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The most popular Products mentioned in /r/watercolor101:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/watercolor101:
Pixabay
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The most popular reviews in /r/watercolor101:
This may be a book for you. I feel the same way about watercolor floral, but the projects in this book are :chef's kiss:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1944515585/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_7TJ41ZDC2YWFM3DDWZVV
Not sure why you cant see the link
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y4672JJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its just annoying when doing gradients because I dont want to tilt the painting, i want it level so i can control where the darker, med and lightest pigments sit
but thats extremely annoying when you get buckling, even slight buckling because it creates pools of darker areas = affects a smooth gradient
Here are my two favorites. But search “watercolor coloring book” on Amazon and you’ll find more
Just fyi, a ruling pen is different from a ruler (in case that was confusing)! A ruling pen looks almost like a spear. It’s a stick with a metal tip on it to make lines for masking.
I have been using a 11 x 16 butcher tray (metal with a porcelain coating baked on) with my limited palette (7 or 8 colors) and my painting life is better! I can mix lovely big puddles of paint and it's easy to wipe off. I'd look for one in a thrift shop or restaurant supply before getting one online. Here's the link to Amazon's version, which I got. https://www.amazon.com/11-Inch-16-Inch-Butcher-Tray-6959-03/dp/B0027ACHGG/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=butcher%27s%2Btray&qid=1667752533&sr=8-1&th=1
If you buy this set, you get a warm and cool each of the primaries. You can mix ALMOST every color with it. It's top of the line paint and fairly inexpensive, compared to buying a ton of tubes colors when you don't really know what you are doing yet. Don't be like me and buy all the things. I really regret that. I'd buy this set and maybe a neutral dark or payne's grey. Good luck! https://www.amazon.com/DANIEL-SMITH-285610006-Introductory-Watercolor/dp/B00WT5VRF6?th=1
These are starter level Princetons. 9 bucks atm. The tips on the smaller ones will eventually get a little bent but they are still very usable. They will give you a good idea of how a watercolor brush feels and performs. Slightly stiffer than sable which is also a plus for beginners. These will totally see you through to start building your brush stash up. All craft supplies are off the charts overpriced atm and have been since the beginning of the pandemic. Good quality watercolor brushes are expensive so take your time and learn what you like before you buy. Watch YouTube videos in the style (and size) of what you like to paint and take note of what the artist uses. Most artists have supplies listed and at least one video of their preferred paint, paper and brushes.
Try the tea to butter exercise to learn about consistency. Yes, I get my brush wet, very wet, and then go to the paint. A palette is needed if you are mixing your own colours. It doesn't need to be fancy, a yogurt lid works well and so does a plate. I like this one. I absolutely do not recommend this one unless you are the kind of painter who wants 20 colours. It is lovely but the wells are very small and I find that I clean this more than I use it. Ceramic is an ideal material because it can be fully cleaned. If you use something plastic then it will take on the colour of your pigment which will affect how that colour looks to you on palette vs on paper.
You build colour in layers. Paint, let it dry (or assist with a hair dryer) and then do another layer with less water this time. Repeat as needed.
Technically it's pen rendering, but in general, I'm just sketching. If you want an old, but also excellent, book on it, this one is known to be a good teaching tool https://www.amazon.com/Rendering-Pen-Ink-Techniques-Illustrators/dp/0823045293
Well, you could try strathmore 400 series. It would hold paint really good. Canson is not my favorite, I have had a horrible experience with that paper. Now if you would like to try 100% cotton paper I am sure that your paint would work wonders. There is this Baohong Watercolor Paper, 7"x5"... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0921JQ3JX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
It’s 5 by 7 and not pricey if you wish to explore.
no not dollar tree or brand name..just stop talking and buy these two items. don't argue. just buy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07FYG3BBV?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Thank you!
Yeah, I was actually thinking about that left arm, and if I should shorten it, but if I'm reading the reference right I think that the panda is almost resting that left paw on the ground.
I used this picture from pixabay for reference:
https://pixabay.com/photos/panda-beauvalle-fauna-animals-206297/
But I agree with your impression of the arm, I thought the same, and maybe there's some subtlety about the reference that I'm missing here that makes it work?
