Watercolor Experts -- HELP!!

[Bichon Barb]

I signed up for a watercolor class which starts Monday. I took the supply list to Michaels and was lost. Can you help me? Here is my list:

#6 or #8 round watercolor bush (got a #6 Grumbacher Golden Edge)

1" flat watercolor brush (got a 1" Grumbacher Golden Edge)

Palette or similar large mixing tray (got a 10 well large palette)

(got the tube colors she recommended)

several sheets 140# cold pressed Arches or a water color block
(This one I'm really lost on. I saw 140# cold pressed Arches on big posterboard-sized sheets and I saw different sized sketchbooks with 140# cold pressed Arches.)

Other supplies: (can handle these)

I could e-mail her, but I wanted to get this done today. Any help you could give would be most appreciated.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Michaels is a good place to start. They also have 40% off coupons in the paper, atleast around here.

You probably don't want water color paper that is too big, or expensive to start out with. I'm not sure of the numbers.

What you have now sounds okay. I'm sure they will tell you at your first class if you need more stuff!

Have fun!

I've been doing watercolor for years! It's one of my afvorite mediums!

 

[cheeringmom]

Can't help ya Barb. I'm artsie challenged but thought I'd give ya a bump

 

[Lisa F]

I'm not sure what you're asking... are you asking what a watercolor block is? A watercolor block looks like a pad of paper that has the "gum" that holds the pad together on all 4 sides. You do your watercolor on it and it keeps the paper from curling up while you are working and when it is dry, you cut it off the block. Even very heavy watercolor paper will curl and buckle a bit when you put that much water on it.

Cold pressed paper is the more highly textured stuff, hot pressed paper is very smooth watercolor paper. Cold pressed is much easier to work on because the texture keeps the water from going all over the place and gives you more control. With hot pressed the surface is so smooth that it's difficult to control. The 140# part is how heavy the paper is, the higher the number, the thicker the paper (and also, you guessed it, less likely to buckle... with watercolors it's all about controlling the water on the paper).

When I do watercolors, I soak the paper with clear water and put it down on a board and staple it all around with a staplegun about 1 inch apart. When the paper dries, it shrinks and stretches and gives you a nice smooth surface to work on that will be less likely to buckle. A watercolor block does this naturally as all 4 edges are secured to the block and it's prestretched. You might have better luck finding one at an art supply store as opposed to a craft store. Here's a link to what it will look like:

Arches Watercolor Block

Also, if you are asking about brushes, be sure to get brushes that are meant for watercolors as opposed to other types of paints. I think natural hair is much better than synthetic, natural will be red sable for smaller brushes and believe it or not, the preferred for larger brushes is squirrel hair.

As far as a palatte goes, I never use one so I can't help you there. I tend to do very large architectural drawings and I mix my colors in diposable ziplock containers that can be resealed and a typical drawing will have many layers of meticulous washes that need to dry between layers. I'm sure what you will be doing wll be a bit more freeform and you won't need to keep your colors.

Does that help?

 

[Bichon Barb]

Thanks Lisa, you answered my question. I get the whole "block" thing now.

And the curling explains why masking tape was on the list.

Anyway, I sent the instructor an e-mail asking what size paper she'd like me to buy. I'll just have to go out this weekend, after I receive her response, to buy it.

This should be a fun class!