Awesome. UK
The Classic Box Company has a very limited selection but their prices are a bit more reasonable, if you consider several hundred dollars to be reasonable. They feature classic brass finishes like House of Hoffman. David Cooper.
IBA-CO - Ephraim. Out of Oakland, CA and very similar to the Craig Young and Little Brass Box company. In case you wondered why, they are all based on a traditional style created by a famous art supply company in England owned by Charles Roberson. They are sometimes referred to as Roberson boxes. I rather like his SIG box for a studio box. Brass construction and enameled outside with a variety of colors to choose from. He also offers custom colors for an additional fee, but I rather like the purple. USA
La Petite Palette - Peter Berkovski. Here's a new one I just found but the boxes are amazing. Quite beautiful and with a leather case and your name engraved for free. Classic brass finish like House of Hoffman and The Classic Box Company. Well, if you have a brass box, why not show it off? Only three are being offered for now; pocket, sketchers and studio. I quite like the studio. Looks like at some point in the future they are going to offer brushes as well. I will keep my eye on them. Bulgaria
You're looking at approximately $300 and up and up and up.
Are they worth it? Depends on who you talk to. I’ve heard two instructors say they spent prize money they have won for their paintings on these custom boxes and seem quite happy with them.
I don’t have that kind of money to splurge until I win the lottery. But I do have two brass boxes.
I have a Frazer-Price Travel Palette (looks like THIS) that I was lucky enough to pick up on eBay UK for what I consider a song, around $100 with shipping. I was really lucky as they usually go for at least double that and I've seen them listed for $400. It is a lovely little box if a bit bulky to hold in one hand, but it is self contained with a small water bottle, little containers for brush washing, plenty of mixing surfaces and space for either whole or half pans and brushes. My travel brushes do fit in there. I can put in the four primaries, plus a few extras. I might even be able to balance and still hold a journal in my left hand, freeing my right for the brush. I haven’t taken it out yet, so we shall see. I was going to take it to Yosemite but chickened out and took my Whiskey Painters and Daler Rowney instead.
Frazer-Price is still around. He is mostly retired now and paints more. While you can't get one of those 5,000 original boxes any more unless you troll eBay on a regular basis, he also designed a leather brush case that you wear on your arm (with mixed success.) You can still buy that at Jackson's Art in the UK.
I recently picked up an odd little one of a kind box. It is hand made of brass and looks very similar to the current Winsor and Newton Field Box, but it holds 15 half pans, not 12. It won’t hold a brush but the mixing surfaces are both enameled and larger. I prefer it to plastic. After it arrived and I polished it up I found some etching. One said “Sample Box”, another the name Gary Mansfield and inside Pat. Applied and a number. At one point Winsor and Newton was goingt to market the Frazier-Price box but in the end decided it was too fancy and pricey for their customers. This box looks very much like a prototype for their field box. I may never know. I sent photos and information to Winsor and Newton, heard back that it would be passed on in the company to someone who might know but since then I’ve never heard back. At any rate, I’ve “moved in” and will be taking it out for a spin.
This is the Winsor and Newton Field box. See the similarity?
If you troll eBay you can pick up some vintage boxes that can be every bit as nice as those expensive custom brass boxes. I've picked up a few, cleaned them up and repainted the insides and they're good as new for taking out for a bit of plein air. I was lucky enough to get an original Roberson
and a Binning Munro that way, plus some vintage Winsor and Newton. I prefer these metal boxes as I can put magnets on the bottom of my half and whole pans to hold them in place, yet easily switch them out to change my color palette.
Here is the mother of all palettes, a giant FOME box I purchased from Kremer Pigments, but they have been branded for others. (That's a small Winsor and Newton Bijou box on the left for comparison.) The giant FOME box is about 8 inches by 14 inches closed so quite large. I would have designed the lid with 6 mixing areas rather than three.
The giant pans in the FOME palette can hold an entire 15ml tube of Daniel Smith paint. 48 pans in total, unless I use magnets to fill the brush storage area with more pans. It is quite large but if you're using large brushes this works great. (Especially now that the wonderful large ceramic Winsor and Newton pans are discontinued. Plus they aren't very portable) If I am attending a workshop that involves very large brushes, this is what I'll take as I just don't like working with fresh paint from tubes squeezed on to a palette. But once it is filled it will weigh quite a lot. Perhaps 10 lbs or more so not what you would call portable.
Palettes - So many choices, so little money
You are going to need to put your paint somewhere, so your wet brush can pick it up and transfer it to the paper.
It could be anything and what it ends up being will depend a lot on how you feel comfortable working.
You could simply use a plain enameled butcher tray from Blick's, squeeze some paint around the edges and then use the center for mixing. Keep in mind the bigger they are the more warped they tend to be. It is normal for the center to pop up in the middle so not ideal for mixing washes as they'll all run down to the edge. But certainly economical. Or a porcelain tray from Cheap Joe's which is smooth as glass (because it is) but a lot pricier (wait until there is an insane sale, I got mine for about $12.) Pick up some white plates at a thrift store or maybe a white deviled egg tray. I've seen eyeshadow cases repurposed.
Or you could use a folding palette, which has little open squares along the edge, a hole to put your thumb through if you want to hold it, and mixing areas. These come in plastic, from cheap to pricey, metal, usually painted or enameled, from cheap to pricey and ceramic, just plain pricey.
You'll find the ones branded with artist's names tend to be over priced, plus there are many designs from rectangles to circles.