Also, for watercolor, I would recommend getting a higher grade of paints, with fewer colors and then teaching her how to mix. I really like this little set from Sennelier: Starter Kit Artist Grade Paints from Sennelier
Have you considered giving her some colored pencils? If she already loves to draw, some good artist quality colored pencils can do a lot toward teaching layering ( ie glazing in watercolor) as well as Value. ( light and shadow values I mean.) I started with watercolor as an adult, but once I got a set of colored pencils that I could layer and blend, it actually helped me in my watercolor technique ( sort of 'cross-training' I suppose.) In that once I learned about blending with the pencils, I began to desire more 'layering' effects in my watercolor and started to glaze more. There are wonderful artist grade pencils from the usual suspects: Caran D'Ache, Prismacolor, Polychromos, etc. But I also found this set: It's inexpensive and provides terrific range of colors. They blend very well and I've loved the purchase. Colored Pencils
Not happy with the left thigh, lost the shape a bit. Struggled to make the left foot not feel flat too.
Here's the reference image I used - https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-woman-dancer-artist-circus-1219339/
this one is similar to the kind of landscapes I hope to do when I’m camping and what not!
I have played around with the app and I do love it but I’m having a hard time finding something to prop my iPad on hahaha. But I did do a basic tree line this morning and I’m not super unhappy with it - it is really fun to play around! Thanks for showing this to me
lets save that photo for advance painting. let's start with something colorful with even shading, not too many bright or dark areas. try this to start at https://pixabay.com/ you will be using your tablet or phone to help you paint. do you have one of those?
This stuff will be your best friend. Its easy to use brush soap that will remove the staining pigment from your brush bristles. Use it at the end of each session preferably.
I love Shayda Campbell’s channel. She speeds up her videos a bit(like most people) so you have to pause a lot to finish a step, but I’m usually pretty happy with how things turn out.
You could also get books - I have this one and it’s been a lot of fun and great learning.
Watercolor with Me in the Ocean https://www.amazon.com/dp/1624148573?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Are there any good sketchbooks you recommend? I've got a Strathmore one right now, but I don't know if there's anything better for around the same price for when I fill this one up.
Wow, we are on the same wavelength. I just bought this book for the same reason: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1581809247?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
Love the deep blues you have. When painting water, glazing is your friend. Build up to those deep colors by painting layer after layer of paint. You can create really cool effects with glazing.
I'm impressed how you worked around the edges of the white fish. You can use masking fluid to paint over what you want to protect, let it dry, then not worry about your background getting onto your white centerpiece. Masking fluid is hard on your brushes though, so use an old brush you don't care about when applying it!
It’s artboard, basically paper mounted to cardstock. You CAN paint watercolour on canvas (I do this sometimes) but you need to prepare it with watercolour ground.
https://www.amazon.ca/Plein-Air-Art-Board-watercolor/dp/B01G2IIYC4
At the beginning of the pandemic Skillshare had a 2 month free trial period. I signed up for it and learned so much! I bought a couple of watercolor notebooks, some Daniel Smith watercolor tubes, and a couple of Princeton brushes, and painted everyday. I like the notebooks because I don’t feel the pressure to produce a masterpiece and it makes me more inclined and free to experiment, and learn. I tested a few different brands and this works the best for me: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YIXDKE ... takes a good amount of water, doesn’t buckle, and doesn’t “pill”.
I've been really happy with the daVinci sable travel brushes. Amazon sells them.
I've heard good things about the black velvet brushes but have never tried them.
I've gone through quite a bit of brushes in the last few years and my absolute favorite are the creative mark mimik synthetic squirrel brushes. They hold their shape and point really well and hold the perfect amount of water. This set of 8 brushes is only $30 on Amazon and is a great deal IMO...
Creative Mark Mimik Watercolor Paint Brushes, High-Performance Professional Artist Synthetic Squirrel Hair Watercolor & Plein Air Art Paintbrush Value https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CI6VTVI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_kqKU3F1IFE3YX
Okay, good to know, thanks! I used these brushes They obviously aren’t terribly expensive, so maybe that’s the trouble? The paper is Strathmore 140# which I know isn’t the best.
