Option 1:
If you prefer, you can order a “Beginner’s Kit” from me for $60
(about 15% off the cost of buying it all yourself), which includes:
- 12 sheets (9x12”) of Arches or Fabriano top-quality paper
- half a tube of each of ten watercolor paints
- a portable folding palette
- four quality synthetic brushes
If you'd like a kit, just let me know. You can pay for the kit along
with the class, via PayPal (see the Sign-Up page), Venmo or Zelle,
or you can pay for it in cash at the first class.
PLEASE NOTE: You can't run out of paint during class --
refills are included. (Other necessary supplies, which you
doubtless already own, are listed below.)
class progresses, but most students find this kit is enough to
last through six weeks.
| SHOPPING
LIST: If you buy your own supplies, copy this list, print it out, and
show it to
the clerk. 1. One PAD of Arches paper 9x12” or larger. It has a black and green cover. Be sure to get COLD PRESSED paper. Available online, and at Utrecht and New York Central Art Supply, for about $13-15; highly recommended. You can always buy a pad from me in the studio for $13. 2. OR: 3 sheets of ARCHES or FABRIANO brand watercolor paper, each 30 x 22” or larger (about $5 to $7 per sheet). Ask for sheets of "140-pound, cold press paper" 3. OR: one BLOCK of Arches paper, at least 8x10” (beware: blocks are WAY more expensive than pads, hard to use, and not recommended). **ABSOLUTELY DO NOT** buy "student" or "studio" Strathmore,
Canson, Montvale, or Fabriano pads, or any other cheaper pad that says “ideal
for
students” -- they're not! You'll be wasting your money and buying
a lot
of grief. Trust me -- quality is a must here, and worth the
price.
BRUSHES:Ask the
art store clerk to pick two decent
synthetic brushes for you. Utrecht and Princeton are good, inexpensive
brands.
OPTIONAL USEFUL BRUSHES, $3 to $6 each:
TUBE PAINTS: These student-grade paints are inexpensive, mostly $3-$4 per tube, but very good quality:
If you care to spend more, the professional-grade paints offer similar colors and characteristics, but with improved lightfastness, intensity, and overall quality. Recommeded brands, from cheapest to most expensive, are:
PALETTE: Buy a small plastic palette with a hinged cover to hold your paints (mixing dishes are provided in class, but it’s handy to have a covered palette). Small is fine; most art stores have them for $4 to $6. If you have lots of room to work at home, you might want a larger, flat palette (many tupes available at all art stores, but not essential). At home you'll need these “NECESSARY ITEMS” on the list below. You can always borrow them from me in class as well. They are: Paper towels and Kleenex, a pencil, a ruler, a small plastic spray bottle for water (available in the studio to borrow, or buy for $2), a few ordinary plastic supermarket bags, a "kneaded eraser," available for $1 in the studio or in any art/stationery store. And of course, your own brushes, paints, and paper. If you get more seriously into watercolor, you may want these for later on; no need to buy them now, though. A piece of lightweight corrugated plastic, or a piece of foamcore, or heavy-cardboard mat covered with Contac paper, cut to 9x12" or a bit bigger. If you can't find this, you can just borrow mine in class. |
No need to read further.
1. PAPER:
This is your single most important item. Please buy ARCHES brand only! (properly pronounced “Arsh”, but everone says "arches") Buy the "140-pound, cold-press sheets". One 30" x 22" sheet can be cut into quarters or sixths or eighths, and costs about $6-7.
Please bring at least one full sheet, cut into smaller pieces like eighths or sixths, to the first class. Protect them flat in a stiff folder, or carry them in a large magazine.
OR, you can buy Arches paper in pads or blocks if you prefer, at least 9”x12”. Note that PADS are much less expensive than BLOCKS.
NOTE: Never, NEVER, NEVER buy cheaper Canson, Strathmore, Fabriano, or Montvale “ideal for students” pads—they will doom you to failure and frustration. Trust me on this. Top-quality paper is your top priority, and well worth the cost.
We will use about 2 sheets per class session. For homework, you can paint on paper as large as you like -- but at least 5x7”.
Please Note: DO NOT use acrylic or oil brushes -- they are too stiff and not suitable for watercolor.
