Supplies
Tools
- Paintbrushes
- Choosing a quality brush is very important
- Different brush hair types:
- Marten hair brushes are expensive but give excellent results and last a long time. They are flexible, keep their shape, do not lose their hairs and have excellent resiliency.
- Grey squirrel brushes are cheaper and give good results.
- Japanese brushes, with bamboo handles and pig hair bristle sont good value and very supple. They are used for lqrger surfaces.
- Synthetic brushes are a good and very cheap alternative to real brushes.
- The shapes
- Round brushes have points to paint the finer details. Flat brushes cover the larger areas.
- The flat brushes allow you to quickly paint the tint on the paper.
- To begin with, there are 3 necessary brushes:
- A medium sized round brush n° 8
- A large flat brush for the tint
- A small, round and finely tipped brush for the small details.
- Water colors
Materials
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The paper
- The paper is the principal part of watercolour painting. It is different to normal drawing paper because it has to absorb humidity and react to the water and the different properties of the paints.
- It must be capable of diluting and then retaking its original form after drying.
- Its surface is "primed", after being pressed and immersed in a gelatin bath to prevent the paint from penetrating it.
- Different paper grains:
- Thin grain is best used for small, detailed paintings. However it is difficult to work on if wet too much: puddles form and the outline runs.
- Medium grain is ideal for beginners as it allows you to work slowly.
- Cloth paper (also the most expensive). It clings to the brush, dries slowly but is also more difficult to control.
- Choice of basis weight:
- Start by using paper weighing 300g/m.
- If doing big paintings, use 460g/m
Directions
Main principles of watercolor painting
- Watercolour painting is painting with water, resulting in a mix of dyes, bonds and humidifier.
- The dyes give the colour.
- Bond (Arabic Gum) gives the dyes a thicker or solid consistency.
- Humidifier (glycerin or honey) delays the drying process.
The two main types of watercolour painting:
- Watercolour painting in tube: Recommended for large paintings, it is slower drying than bucket watercolour painting. The advantage is you can cleanly conserve the colours because the mixes are made directly on the palette. The problem is that there will be a lot of waste as you may have prepared too much paint. Clean the opening of your tubes before closing them again: the arabic gum serves as a glue and you risk not being able to close them again.
- Watercolour painting in bucket: Ideal for watercolour painting "on the go". The advantage with bucket waterpainting (small plastic cube) is that it allows you to have a lilited range of colours in your pocket. The colours are immediately visible and the mixes are made in the box. However you can only use a little bit at a time, which is an inconvenience for wash drawings, for example. After use, clean the buckets well with soap to make pure colours again next time.
Video
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