You can also use a box called a palette box. These could be plastic or metal, cheap or pricey or upcycled from something else. The latter probably the most fun. If you want a set of paints, if you do the math sometimes the box ends up being free. Here's an empty flask palette and here it is filled with eight Schmincke half pans. The half pans run from $10 to $20 each. That is actually the first set of artist grade paints I bought.
The two I use most often are heavy steel enameled boxes manufactured by FOME in Italy and branded for Whiskey Painters. A small travel palette that can hold 12 half pans and a medium one that can hold 24 half pans or 12 whole pans if you bend the flaps separating the pans down flat. Easily done. The middle can be used to store a brush or you can put another row of pans down the middle. If you hunt around the best prices are usually on amazon but double check as sometimes one seller may have a considerably lower price than another.
You can buy vintage palette boxes no longer made on eBay or a new custom box on Etsy or from a manufacturer or distributor.
I knew I wanted to use half and whole pans because I had become accustomed to the round pans in my childhold Pelikan box and I wanted to continue that. I have one folding plastic palette that I haven't used since the one workshop I bought it for. I have two enameled steel butcher trays I use to hold my large size ceramic W&N pans (I glued magnets on the backs of the pans.)
Sadly, these are discontinued. I'm glad I bought mine when I did. When I use up the paint I will be refilling the pans with Daniel Smith, something I had intended all along. I have a ceramic tray for mixing the giant pan paints so when I have the work space, I spread out and they are really a joy to use. Great for using a big brush and painting on one of my biggest watercolor paper blocks. The paint in these is different than the W&N half or whole pans. It seems to be moister and rewets easily. Makes the juiciest mixes. I have a few plastic palettes, mostly W&N Cotman travel palettes (mostly they came with something else that I bought) that I empty and fill with professional half pans and a Portable Painter travel palette. I don't use plastic much as I don't like to mix on it and it stains. I have a lot of metal pans, both new and vintage, but the vast majority are heavy enameled steel. I do not like the flimsy tin ones that are sold all over the place now. The Schmincke paints I bought in such a tin were taken out and put into a heavy metal palette. So were my Winsor & Newton. I'll likely put the removed Cotman pans in these tin palettes and then give them away as gifts or donate them to charity.
My Daniel Smith paints are put into half or whole pans. Sometimes these just go into a palette and are held in place with pressure bars. Sometimes I cut magnetic strips from Home Depot and adhere them to the bottoms of the pans so they stick onto a palette or tin that has no other way of holding them. Occasionally I will glue some stronger magnets to them,
For quite a while I was using a vintage Stirling Co. watercolor palette that holds 18 whole pans plus brushes and a bit of sponge as my studio palette. I picked it up for $10 on eBay. The luck of an off brand no one recognizes. I have purchased a few unbranded, possibly home made boxes for dirt cheap this way.
Stirling is a steel manufacturing company. I suspect this palette was made in the 19th century and that Stirling didn't manufacture them for long. There is no method to hold the whole pans in as you are intended to fill the box directly so I put magnetic tape on the bottom of my whole pans to keep them in place. Many of the steel palettes will rust if you fill them directly which is another reason I prefer to use pans.
It could be anything and what it ends up being will depend a lot on how you feel comfortable working.
You could simply use a plain enameled butcher tray from Blick's, squeeze some paint around the edges and then use the center for mixing. Keep in mind the bigger they are the more warped they tend to be. It is normal for the center to pop up in the middle so not ideal for mixing washes as they'll all run down to the edge. But certainly economical. Or a porcelain tray from Cheap Joe's which is smooth as glass (because it is) but a lot pricier (wait until there is an insane sale, I got mine for about $12.) Pick up some white plates at a thrift store or maybe a white deviled egg tray. I've seen eyeshadow cases repurposed.
Or you could use a folding palette, which has little open squares along the edge, a hole to put your thumb through if you want to hold it, and mixing areas. These come in plastic, from cheap to pricey, metal, usually painted or enameled, from cheap to pricey and ceramic, just plain pricey.
You'll find the ones branded with artist's names tend to be over priced, plus there are many designs from rectangles to circles.
You can also use a box called a palette box. These could be plastic or metal, cheap or pricey or upcycled from something else. The latter probably the most fun. If you want a set of paints, if you do the math sometimes the box ends up being free. Here's an empty flask palette and here it is filled with eight Schmincke half pans. The half pans run from $10 to $20 each. That is actually the first set of artist grade paints I bought.
The two I use most often are heavy steel enameled boxes manufactured by FOME in Italy and branded for Whiskey Painters. A small travel palette that can hold 12 half pans and a medium one that can hold 24 half pans or 12 whole pans if you bend the flaps separating the pans down flat. Easily done. The middle can be used to store a brush or you can put another row of pans down the middle. If you hunt around the best prices are usually on amazon but double check as sometimes one seller may have a considerably lower price than another.
You can buy vintage palette boxes no longer made on eBay or a new custom box on Etsy or from a manufacturer or distributor.
I knew I wanted to use half and whole pans because I had become accustomed to the round pans in my childhold Pelikan box and I wanted to continue that. I have one folding plastic palette that I haven't used since the one workshop I bought it for. I have two enameled steel butcher trays I use to hold my large size ceramic W&N pans (I glued magnets on the backs of the pans.)
