Updated Supply List for Current Class
Here’s what you’ll need for the upcoming class series
1.Step 1-
-watercolor sketchbook of your choice. The one I’m currently using is 5 1/2 x 8 1/4” and made by Hahnemuhle. The paper is not cotton in this one, just wood pulp, but it’s made for watercolor, is lightweight and portable. The brand isn’t so important here as just so it’s made for watercolor AND is easily portable. If it fits into your coat pocket you’re double lucky! Here’s a link for this one Use what you have, or your favorite. Just don’t let it be so ‘precious’ that you’re afraid to use it though!
-Pigma micron pens (or any favorite permanent ink pens for drawing (though I don’t use Sharpies, they bleed through paper). I bring along 2 in case one runs dry. Perhaps an 02 or 03 nib. Even as large as an 05 nib. Choose your favorite line width. Here’s a link for this one.
-a pencil, no darker than 2B, I like mechanical pencils so I don’t have to carry a sharpener with me.
-a kneaded eraser (they are gentle on the paper, and don’t leave dirty marks)
-You will also greatly enjoy some POSCA pens to embellish your pages with. I always have one in white, and one in gold. They come in various nib sizes, I have several. You’ll likely find the bullet-shaped or pin-shaped nibs the most useful.
-bulldog clips - to hold your pages. Incredibly helpful outdoors or in, whether it’’s windy or your paper is buckling. Get a package of these at Staples. They don’t have to be huge, just hold your page.
-Another favorite sketchbook with 100% cotton paper, (pictured below) that I truly enjoy is made by the Etchr company. Here’s a link for purchase.
2.Step 2 -
Here’s where we bring color into the work. ***You can continue to use your favorite little student pan or small travel pan for this step….but over time, you’re most likely going to want a bigger palette with more mixing space. Here’s what I use every day:
-Mijello paint palette. This has 18 wells and a nice tray you can remove for more mixing space if necessary. I’ve been using this one for several years now and really love it. It’s small enough that I take it on travel with me, but large enough to use on my desk for small to mid-sized paintings out of the sketchbook. Here’s a link for this.
Here are the colors I’m currently using. The starred colors are the ‘must-haves’. I’ve made a few changes over the years, but it’s pretty similar to this:
*-DS-Lemon Yellow (or a cool transparent yellow)
*-DS- New Gamboge(a warm mid-value transparent yellow)
-DS- Naples Yellow (a pale, neutral opaque)
*-DR-Raw Sienna-transparent earth color
*-DS-Quinacridone Gold - transparent
*-DS-Burnt Sienna - workhorse color, can’t live without (like a dirty orange/brown)
-DS-Pyrrol Orange
-DS- Cadmium Red Medium Hue
*DS-Quinacridone Rose (transparent cool red)
-DS-Rose of Ultramarine (transparent purple, can mix from quin rose & Ul. Blue)
-DS-Lavender (opaque)
*-DS-Cobalt Blue
*-DS-French Ultramarine Blue - (can’t live without Ultramarine Blue)
-DS-Pthalo Blue (transparent blue, dark, intense, staining)
*-DS-Cobalt Teal Blue - on it’s own or mixed with others - makes nice aqua greens
-DS-Green Apatite Genuine - a very interesting granulating green, not totally necessary but beautiful and fun.
-DS-Pthalo Yellow Green - strong brilliant transparent yellow green, great for mixing
-WN-Neutral Tint - does exactly what it says, darkens and neutralizes colors. I rarely use it, but it can be handy in a pinch.
*-DS-Green Gold OR Sap Green - (note, there are some brands of Sap Green out there that are NOT transparent and can end uplooking like MUD on its own or mixed with anything else. Avoid the heartbreak, go with DS.
-DS-Cerulean Blue (a beautiful opaque that is fun for layering a veil of color on)
*Quor or DS - Titanium White - I don’t use white that often, but when I do, I want an opaque one.
Note - These colors listed below are optional….only get them if you’re wanting to try out some new colors and have some spare cash. You’ll have a lot of fun experimenting with any of these(I frequently experiment with new colors outside of my traditional palette)….I recommend choosing one That appeals to you …or perhaps just starting with one of these:
-DS-Sodalite Genuine - rich black & granulates in beautiful ways
-DS-Perylene Green - deep earthy neutral green with a nice value range
-DS-Undersea Green - deep warm green that will separate out into blues and yellows
-DS-Moonglow- deep purple blue/almost black, that separates out into deep blue and rose.
Brushes - for most of the sketchbook work, you’ll want a size 6 round, perhaps an 8 round. In the later weeks, when we start working a bit bigger you’ll want a larger brush, perhaps a size 12 round and also a 1” flat. One of my favorite brushes for very expressive painting is the #10 Escoda Versatil. It’s got longer bristles and holds a point nicely. So it carries a lot of paint, but can also hold a point for fine lines.
3.Step 3 - Here’s where we’ll practice a bit of larger looser work, some of it in your sketchbook, some of it on better paper. For very inexpensive practice work you can use a sketchbook like the Strathmore Mixed Media 500 series, 100% cotton. I also like the Canson XL pad of watercolor paper, for testing & swatching colors - as it’s very inexpensive.
Bulldog clips, to hold your pages (even indoors, so your paper doesn’t buckle). either a 8” x10” size or a 9”x12” size.
Other necessities are basic to watercolor
- a cup or jar to hold your water (I usually have at least two jars of water handy at a time. One for dirty water, one for clean).
-paper towels (I like Viva best, they are smooth & absorbent, and don’t leave weird marks on your paper).
You will also want to get some ‘good paper’. You can either buy this by the sheet or in a block. Brands like Arches, Fluid 100, Fabriano, Hahnemuhle, Legion, ….get 140lb. cold press paper. Some of your sketchbook pages, you may want to do a larger version on your best paper!
I’ve included links here in my shop. I’m an Amazon affiliate, which means I earn back a tiny percentage at no cost to you….which helps me maintain the cost of running my website! Thanks in advance! Here’s the link: https://www.roxannesteed.com/supplies