The wonders of watercolour
A journey into my art supplies on the go.
Hi! Susan here, sharing with you my love for the wonders of watercolour supplies, and a walk-through video of my favourite art supplies.
Welcome to Creative Wanderlust, a space that encourages painting outside the lines and exploring discoveries through creativity. Happy painting!
I'm preparing for a big trip and thoroughly reviewing all my art supplies. While packing my little watercolour kit, I've noticed that these days I'm using gouache and mixed media more often.
However, I've also been wanting to share what I've used in the past because these supplies are ones I keep returning to, even if not as frequently.
I've spent a lot of time (and money) searching for the perfect new watercolour supplies, thinking that acquiring them would enhance my art.
So, I wanted to share a video I created as part of my mindful art course a while back. Maybe you'll find it useful.
ART SUPPLIES VIDEO
Cheap supplies aren't always the best idea, but starting with some lower-quality ones helped me overcome the fear of wasting money and feeling precious about my art supplies. So, while it's not always ideal to use cheap art supplies, they can be helpful if you just want to get something on paper and have fun exploring.
It's no secret that good quality helps produce better results. However, don't let that discourage you from using the art supplies you already have!
You don’t have to spend a lot of money right away but keep in mind that cheaper paints have less pigment, and cheaper paper may not absorb water as well as you'd like. Higher quality supplies generally offer richer and deeper pigment.
After feeling comfortable painting with watercolours, I transitioned from using pans of dried paint to experimenting with tubes that can be squeezed onto a palette. Pans are cheaper and easier to travel with, so I always have them handy because they're so practical.
When it comes to paper, which type do you prefer?
There's rough paper with a textured surface, cold-pressed paper which strikes a balance and holds more water for great wet-on-wet effects, and hot-pressed paper that feels smoother and is excellent for layering.
Choosing a brush is an area where I'm still exploring to find the perfect fit. I typically use synthetic brushes that are firmer and come in various brands. When I travel, I always carry a medium-sized brush, usually between size 6 and 10.
I wouldn't recommend cheap brushes, that’s the one thing I spend my money on. Because if you take care of your brushes — they will stick around.
Art supplies are a personal choice. You've got to try them out to see what works best for you. If a certain paint, brush, or paper isn't doing it for you, you do not have to use it!
ART SUPPLIES ON THE GO
My watercolour art supplies have accumulated over the years, from painting at home, in the van, and outdoors during travels. Here are photos from those moments.
I've even hand-made my own paintbrush bag that I used for various occasions, and still love to take it with me.
I recently shared this in my Notes! I’ve been playing around with different art supplies like the crayons and getting ready for an upcoming road trip. I'm excited to share more about it very soon!
I have a set of really high quality acrylic paints that come in a plastic tin. Where dried paint would be in the tin, little containers of paint are dropped in and then it had a double lid. They are quite small but I often water them down quite a bit so they last a while. I do everything I can to try and use those paints the most!
Thank you. I love seeing what other artists carry along with them. I usually take a fountain pen n one of those pilot v7 pens n a sketchbook or notebook. Watercolours kept for the hotel room. Takes too long to dry on location and with no accompanying people having a similar interest, lingering waiting for that (drying) to happen not an option. Do hope to try out at least s day with watercolours on my next holiday :))