Sadly, these are discontinued. I'm glad I bought mine when I did. When I use up the paint I will be refilling the pans with Daniel Smith, something I had intended all along. I have a ceramic tray for mixing the giant pan paints so when I have the work space, I spread out and they are really a joy to use. Great for using a big brush and painting on one of my biggest watercolor paper blocks. The paint in these is different than the W&N half or whole pans. It seems to be moister and rewets easily. Makes the juiciest mixes. I have a few plastic palettes, mostly W&N Cotman travel palettes (mostly they came with something else that I bought) that I empty and fill with professional half pans and a Portable Painter travel palette. I don't use plastic much as I don't like to mix on it and it stains. I have a lot of metal pans, both new and vintage, but the vast majority are heavy enameled steel. I do not like the flimsy tin ones that are sold all over the place now. The Schmincke paints I bought in such a tin were taken out and put into a heavy metal palette. So were my Winsor & Newton. I'll likely put the removed Cotman pans in these tin palettes and then give them away as gifts or donate them to charity.
My Daniel Smith paints are put into half or whole pans. Sometimes these just go into a palette and are held in place with pressure bars. Sometimes I cut magnetic strips from Home Depot and adhere them to the bottoms of the pans so they stick onto a palette or tin that has no other way of holding them. Occasionally I will glue some stronger magnets to them,
For quite a while I was using a vintage Stirling Co. watercolor palette that holds 18 whole pans plus brushes and a bit of sponge as my studio palette. I picked it up for $10 on eBay. The luck of an off brand no one recognizes. I have purchased a few unbranded, possibly home made boxes for dirt cheap this way.
Stirling is a steel manufacturing company. I suspect this palette was made in the 19th century and that Stirling didn't manufacture them for long. There is no method to hold the whole pans in as you are intended to fill the box directly so I put magnetic tape on the bottom of my whole pans to keep them in place. Many of the steel palettes will rust if you fill them directly which is another reason I prefer to use pans.
Currently I am using a vintage Roberson that I picked up in a "lot" of watercolor palettes. There was a Winsor and Newton and a cheap plastic one, some brushes and a water cup. The Roberson was either unbranded or they had no idea what it was so it wasn't even mentioned. I just happened to see it in a group photo. They didn't even provide an individual photo of it. I took a chance and when the box arrived, there it was. I've been using it ever since. I love it.
But you may not. What style of palette you use is a very personal choice and you may have to try a few to find something you really love. I tried the flat folding palettes that you put fresh paint in and I don't really care for them, but I do have a Holbein 500 I picked up on eBay.uk because it was a reasonable price and at some point I may be attending a workshop that wants fresh paint used, rather than cured pans, my preferred method.
I have a travel palette made from an empty cigar tin that holds 25 half pans. The same magnetic tape works fine to hold these in place. Lately I've been using the Art Toolkit folios since for plein air you don't require as much paint and I usually don't use a large journal so don't need large pans or large brushes.
The advantage of using the pans and magnetic tape is that I can switch out the colors if I wish. I have changed the Stirling box three times, once for a workshop in Fallbrook, once for the Iain Stewart workshop and most recently to the palette I normally use for class. But even that one has changed a bit depending on the subject for class each week. A fruit still life will be a little different than an owl or a basket of poinsettias. I do the same thing with my current Roberson.
I have a vintage W&N Bijou Box with case, several W&N and Rowney flask palettes, some vintage W&N and Rowney folding palettes, a Reeves or two and a few that have no brand at all. One I traced to an art shop in Paris between 1890 and 1910. The paints were a mess so I dug them out and tossed them. but the box is in fine shape and will hold quarter pan sized 18 colors. Some are to use and some just to have. I don't recommend going after the W&N Bijou Box. I've seen them going for over $500 now. Yikes. Not what I paid but still. The small quarter pans they hold aren't very practical for urban sketching.
If you do happen to stumble across a vintage paint box and the paints are really old (you'll be able to tell as they will be very dry, difficult to rewet and when you do the color will be weak and grainy) toss the old paint away. It is worthless. Clean out your palette and refill with modern pigments. There is a good chance those old paints are either fugitive or toxic or both.
The little travel kit I carry with me is a Daler Rowney contemporary 18 quarter pan metal palette I keep in a harddrive case along with one pigma pen, one water brush and some cut to size Arches watercolor paper and two paper towels. Very compact.
It's still made and cheaper from the UK than from amazon. You can get it from Cassart or Jackson's. They don't come with the case any more (although Cassart has had a case made for theirs) but I don't use my case since I keep it in the harddrive case. I have occasionally seen them on eBay but be careful. I bought mine for less than $20 but recently saw one sold for over $75. Better to buy new from the U.K.
If you're looking for compact, you may want to check out Expeditionary Art. She uses make-up pans in business card sized cases to make travel kits. She has expanded to larger pans and cases but they are still very portable. The pans are shallow and only hold about a quarter pan worth of paint, but because they have a larger surface area are easier to use than the quarter size pans. You can buy them empty and fill them yourself. Extra pans of various sizes and shapes are available. Occasionally she will have a special set that has been filled with Greenleaf and Blueberry paints.
I have seen repurposed Whitman's Sampler vintage tins, Celestial Seasonings tea tins, cigar tins, Sucrets and Altoids tins, business card cases and even eyeshadow boxes.
You may end up becoming a palette addict, in which case I'll welcome you to WetCanvas, but eventually you will find yourself returning to one palette over and over. For me it was my Whiskey Painter's master palette of 24 half pans, then it was my cigar tin of 25. Then my Stirling 18 whole pans. Now it is my vintage Roberson that holds 22 whole pans. Even so I will occasionally bring a second palette. I have one that holds all of my Primatek colors and if I think I'll use some, I just throw that palette in my bag with the other rather than switch pans in and out. I like the versatility of changing colors easily.
