Supply List For Watercolor

Revised June 2008

Molly Hashimoto, Instructor

I encourage you to email me with any questions: mollyhashimoto@comcast.net

Drawing pencil H or HB (for watercolor undersketches)

Artist eraser, white Mars plastic (made by Staedtler)

Permanent fine point pen. Pigma Micron felt tip .03 and .01 are good nib sizes.

Arches 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper, in single sheets 22 X 30: cut to preferred size for your painting. It’s also available in blocks: 7” X 10” or 9” X 12” are good sizes. I use the Arches 10” X 13” spiral bound journal for studies and open air painting.

Brushes: Sable or sable/synthetic blend watercolor brushes: #12, #8, and #4 round, ¾”to 1” flat.

Other sizes and types are optional. Do not buy a synthetic brush in #12 or #8 size: they are too stiff and do not lay smooth washes. Synthetics are fine for #4 and smaller sizes. I like Da Vinci Maestro sable rounds the best, but they are expensive. A sable/synthetic blend works well and is cheaper. Other brushes I like using are smaller flat brushes with chisel edges (which are useful for softening edges, and lifting out—I use the Daniel Smith 23-1 series, very inexpensive), riggers or liners for small line work.

Fine artist quality tube paints. Daniel Smith, Winsor and Newton (not their Cotman variety), Old Holland, Schmincke, Sennelier are some of the higher quality manufacturers. M. Graham are generally good also and inexpensive, though some hues and consistencies are not ideal. If you buy cheaper student-grade paints, be aware that they are not always lightfast and hues may vary considerably from artist-quality paints.

Your own palette is fine but if you are buying a new one these are my recommendations:

Required colors: permanent alizarin crimson (made by Winsor and Newton) or Daniel Smith anthraquiniod red (same color-different name)

pyrrol scarlet

French ultramarine blue or phthalo blue red shade (Winsor and Newton calls this one Winsor blue red shade)

phthalo blue (green shade)

hansa yellow light

hansa yellow medium

quinacridone burnt orange (Daniel Smith)

yellow ochre or raw sienna

Other colors you may want to add, in order of their usefulness: dioxazine or carbazole violet, cobalt blue, pyrrol orange, cerulean blue, sap green, quinacridone gold, quinacridone magenta, Chinese white, or even better, Winsor and Newton zinc white gouache-it has more covering power than Chinese white.

Paint palettes: whatever you currently have is fine, but if you are buying something new these are my recommendations:

Studio work: my favorite is the John Pike Watercolor Palette-it’s large, has a cover and multiple small wells. You may also need saucers or a palette with larger wells if you plan on mixing up larger washes. I use the San Francisco Slant Palette. You don’t need to buy this right away, but it is indispensable if you are a serious painter.

Plein air work: any empty plastic or metal portable paint box, filled with the above tube paints. Squeeze paints into paintbox a few days before travel and leave box open so paints will dry out and not leak. Put box into a zip-lock plastic bag. Sennelier and Winsor and Newton both make very nice portable palettes filled with half- or full-pans of cake-style watercolor paints which can be very handy for outdoor work. Other possibilities for extremely compact painting: Van Gogh, Cretacolor Aqua Brique, Raphael Aquarelle Watercolor Travel Box, Koi Sakura. Be aware that if you buy the very compact size, you won’t be able to work in a very large format. These are primarily for plein air sketching.

Water containers (small yogurt containers work fine.) For outdoor work you may want to bring 2 plastic jars with tight-fitting screwtop lids, so you won’t need to dump your paint water onto the ground.

3M drafting tape (will not tear most watercolor papers)

Soft cotton rag, or paper towels

Masking Fluid: Masque Pen (best for outdoor work).

My current favorite masking fluid for studio work is the Pebeo brand. Winsor and Newton makes a good masking fluid also. You can apply it with a metal-nibbed pen or a bamboo pen, ruling pen, or even a crochet hook.

Additional items for outdoor work:

A portable lightweight chair, plus a small table or camp stool on which to place palette, water and brushes.

For hikes, you may not find a flat enough place to position your chair and table, so just bring something to sit on (your jacket works great!)

Lightweight board for paper mounting, or hardbound Arches journal, for ease of painting.

Sunglasses, sunhat

Large water bottle with enough water for drinking and painting

Camera