Try to buy your brushes in person. Ask a knowledgeable art store clerk to pick two decent quality student grade watercolor brushes for you. Expect to spend $8 to $19 tops per brush. Princeton brand brushes have been generally good, and the Utrecht brand (only at Dick Blick stores) is very good. You can also buy "Creative Inspiration" brushes in the studio; they are excellent quality at a low price., about $15 for 8 brushes.
Do not invest in costly sable brushes, even if money is no object. They are actually much more difficult for a beginner to use.
3. TUBE PAINTS
Please DO NOT
buy
or use a set of dry cakes of color. I’ve chosen the eight
colors above for best quality and price (mostly under $3/tube). You
will
probably want to add a few more colors later, but these have been
chosen for
their superior transparency and non-staining attributes (which means
you won’t
end up with “mud”).
I will refill your paints if you run out during the 6-week class.
Good-quality student-grade
paints include:
Van Gogh,
Winsor & Newton Cotman,
Grumbacher Academy
Please avoid the Blick brand, and the Reeves brand.
Top-quality artist-grade paints include:
Utrecht Brand: inexpensive but highly rated, a real
bargain.
M. Graham brand
is excellent quality and value, with intense color.
Daniel Smith paints
(available at Blick and online at www.danielsmith.com)
are highly rated overall, and less expensive than W&N.
Winsor
& Newton Professional, most
expensive, but very good.
4.
NECESSARY ITEMS
Note:
I’ll supply you with plastic containers for holding water,
plus plastic plates for mixing colors. You can also borrow all the
things below. But for painting at home, it's good to have the following
on hand:
Your paints, paper, and brushes, plus...
Kleenex
(generic is fine; dont' use paper towels to blot your painting)
Paper
towels or a household sponge
to use as a 'mop pad' to control the water in your brush. Bounty’s
good, and Viva works best—it has no texture, just in case you
need to blot your entire painting.
Ruler
or straightedge
Ordinary pencil, preferably one marked "H" or "HB" instead of "B"
Kneaded eraser, available
in any art store and most stationery stores, is much better than
others, as it
leaves no eraser-bits and won't damage the paper.
A
small empty spray bottle for
water, available at most drugstores. If you can't find one, I have them
for $2.
Plastic
bags -- Several
ordinary clean ones from the supermarket, to safeguard your paints and
paper enroute.
You
probably have most of these around the house, or hit
your 99-Cent store.
WHERE TO SHOP for
watercolor supplies:
Dick
Blick Art Supplies, with four locations in Manhattan.
Please note: Michael's carries NO quality watercolor supplies at all.
Dick Blick locations:
- Sixth Ave between 19th and 20th Street
- 13th St. between University and Fifth Aves. 212-777-5353
- 237 W 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Aves. 212-675-8699
- 1-5 Bond Street, off Broadway just above Bleecker St.
SHOPPING ONLINE:
If you'd rather shop online, try these:
Of course
shipping is extra, so savings may
vary. Get on their email
list, and you get further discounts and
sometimes free shipping.
Please be
SURE you have all your supplies, or have ordered a Beginner's Kit,
before class begins.
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Recommended Books
No book is required. Art supplies are not cheap, and I don’t want anyone suffering from sticker shock. However...looking at watercolor images is not only inspirational, but a great help. Of course Pinterest and Youtube have mostly take the place of books for images and instruction, and those are the best places to start. In the studio, you're welcome to browse my many books of course. Either way, you'll get a good idea of watercolor's many possibilities. Nearly every beginner book has the same basic technique information, so if you buy one, choose the book with watercolors in a style that really appeals to you.
My favorite beginner book: Watercolor: No Experience Necessary by Carol Cooper (out of print, but all these are available on amazon)
You Can Paint Watercolors by Alwyn Crawshaw (paperback) Watercolor: A New Beginning by Anne Lindsay Watercolor for the Fun of It: Getting Started by John Lovett He also has an excellent watercolor website worth exploring, www.johnlovett.com The Watercolor Book by David Dewey The one book that contains everything you'll ever need to know, with gorgeous paintings. Also: The Complete Sketching Book by John Hamilton, an excellent drawing book: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. A deservedly famous bestseller on how to be more creative, no matter what your art. * * * Top of Page |