For some artists, they use the same basic colors on their palette and just use a different 5 or six with each painting using them to make the same mixes. A folding palette is fine for that. The plastic ones are cheap enough you can fill several of them with different paints and then just grab a different one. Eventually you settle on a set of colors you use consistently, then a second set you switch out occasionally, then a few that you use only every so often. Once you develop your own favorite selections you can fill a palette rather than using whole pans. I've been painting for four years now and even though I have my basics I am still switching out mostly convenience colors.
While the U.S. has several fine paint manufacturers (Daniel Smith, DaVinci) I find that for supplies my best shopping is in the U.K. Japan also has a good number of watercolor supplies but the language problem is generally too daunting to overcome. The UK online stores such as Jackson's and Rosemary are much easier to navigate. I have bought brushes from Belgium but only from a site that had an English language version and could convert from Euros to Dollars. You will find some websites do not allow you to put in a US address so that hinders purchases. But don't let that put you off. Some are excellent. I have had great success with both Jackson's and Rosemary &Co.
I have a travel palette made from an empty cigar tin that holds 25 half pans. The same magnetic tape works fine to hold these in place. Lately I've been using the Art Toolkit folios since for plein air you don't require as much paint and I usually don't use a large journal so don't need large pans or large brushes.
The advantage of using the pans and magnetic tape is that I can switch out the colors if I wish. I have changed the Stirling box three times, once for a workshop in Fallbrook, once for the Iain Stewart workshop and most recently to the palette I normally use for class. But even that one has changed a bit depending on the subject for class each week. A fruit still life will be a little different than an owl or a basket of poinsettias. I do the same thing with my current Roberson.
I have a vintage W&N Bijou Box with case, several W&N and Rowney flask palettes, some vintage W&N and Rowney folding palettes, a Reeves or two and a few that have no brand at all. One I traced to an art shop in Paris between 1890 and 1910. The paints were a mess so I dug them out and tossed them. but the box is in fine shape and will hold quarter pan sized 18 colors. Some are to use and some just to have. I don't recommend going after the W&N Bijou Box. I've seen them going for over $500 now. Yikes. Not what I paid but still. The small quarter pans they hold aren't very practical for urban sketching.
If you do happen to stumble across a vintage paint box and the paints are really old (you'll be able to tell as they will be very dry, difficult to rewet and when you do the color will be weak and grainy) toss the old paint away. It is worthless. Clean out your palette and refill with modern pigments. There is a good chance those old paints are either fugitive or toxic or both.
The little travel kit I carry with me is a Daler Rowney contemporary 18 quarter pan metal palette I keep in a harddrive case along with one pigma pen, one water brush and some cut to size Arches watercolor paper and two paper towels. Very compact.
It's still made and cheaper from the UK than from amazon. You can get it from Cassart or Jackson's. They don't come with the case any more (although Cassart has had a case made for theirs) but I don't use my case since I keep it in the harddrive case. I have occasionally seen them on eBay but be careful. I bought mine for less than $20 but recently saw one sold for over $75. Better to buy new from the U.K.
If you're looking for compact, you may want to check out Expeditionary Art. She uses make-up pans in business card sized cases to make travel kits. She has expanded to larger pans and cases but they are still very portable. The pans are shallow and only hold about a quarter pan worth of paint, but because they have a larger surface area are easier to use than the quarter size pans. You can buy them empty and fill them yourself. Extra pans of various sizes and shapes are available. Occasionally she will have a special set that has been filled with Greenleaf and Blueberry paints.
I have seen repurposed Whitman's Sampler vintage tins, Celestial Seasonings tea tins, cigar tins, Sucrets and Altoids tins, business card cases and even eyeshadow boxes.
You may end up becoming a palette addict, in which case I'll welcome you to WetCanvas, but eventually you will find yourself returning to one palette over and over. For me it was my Whiskey Painter's master palette of 24 half pans, then it was my cigar tin of 25. Then my Stirling 18 whole pans. Now it is my vintage Roberson that holds 22 whole pans. Even so I will occasionally bring a second palette. I have one that holds all of my Primatek colors and if I think I'll use some, I just throw that palette in my bag with the other rather than switch pans in and out. I like the versatility of changing colors easily.
For some artists, they use the same basic colors on their palette and just use a different 5 or six with each painting using them to make the same mixes. A folding palette is fine for that. The plastic ones are cheap enough you can fill several of them with different paints and then just grab a different one. Eventually you settle on a set of colors you use consistently, then a second set you switch out occasionally, then a few that you use only every so often. Once you develop your own favorite selections you can fill a palette rather than using whole pans. I've been painting for four years now and even though I have my basics I am still switching out mostly convenience colors.
While the U.S. has several fine paint manufacturers (Daniel Smith, DaVinci) I find that for supplies my best shopping is in the U.K. Japan also has a good number of watercolor supplies but the language problem is generally too daunting to overcome. The UK online stores such as Jackson's and Rosemary are much easier to navigate. I have bought brushes from Belgium but only from a site that had an English language version and could convert from Euros to Dollars. You will find some websites do not allow you to put in a US address so that hinders purchases. But don't let that put you off. Some are excellent. I have had great success with both Jackson's and Rosemary &Co.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Paint manufacturers.
These are the major paint manufacturers. They may not sell direct but will have information on pigments and characteristics on their websites you may not find on a supplier's website.
Daniel Smith - one of the largest lines of watercolor. Tubes only in 5ml and 15 ml. He also carries watercolor sticks which are a great value since the pigment is so concentrated and they are all priced the same so the primatek sticks are a real bargain. His Primatek line is paint from natural minerals, rocks and earth. Very unusual. He also has iridescents, interference, duochrome and pearlescent watercolors for special effects. This is the paint I use almost exclusively. He also manufactures several colors of "ground" allowing you to do watercolor on anything you can apply the ground to.
