Watercolor Painting

Learn fundamental watercolor skills and understand the medium and materials Emphasis will be on problem solving, skill building and developing a personal style. Specific watercolor techniques will be addressed to help students make decisions and work through to complete paintings.

Required supplies for this program:
An estimate cost for these supplies is approximately $150.

Paint - These are suggested colors to start. You could also get a small watercolor kit sold at any art supply store. Cakes or tubes are both good sources of paint. Small 5 -8 ml size tubes are fine until you learn the types and colors you like best.

• Yellow: Cadmium Yellow
• Red: Permanent Rose
• Blue: Ultramarine Blue
• Green: Sap Green
• Browns: Burnt Sienna
• Neutral: Payne’s Gray
• No whites or blacks are necessary.

Brushes - Buy good quality brushes made for watercolor painting - not the most expensive and not the cheapest student brushes. Synthetic sable are great brushes.

• #6, 8, 10 or 12 soft Round
• 1” or 1 ½” soft fFat
• #2 Rigger (Some brands don't call it a Rigger brush. It's a small long haired brush used for outlining.)

Palettes - Whether you are using tube or cake watercolor paints, you will need a palette to mix colors and water. My favorites have small compartments for paint with larger compartments for mixing. There are several kinds at any art supply store. Examples of some simple, good palettes can be deviled egg trays. White is best so you can see the paint mixes.

Paper - At a minimum, get a watercolor or mix media sketchbook for paper. (Don't use drawing paper, as it's too thin for water.) Get any size you're comfortable with. You should try to experience some good quality cold press (grained) watercolor paper like Arches 140 lb. blocks. Painting is easier with better paper. Arches come in many different sizes.
Estimated cost for high quality paper:

• Arches Block, 140 lb. 10” x 14”, 20 sheets, $33
• Arches Block, 140 lb. 18” x 24”, 20 sheets, $73

Tape - Roll of blue artist's tape or hardware store yellow masking tape to tack down your paper. (Don’t use old deteriorated tape.)

Water holder - TWO water containers - size of jam/jelly jar
Paper Towel and white soft cloth (i.e. old dishtowel or cloth diaper)

Additional Supplies:

• 2B Pencils
• Erasers. Plastic (i.e. Staedtler Mars plastic) and Kneaded (Design Kneaded Rubber)
• Something to carry your supplies – tackle box, backpack, etc.
• Simple cardboard portfolio to hold your paintings. (Art stores have a cardboard carry portfolio that works great.) Size to fit your paper.