September 23, 2021
My Favorite, Most Used Art Supplies for Watercolor 2021
Here is a list my favorite art supplies and materials that I have been enjoying using this year, I hope you find some new favorites too.
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Watercolor Paper
Canson XL Watercolor Paper
I love this 100% wood pulp paper, it is super affordable and great for beginners because of its quality and low price point. I still use it for a lot of my pieces because I am used to the way it behaves and I enjoy the results I get.
100% Cotton Bee Paper
This is a very affordable 100% cotton paper that performs well (in my opinion) It is quite hard to find and normally grab a couple of 25 packs of the 6×9 when I place a Jerry’s Artarama order.
❊ Bee Watercolor Paper @ Jerry’s
❊ Bee Watercolor Paper @ Amazon
Journals
Linden Art Watercolor Journal
I am really enjoying this journal, it is great for urban sketching ink & wash. It has 140lb (300gsm) thick paper that can take most mediums and the pages are truly double-sided with the same medium to rough texture on both sides.
Stillman & Birn Beta Series Softcover
This is a little bit lightweight at 270gsm, but it is great for urban sketching and drawing. It takes watercolor with a little bit of buckling but still performs great. I like the smaller sizes.
Watercolors
Roman Szmal
I am really falling in love with the Roman Szmal watercolors, they are richly pigmented, easy to activate, and flow really well which I like for my abstract work. The Paynes Grey is super deep and disperses so wonderfully, a true favorite. They have an amazing color selection at very reasonable prices.
White Nights
A very affordable watercolor brand that are of great quality. Perfect for beginners and more experienced artists alike. I am totally in love with their Perelyne Violet, so rich and delicous! They have a great variety of colors and come in tubes and pans.
Kuretake Gansai Tambi
Traditional Japanese Gansai Paints. These are really fun and vibrant and I am really enjoying using them for floral and botanical studies. They are a little different from Western watercolors but have a beautiful flow and pigment load.
Other
Dr. Ph. Martin's Bleedproof White
This is a really thick white, opaque paint. It is great for applying highlights after painting or adding to a watercolor mix to make a pastel hue or add opaqueness. It has a bit of a learning curve to get the consistency you want, but mostly I use it straight from the jar with a teeny brush for highlights.
Brushes
Jackson's Icon Quill 10/0
This is my most used round/quill brush for watercolor. It springs back to a point and holds a bunch of water and paint. I just love the way it feels and lays down color allowing for small marks and smooth washes.
3/4″ Oval Wash
The Princeton Aqua Elite 3/4 Oval Wash Brush is one of my go-to brushes because I like to create large abstract fat stokes. It is a fantastic brush for laying down medium washes and holds a bunch of water. I just love the shape of this brush, it comes to a point at the end which gives you little v-shaped marks when you lay down directly, really interesting.
Pentel Aquash Water-Brushes
These are such a great tool to have in your urban sketching kit. They allow you to paint on the go without having to bring a water container as they hold their own! Great for loose paintings and swatching gradients.
1 ½″ Cheap Flat Brushes
These super cheap golden taklon brushes are great for laying down large water washes. They come in a two-pack and are pretty basic, but they do hold water and they are nice and soft and I am happy with the quality for the price!
Crayons & Pencils
Caran D'Ache Neocolor II
I really love the versatility of these wax-based water-soluble pastels/crayons, I use them mostly without water activating them because they have such a soft and buttery texture and are great to work with for laying over other media. But when you activate them with water they dissolve easily and almost entirely, just wonderful.
Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils
These pencils are wonderful for layering and adding texture. I do use them without activation because I just love their soft and smooth application, and it allows me the flexibility of changing my mind and activating them later. They have a huge range of colors, I have only a couple open stock, but they are great!
Pens
Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen
This is a very reasonably priced entry level fountain pen that I am loving! I have been using it for urban sketching ink & wash and it is so easy to use. I also bought some waterproof ink cartridges too.
❊ My Video on the Platinum Preppy
❊ Platinum Preppy @ Amazon
❊ Platinum Carbon Cartridge @ Amazon
Sailor Fude De Mannen
This is a very reasonably priced interesting bent nib fountain pen that is dynamic to work with. You cant get a great range of thin to thick lines with this pen depending on the angle you use. Great for urban sketching
❊ My Video on the Sailor Fude
❊ Green Sailor Fude @ Amazon
❊ Pink Sailor Fude @ Amazon
Sakura Pigma Microns
I love the fact that these are waterproof once let to dry for a couple of minutes. I use them for drawing and hatching, I have also killed a few with overzealous stippling, so take care, they are kinda fragile. I like the 0.3 and the brush one the most.
White Gel Pen
The Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen is probably my favorite white gel pen. These are great to go back in and add highlights over watercolor and other mediums.
Ceramic Palettes
Ceramic Stackable Palette
I love being able to hold one of these little dishes in my hand whilst painting at my desk, it just makes you feel so connected to the paint, weird I know 🙂 They are super and handy and you can stack them to protect the leftover paint from dust.
Ceramic Tray and Dishes
I have found the best flat serving dishes and bathroom toiletries ceramic trays at Diaso Japan! They are usually under $3 and work great as a big flat palette. I found a couple of different types, but the best one was in the toothbrush aisle!
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