DaVinci - While only established in California since 1975, the history of the company can be traced back to Peru and before that Italy. It is still a family business. DaVinci has 37ml watercolor tubes which offers a great savings. Not many companies offer tubes that large. 15 ml is pretty standard as the largest you can get. They also developed the first PERMANENT Alizarin Crimson. (Remember if it doesn't say "permanent" or "hue" it is possibly fugitive.)
Winsor and Newton - Winsor and Newton does not sell on their website so it is for information only. Based in the UK, not all of their materials are available to the U.S. market. If you're looking for something specific, you might try Jackson's Art in the U.K. They will ship to the U.S. and the prices are very competitive. Order from them direct as on amazon they will charge you shipping for each item, whereas on their website, you put it all in your shopping cart and pay just one shipping fee. You can also get some of their pan paints at Blick's but you might pay less buying directly from the UK. They offer watercolor in both tubes and half and whole pans. They also had a giant ceramic pan, now discontinued. The paint is very nice, better than their regular whole pans. The giant pans are no longer available but sometimes you can find a few on amazon or eBay. The advantage is once the paint is used up, you can refill. The disadvantage is very few colors are left and they are going for a ridiculous amount of money. Don't pay $45 for one pan. When I was buying mine, they were newly discontinued and I could get them for $5-7 mostly. I never paid more than $10 for any one color. At $5 I bought three of a color and then popped them out and refilled with colors that were no longer available, like sap green or my Daniel Smith Buff Titanium which was never available from W&N.
Schmincke - Website is for information only. Horadam is the artist grade. Available in tubes and half and whole pans.
Holbein - Website is for information only. Tubes in 5ml and 15ml and a limited selection of half pans.
M. Graham - Website is for information only. Their paints include honey so may not harden in your climate depending. I don't use any paints with honey due to drying time and possible mold issues.
Sennelier - Website is for information only. Tubes, half pans and whole pans. Also honey based.
Old Holland - Website is for information only. Tubes available. Not sure about pans.
Grumbacher - Website is for information only. Finest is artist grade. Academy is student grade.
Maimeri - Website is for information only. Blu is artist grade, Venezia is student grade. Tubes in 5ml and 15 ml. I believe the Venezia is also available in pans and there is a travel set.
Mijello Mission Gold - Many of these colors are mixes of two or more pigments. They also include several fugitive colors. They are artist grade but I don't use them.
Royal Talens - Website is for information only. Rembrandt is the artist grade of Royal Talens. I don't care for the quality of their other products so would not recommend their watercolors. It is available in 5ml and 20ml tubes and half pans.
Golden - Website is for information only. QoR is their artist grade watercolor. They are in New York and fairly new, 1980, compared with some of the other manufacturers.
* * * * * * * * *
I am including some boutique paint producers. These are hand made and very pricey. But at some point, you may decide your art takes you in a direction that commercially available paints cannot support and you have the means to indulge in custom paints.
Wallace Seymour (formerly Pip Seymour). Out of the U.K. Their website mostly lists U.K. shops and none of them currently ship to the U.S. You can get their paints from Select Fine Art Materials in Canada. Not exactly a one person operation but not a big manufacturer. They have a regular line of paints as well as historic pigments. They are either tubes or whole pans. I suggest the pans as I have read of problems with the tubes. They do not rewet easily but if you do get them going some of the colors look amazing. They are also pretty pricey so as soon as I win the lottery I am going to invest in 18 whole pans and keep them in my Stirling vintage palette.
Greenleaf and Blueberry - There is no "store". They open their shop on their own website periodically, about once a month, and it's first come, first served. They usually sell out in a few minutes so you have to be fast. Make and account and log in with pre-saved payment information to give you your best shot. Join their mailing list. Really nice paints but really expensive. They are sold by the half pan and by the whole pan and in sets. They also offer the equivalent of a quarter pan in natural sea shells, like artists used to use. They are just starting to offer metallics and micas. They occasionally coordinate with Art Tookit to offer a special set.
Daniel Smith - one of the largest lines of watercolor. Tubes only in 5ml and 15 ml. He also carries watercolor sticks which are a great value since the pigment is so concentrated and they are all priced the same so the primatek sticks are a real bargain. His Primatek line is paint from natural minerals, rocks and earth. Very unusual. He also has iridescents, interference, duochrome and pearlescent watercolors for special effects. This is the paint I use almost exclusively. He also manufactures several colors of "ground" allowing you to do watercolor on anything you can apply the ground to.
DaVinci - While only established in California since 1975, the history of the company can be traced back to Peru and before that Italy. It is still a family business. DaVinci has 37ml watercolor tubes which offers a great savings. Not many companies offer tubes that large. 15 ml is pretty standard as the largest you can get. They also developed the first PERMANENT Alizarin Crimson. (Remember if it doesn't say "permanent" or "hue" it is possibly fugitive.)
