Materials

“What kind of paints and brushes and blocks do you use?”

is a common question I get and a question I invariably ask other artists. We artists love this kind of technical information. For these friends and patrons who would like to know that their investment is protected from the get-go, here is the full declaration.a

PAPER

  • 140lb, cold pressed, usually rough but can be smooth.
  • Brands I’ve used before are Arches/Fabriano but use Saunders Watercolor paper exclusively now.
  • All papers are handmade, 100% cotton rag and pH neutral.
Saunders Waterford on Amazon

DIGITAL MEDIA

  • iPadpro with Procreate app are my go to tool combo for digital sketching.
  • I also use Affinity Design when need arises, along with Pages to make handouts and slick illustration projects.
My book on sketching with a tablet Helper Page with Videos for the book

PIGMENTS

Pigments! Pigments! Artists go nuts. For your oohing and aahing pleasure, let me disclose that I use Winsor & Newton and have recently added Daniel Smith pigments. I do not use ultra mixed pigments – meaning, I do not use Moonlight Purple or Metallic Green. You will see a basic palette consisting of colors you and I know since high school.

Why limited palette

BRUSHES

I am attached to these implements most of all. I happened to come across a squirrel mop at a local art store and on a whim and some suggestion by the friendly shop keeper, I bought it – was a W&N, size zero squirrel mop/quill. The best $25 were spent there and then. Winsor and Newton sells a mean squirrel mop but they never seem to be freely available. Local art store is more than happy to order them for me. A size 0 is as good as a standard round #8. Talking about rounds, I own a Winsor & Newton Series 7 round #8 and round #10. Their feel is different from the more slick squirrel mops – the spring is higher and strokes have more character. However, the mops hold a lot more pigment and water reducing the number of times one has to return to the palette.

Over time, I’ve had time to reflect and have collected my thoughts on why mops in this lengthy article with links. Click green button below.

Why Mops

Other Magic Tricks

Click to reveal the spell

Plastic sheet so that I can sit down for plein air painting when traveling super light.
Else, a short sturdy stool.

Sesame snack, I get hungry when I paint.

Water container

Water bottle

Rag cloth/towel

Pencil

Canson all media spiral bound hard cover book with 90lb paper.

Sun hat
SPF50 Layer
Umicore : Uma’s coreplast easel arrangement
Photography Easel – this one’s from Amazon Basics
Collapsible cup – see hiking section at REI
Ultra absorbent travel towels repurposed to a painting rag
Da Vinci’s Casaneo Mop
1
Sun hat
2
SPF50 Layer
3
Umicore : Uma’s coreplast easel arrangement
4
Photography Easel – this one’s from Amazon Basics
5
Collapsible cup – see hiking section at REI
6
Ultra absorbent travel towels repurposed to a painting rag
7
Da Vinci’s Casaneo Mop
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