Also, how do you tell whether a brush is “soft”?
Thanks again!
awesome! It's a great resource. I should read it again, for a while I was reading it like once a year or so. This is another good one for composition https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Scenery-Landscapes-Jack-Hamm/dp/0399508066
Ah, I meant to post this.
this for the next day. She currently uses art advantage 12 ml watercolor paint set.
Ah, I meant to post this.
this for the next day. She currently uses art advantage 12 ml watercolor paint set.
Ah, I meant to post this.
this for the next day. She currently uses art advantage 12 ml watercolor paint set.
I just received this for christmas - https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Watercolorists-Essential-Notebook-experimentation/dp/1440309051/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1514489489&sr=8-5&keywords=watercolor+book
I'm super excited to start digging through it! It's not written as a lesson plan or anything, but I plan to go through each topic/technique to practice from daily.
I see the Koi set recommended here a lot, which leads me to believe it's good.
My personal recommendation for beginners would be to put aside the concept of many pan pigments and get a simple travel palette like this and four pigments as tube paints to mix with: a red, a blue, a yellow, and an orange that makes a gray when mixed with the blue. If your blue is ultramarine, the orange is burnt sienna. If the blue is phthalo blue, use transparent orange. That way you learn to mix colors instead of depend on whatever hues come in the starter set.
The article doesn't mention this, but finding storebrand watercolor brushes is a great way to go for beginners, you don't need expensive sable. And paper is the first thing you should upgrade as it makes the biggest difference in quality.
I got the Winsor & Newton Field Box with Cotman watercolors a few weeks ago, I'm very happy with it. It has a water container and small water bottle in it, 3 mixing surfaces and a tiny brush (that I haven't used yet). You can hold all of it in one hand, since the water container attaches to the palette.
Affordable, and very practical for painting outside. Colors and color selection of included colors are great too.
Edit: I made a post in /r/watercolor with a recent little painting I made with it yesterday.
how many tubes should I start out with? This set on amazon looks good and is at my price range
Something like this is good enough, although if you want to spend another $7 or $8, you might find that the construction of the more expensive staple gun is a little sturdier.
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Here are your smile-ified links:
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I'd say there is probably a book out there for anything you're striving for. Fantasy watercolor art, figurative watercolor, urban watercolor, so you should go for one that is covering the subject you like most! I'm a fantasy lover myself and I'm a big fan of the books by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, I have 3 of them and they all begin with basic tools, and techniques before getting into painting full works. Good Luck!
Thanks. Is there a masking fluid you recommend? I'll probably get one of these to use them in.
I use one of these as a handy desk kit at home, it has a removable second layer, I use the lower layer for pans and a bit of sponge and the upper later for pens, but it may be larger than you possibly want, and you'd probably want to put an elastic band round if for security if you were carting it round the world. https://www.amazon.com/Derwent-2300582-Pencil-Tin/dp/B008CPTCQI
However it is an excellent size if you want to be able to have a waterpen, a sponge, a pencil, a pen, a pencil sharpener, an eraser, a white gel pen, a small ordinary brush etc etc with you. Not so good if you aren't going to have a desk or table to sit at while drawing. Maybe it could be improved if you put magnetic tape under the pans and did something to the second layer to secure all the bits and pieces.
Check this out, I used to buy this roll to learn with. That's a lot of paper for $25. It's not the best paper, but it works in your situation, and if you can manage to sell one piece, then the roll is free. Happy painting!!
https://www.amazon.com/Canson-Artist-Montval-Watercolor-Paper/dp/B00BOQZA90
this is the one that I use. It's just a block of nice watercolor paper, with all of the edges sealed down.
Most watercolor sketchbooks are fine. I rarely buy large solo sheets. Some artists claim it's cheaper to buy the big paper and cut it up. Most of my work comes from a sketchbook.
I enjoy Strathmore artist tiles. They're very affordable. Not the best quality, but you can get some nice work out of them. They say "cold price" but all lower end paper works like hot press in my opinion.
Moleskins are an option. There's something very satisfying about a full Moleskin sketchbook.