Winsor and Newton - Winsor and Newton does not sell on their website so it is for information only. Based in the UK, not all of their materials are available to the U.S. market. If you're looking for something specific, you might try Jackson's Art in the U.K. They will ship to the U.S. and the prices are very competitive. Order from them direct as on amazon they will charge you shipping for each item, whereas on their website, you put it all in your shopping cart and pay just one shipping fee. You can also get some of their pan paints at Blick's but you might pay less buying directly from the UK. They offer watercolor in both tubes and half and whole pans. They also had a giant ceramic pan, now discontinued. The paint is very nice, better than their regular whole pans. The giant pans are no longer available but sometimes you can find a few on amazon or eBay. The advantage is once the paint is used up, you can refill. The disadvantage is very few colors are left and they are going for a ridiculous amount of money. Don't pay $45 for one pan. When I was buying mine, they were newly discontinued and I could get them for $5-7 mostly. I never paid more than $10 for any one color. At $5 I bought three of a color and then popped them out and refilled with colors that were no longer available, like sap green or my Daniel Smith Buff Titanium which was never available from W&N.
Schmincke - Website is for information only. Horadam is the artist grade. Available in tubes and half and whole pans.
Holbein - Website is for information only. Tubes in 5ml and 15ml and a limited selection of half pans.
M. Graham - Website is for information only. Their paints include honey so may not harden in your climate depending. I don't use any paints with honey due to drying time and possible mold issues.
Sennelier - Website is for information only. Tubes, half pans and whole pans. Also honey based.
Old Holland - Website is for information only. Tubes available. Not sure about pans.
Grumbacher - Website is for information only. Finest is artist grade. Academy is student grade.
Maimeri - Website is for information only. Blu is artist grade, Venezia is student grade. Tubes in 5ml and 15 ml. I believe the Venezia is also available in pans and there is a travel set.
Mijello Mission Gold - Many of these colors are mixes of two or more pigments. They also include several fugitive colors. They are artist grade but I don't use them.
Royal Talens - Website is for information only. Rembrandt is the artist grade of Royal Talens. I don't care for the quality of their other products so would not recommend their watercolors. It is available in 5ml and 20ml tubes and half pans.
Golden - Website is for information only. QoR is their artist grade watercolor. They are in New York and fairly new, 1980, compared with some of the other manufacturers.
* * * * * * * * *
I am including some boutique paint producers. These are hand made and very pricey. But at some point, you may decide your art takes you in a direction that commercially available paints cannot support and you have the means to indulge in custom paints.
Wallace Seymour (formerly Pip Seymour). Out of the U.K. Their website mostly lists U.K. shops and none of them currently ship to the U.S. You can get their paints from Select Fine Art Materials in Canada. Not exactly a one person operation but not a big manufacturer. They have a regular line of paints as well as historic pigments. They are either tubes or whole pans. I suggest the pans as I have read of problems with the tubes. They do not rewet easily but if you do get them going some of the colors look amazing. They are also pretty pricey so as soon as I win the lottery I am going to invest in 18 whole pans and keep them in my Stirling vintage palette.
Greenleaf and Blueberry - There is no "store". They open their shop on their own website periodically, about once a month, and it's first come, first served. They usually sell out in a few minutes so you have to be fast. Make and account and log in with pre-saved payment information to give you your best shot. Join their mailing list. Really nice paints but really expensive. They are sold by the half pan and by the whole pan and in sets. They also offer the equivalent of a quarter pan in natural sea shells, like artists used to use. They are just starting to offer metallics and micas. They occasionally coordinate with Art Tookit to offer a special set.
A. Gallo - Online only. This "shop" is out of Italy but purchasing is very easy and shipping is as quick as you'll get from Europe. Like Greenleaf and Blueberry the paint is hand made and they open the shop about once a month. Unlike Greenleaf and Blueberry they are pretty consistent with their shop opening. Usually the last Sunday of the month at 4pm Italian time. Figure it out where you are. I have no idea how Daylight Stupid Time affects the time.
Rosa - Rosa is another recent watercolor manufacturer getting some attention. Supposedly very fine paints but they are located in Ukraine so are having supply issues. I have not been able to purchase them yet but am checking periodically for when they may be in production again.
JasperStarDust - Also out of Colorado, her paints seem to be on a par with Greenleaf and Blueberry but not all natural occurring pigments. I have ordered one from her, supposedly lapis lazuli, because I haven't been able to get it from Greenleaf and Blueberry as it sells out every time I try. So I'll see if JasperStarDust has an acceptable paint. If so, I may be ordering more from her because she keeps stock on hand and they don't seem to be quite as pricey.
Ruby Mountain - not as pricey as Greenleaf and Blueberry and in the U.S. so shipping not as expensive as Matteo Grilli. Have not bought her paints but have heard they are very nice.
Rivervale - Out of Arkansas, she includes metallics and micas in her offerings.
Matteo Grilli - Matteo is in Australia but I buy his Indian Yellow half or whole pans because he still has a stock of the discontinued PY153. Just check with him first to see if he is still using it. I have his complete range of colors in half pans in a small FOME travel palette for sketching. He only offers a basic range but the quality is very nice.
* * * * * * * * * *
If you want to try your hand at making watercolors, all of the pigments, binders and tools are available from Kremer Pigments. They have a store in New York City. I think they may even have instruction and workshops.
A source in California is Natural Pigments. They have materials for making your own paints and also stock Rublev watercolors.
For a more in depth analysis on many of these watercolor manufacturer's lines of paint, I highly recommend Jane Blundell's blog.
Rosa - Rosa is another recent watercolor manufacturer getting some attention. Supposedly very fine paints but they are located in Ukraine so are having supply issues. I have not been able to purchase them yet but am checking periodically for when they may be in production again.
JasperStarDust - Also out of Colorado, her paints seem to be on a par with Greenleaf and Blueberry but not all natural occurring pigments. I have ordered one from her, supposedly lapis lazuli, because I haven't been able to get it from Greenleaf and Blueberry as it sells out every time I try. So I'll see if JasperStarDust has an acceptable paint. If so, I may be ordering more from her because she keeps stock on hand and they don't seem to be quite as pricey.
