Watercolour tools I cannot paint without
Apart from the usual supplies that any artist cannot paint without, such as paint, paper, and brushes –there are a few other things that I simply cannot imagine painting without.
Many times I have shared my favourite brands of paper, watercolour paints, and colours in my books and guides, so this time I’m not going to repeat myself. I want to share my absolute must-haves that make my creative process smoother. So lets go!
Paper towel
I cannot imagine painting anything if I don’t have a paper towel nearby. There have been a few situations when I was painting outside and didn’t have one on hand, and boy did I suffer. This is one thing we should always have at home.
I use paper towels for wiping water from brush when I need better control, and also lifting pigment from a wet painting. I have tried the “magic eraser” sponge, but it doesn’t work as well for me, maybe I just haven’t found the best way of using it yet. For me personally, nothing beats a simple paper towel.
Spray bottle
Another thing I always have with me is a spray bottle. I use it when painting in the studio and take it everywhere with me.
Here are a few ways I use it.
Before starting to paint, I usually do a pencil sketch. At that stage I spray my watercolours and let them sit for a while and absorb the water while I work out the composition and shapes. When I’m ready to paint, the paints are already activated.
Another way I use it is to spray the paper in preparation for wet-on-wet painting. I find it covers the surface more evenly than wetting it with a brush (although I still use a brush for different effects).
And finally, spraying water over wet paint can create very soft colour gradients and a beautiful “disappearing edge” effect. In one of the exercises in my Wild Watercolours book, you can see a very soft, fluid effect achieved by spraying water over wet paint.
You don’t have to buy a spray bottle from art supplies store, mine is from a hair product and works just fine.
Kneaded eraser
A kneaded eraser is the best thing after sliced bread.
Jokes aside, I think it is the only acceptable eraser there is. Not only does it leave no mess, it lifts pencil marks very gently without damaging the paper.
Masking fluid
If you have been following me for some time, you have probably noticed that I love using masking fluid. For me it has been such a relief to be able to preserve white areas instead of carefully painting around them.
Brushstrokes in watercolour should be confident, and it is very visible when they are not. Trying to carefully follow the outline of an object can take away that swift hand gesture. Also, if the paper is student grade, it may dry before you manage to finish painting around the shape, leaving unwanted outlines.
Posca pens
I have been asked many times what I use to make white marks over watercolour.
White gel pens don’t work very well, and even white gouache sometimes gets absorbed too much by the previous layer, with the pigment almost “eaten up”.
Posca pens have been trusted friends of mine for a long time. I started by using just the white one, but gradually expanded to other colours that you simply cannot achieve with watercolours alone.
These are the things I cannot paint without. Even when I’m painting on the go, I take them with me everywhere, apart from masking fluid.
I do have a few things that I love specifically for travel, but that is a story for another time.
Happy painting,
Inga x