Ruby Mountain - not as pricey as Greenleaf and Blueberry and in the U.S. so shipping not as expensive as Matteo Grilli. Have not bought her paints but have heard they are very nice.
Rivervale - Out of Arkansas, she includes metallics and micas in her offerings.
Matteo Grilli - Matteo is in Australia but I buy his Indian Yellow half or whole pans because he still has a stock of the discontinued PY153. Just check with him first to see if he is still using it. I have his complete range of colors in half pans in a small FOME travel palette for sketching. He only offers a basic range but the quality is very nice.
* * * * * * * * * *
If you want to try your hand at making watercolors, all of the pigments, binders and tools are available from Kremer Pigments. They have a store in New York City. I think they may even have instruction and workshops.
A source in California is Natural Pigments. They have materials for making your own paints and also stock Rublev watercolors.
For a more in depth analysis on many of these watercolor manufacturer's lines of paint, I highly recommend Jane Blundell's blog.
Paint - how to choose a color palette and mixing colors you don't have.
Palette can mean both the range of colors you are using and the physical method you are using to hold your paint.
In this case, I'm talking the colors of paint you are choosing.
Here are some basic formulas for creating a color with the basic colors you have in your palette. What colors you choose may depend on what colors you are going to want to mix. If you're not using Cobalt Blue, why include it if everything you mix is going to depend on Ultramarine blue?
These are based on Daniel Smith which are mostly single pigment paints. If you are using another manufacturer, your milage may vary.
Payne's Gray - Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Sienna or Quin Burnt Orange
Violet - Quin Rose + Phthalo Green blue shade
Imperial Purple - Quin Rose + Ultramarine
Red - Quin Rose + Hansa Yellow Medium or New Gamboge. Add more yellow for scarlet.
Orange - Quin Rose + Hansa Yellow Medium or New Gamboge or Quin Gold.
Phthalo Blue green shade - Phthalo Blue red shade + Phthalo Green blue shade
Phthalo Turquoise - Phthalo Green blue shade + Ultramarine Blue
Sap Green - Phthalo Green blue shade + Quin Gold or New Gamboge
Cascade Green - Phthalo Blue green shade + Quin Gold or New Gamboge
Hooker's Green - Phthalo Green blue shade + Hansa Yellow med. + Quin Gold or New Gamboge
Olive Green - Ultramarine Blue + Hansa Yellow med. + Raw Umber
Olive Green - Cerulean Blue or Manganese Blue Hue + Raw Umber.
Undersea Green - Ultramarine Blue + Quin Gold
Green - Phthalo Green blue shade or yellow shade + Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Quin. Burnt Orange, Quin. gold, Hansa Yellow Medium, New Gamboge.
If you see a lot of the same paints used to mix the colors, those are the ones you want on your palette. You can print a mixing cheat sheet to put in your palette to remember.
In a previous post on choosing your palette colors I mentioned that you don't put white or black on your palette. The white is your paper. But what about black when you really need black?
Black = Phthalo Blue red shade + Pyrrol Orange
Black = Phthalo Green blue shade + Pyrrol Crimson
There are many ways to make black but that's a start.
Remember that the Phthalos are the most powerful colors you have. A little goes a very long way. AND THEY STAIN! So don't start with a Phthalo, start with the other colors. Then put a tiny bit on the tip of your brush and mix. You can always add more if you need to.
You want mountains in the far distance? Mix a bit of quin rose with Ultramarine, then add just a touch of phthalo green and maybe an earth color to tone it down a bit. Then add water until you have a pale violet color. Take a flat brush and put in some mountains in the background. Be sure to leave some white where the brush has skipped a bit. Now they are snow covered. A pale violet gives you distant mountains.
While sometimes you want to mix colors on your palatte sometimes you want to mix them on the paper. Want a really nice grassy meadow. Put a wash of Hans Yellow, New Gamboge or Quin Gold on your paper, then wash over it with some Ultramarine and allow it to mix on the paper. Use a diluted blue at the top in the distance but as you wash farther down the page add more blue as you get toward the foreground. You can do this with a lot of the green mixes above. Start with a wash of the yellows and then wash again with the blue color, adding more blue as you wash down the page to give the impression it is coming toward you.
Lastly, remember not to paint everything solid. This is not a coloring book. Go ahead and leave those areas of white where the paint skipped because your brush was a little dry. That gives you reflections on water or snow and texture on wood or clouds in the sky.
I spent some time on the Daniel Smith website recording what pigments they use to mix their colors. Remember this is for Daniel Smith only. For some I recorded how many parts in the mix, I.E. 1:PBr7 would be 1 part of raw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber or raw umber, depending on if I could identify which PBr7 it was. If you want to know what colors the numbers correspond to, you can see the single pigment Daniel Smith colors in the post called Pigments.
In this case, I'm talking the colors of paint you are choosing.
Here are some basic formulas for creating a color with the basic colors you have in your palette. What colors you choose may depend on what colors you are going to want to mix. If you're not using Cobalt Blue, why include it if everything you mix is going to depend on Ultramarine blue?
These are based on Daniel Smith which are mostly single pigment paints. If you are using another manufacturer, your milage may vary.
Payne's Gray - Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Sienna or Quin Burnt Orange
Violet - Quin Rose + Phthalo Green blue shade
Imperial Purple - Quin Rose + Ultramarine
Red - Quin Rose + Hansa Yellow Medium or New Gamboge. Add more yellow for scarlet.
Orange - Quin Rose + Hansa Yellow Medium or New Gamboge or Quin Gold.
Phthalo Blue green shade - Phthalo Blue red shade + Phthalo Green blue shade
Phthalo Turquoise - Phthalo Green blue shade + Ultramarine Blue
Sap Green - Phthalo Green blue shade + Quin Gold or New Gamboge
Cascade Green - Phthalo Blue green shade + Quin Gold or New Gamboge
Hooker's Green - Phthalo Green blue shade + Hansa Yellow med. + Quin Gold or New Gamboge
Olive Green - Ultramarine Blue + Hansa Yellow med. + Raw Umber
Olive Green - Cerulean Blue or Manganese Blue Hue + Raw Umber.
Undersea Green - Ultramarine Blue + Quin Gold
Green - Phthalo Green blue shade or yellow shade + Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Quin. Burnt Orange, Quin. gold, Hansa Yellow Medium, New Gamboge.
If you see a lot of the same paints used to mix the colors, those are the ones you want on your palette. You can print a mixing cheat sheet to put in your palette to remember.
In a previous post on choosing your palette colors I mentioned that you don't put white or black on your palette. The white is your paper. But what about black when you really need black?
Black = Phthalo Blue red shade + Pyrrol Orange
Black = Phthalo Green blue shade + Pyrrol Crimson
There are many ways to make black but that's a start.
Remember that the Phthalos are the most powerful colors you have. A little goes a very long way. AND THEY STAIN! So don't start with a Phthalo, start with the other colors. Then put a tiny bit on the tip of your brush and mix. You can always add more if you need to.
You want mountains in the far distance? Mix a bit of quin rose with Ultramarine, then add just a touch of phthalo green and maybe an earth color to tone it down a bit. Then add water until you have a pale violet color. Take a flat brush and put in some mountains in the background. Be sure to leave some white where the brush has skipped a bit. Now they are snow covered. A pale violet gives you distant mountains.
While sometimes you want to mix colors on your palatte sometimes you want to mix them on the paper. Want a really nice grassy meadow. Put a wash of Hans Yellow, New Gamboge or Quin Gold on your paper, then wash over it with some Ultramarine and allow it to mix on the paper. Use a diluted blue at the top in the distance but as you wash farther down the page add more blue as you get toward the foreground. You can do this with a lot of the green mixes above. Start with a wash of the yellows and then wash again with the blue color, adding more blue as you wash down the page to give the impression it is coming toward you.
Lastly, remember not to paint everything solid. This is not a coloring book. Go ahead and leave those areas of white where the paint skipped because your brush was a little dry. That gives you reflections on water or snow and texture on wood or clouds in the sky.
I spent some time on the Daniel Smith website recording what pigments they use to mix their colors. Remember this is for Daniel Smith only. For some I recorded how many parts in the mix, I.E. 1:PBr7 would be 1 part of raw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber or raw umber, depending on if I could identify which PBr7 it was. If you want to know what colors the numbers correspond to, you can see the single pigment Daniel Smith colors in the post called Pigments.
Olive Green 4:PY97 1:PB29 2:PBr7 (raw umber) (Or PY175 for PY97)
Undersea Green 1:PB29 (FrUl) 1:PO49
Emerald Green 8: PG18 2:PY35 1:PW4 or 6
Permanent Green PY3 PG7
Permanent Green Light PY3 PG7
Terre Verte PG18 PBr7 (raw umber)
Prussian Green PB27 PY35
Spring Green PG36 PY151 PY53
Hooker’s Green PG36 PY3 PO49
Sap Green PO49 PG7
Deep Sap Green PB27 PY3 PO48
Phthalo Yellow Green PG36 PY3
Phthalo Green Light PG7 PY153
Green Gold(PY10) PG36 PY3 PY150
Cascade Green PB15 PBr7 (raw sienna)
Cadmium Orange Hue PY53 PO73 PY83
New Gamboge PY97 PY110 or PO48 PY150
Indian Yellow PY97 PY150
Aussie Red Gold PY83 PR101 PV19
Quin. Deep Gold PO48 PY150
Quinacridone Sienna PO48 PY150 PR209 (or PO49 & PY150)
Naples Yellow PW4 PY35 PR101 (Venetian Red)
Naples Yellow Reddish 20:PW4 20:PW6 0.01:PY42 0.01:PR242
Flesh Tone PW4 PW6 PO62
Phthalo Turquoise PB36 PB15
Ultramarine Turquoise PG7 PB29
Indigo PB60 PBk6
Verditer Blue PB28 PB36 PW4
Cobalt Blue Violet PV19 PB28
Perm. Aliz. Crimson PR177 PV19 Q.red PR149
Rose Madder Perm. PR209 Q.Yellow PV19 Q.Red PR202 Q.Magenta
Wisteria PW6 PR122 Q.Lilac
Lavender PW6 PV15 PB29
Shadow Violet PG18 PB29 PO73
Imperial Purple PV19 PB29
Raw Umber Violet PV19 PBr7 (raw umber)
Rose of Ultramarine PV19 Q.red PB29 U.Bl
Moonglow PG18 PB29 PR177
Burnt Sienna Light PR101 PO48
Terre Ercolano PR101 PBr7 (raw sienna)
Sepia PBk9 PBr7 (burnt umber)
Neutral Tint PBk6 PV19 PB15
Payne’s Grey P PBk9 PB29 or PB29 PY42 or 1:PB29 1:PBr7 (burnt sienna)
Payne’s Blue Gray PB60 PBk6
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