Art Supplies - FAQ part 4

Hello dear readers! The frequently asked question that I will be answering today is about the art supplies that I use. I made a post a while back on IG that described this a bit, but since it was a picture description I couldn't be very specific. So here it goes again, a bit more detailed. I also want to clarify, in case someone's wondering, that I'm not being sponsored by ANY brand—I wish!—these comments and recommendations are completely based in my experiences over the past year.

I'm using a drawing I made for #IFDrawAWeek a while ago to illustrate some of this. So let's start from te top left corner!

Masking fluid

This is a removable liquid mask that you can use on the paper to protect it from the pigment while you paint. If this sounds a bit complicated, you can see a demo I made a while ago on how to use it, here.

My favorite brand—and the one I use on this tutorial—is Winsor and Newton. Keep in mind that you need to have some cheap or old brushes to use it. Even if you follow the steps I explain on this demo, the brush will eventually get damaged by the liquid.

Watercolor Brushes

I didn't know ho much a good brush mattered, until I tried one and saw the difference. My favorites right now are the Simply Simmons. I have a 6, a 10 and a 14 and they cover everything I need at the moment. To paint small details I use a Princeton Snap! brush size 0 and a 0/2. Both brands are not expensive and you can find them in most art supplies.

Water brushes

I really like the Pentel Aquash, but I also love the Koi's Water Brushes. I used them a lot for a while, but haven't been using them a lot lately. These are perfect to paint on the go though.

Simple brushes

If you like to experiment with different mediums—like the masking fluid I talked about earlier—you need to have several cheap brushes that you won't cry over if they get damaged. The ones I use are mostly Craft Smart & Contemporary Crafts, but you can use any cheap brushes you can find.

Colored Gelly pens

I loooove Sakura Gelly Rolls! However, if you're new to them, there's so much variety that you may not know which ones to buy. If you're looking to color accents with texture to your drawings, I recommend the Glaze. If you want to draw on top of dark backgrounds, you can use the Souffle or the Moonlight. The Souffles have a pastel finish to them, while the Moonlights dry brighter on top of any surface. Fine Liners

Microns, those are simply the best fine liners! My favorites are the .02, .03 & .05. White gelly pens

I've found that the Uni-ball Signo Broad pens give the whitest white on top of any surface. However, the tip is not very fine. If you'd like to add details, you can try out the Sakura's white gelly roll—it has to be the Souffle or the Classic Gelly Roll kind though. Pencils

Sometimes I use pencils to sketch out what I'll be painting. I really like the Prismacolor Scholar set, they're cheap and have amazing quality.

*TIP: sketch out with the softest pencils first—the 2B or the HB. After you're done, trace on top of it with a 2H and proceed to erase the lines. The lines done with the soft tips will disappear and you'll only have a soft line from the 2H left as a guide.

Watercolor Pan Sets

My favorites are the Kuretake Gansai Tambi and the Koi Watercolor Travel Set. I like the buttery feeling of the Kuretakes and the very bright colors of the Koi set. Sketchbook

I've used several brands that work. If you're only going to sketch on them, most sketchbooks will do the trick. Right now I'm using a Canson Mixed Media Journal. I use the mixed media in case I want to add some ink or a light watercolor wash afterwards and I love journals because the allow you to paint/draw on both sides of the page.

Watercolor Paper

I have a few favorites, depending on what I'm doing. I have to clarify that I haven't used the expensive ones yet, these comments are based on the one's I've been able to buy while painting on a budget!

To practice I love the Strathmore's 200 series. For paintings with moderate amounts of water I like Strathmore's 300 series and the Canson XL Watercolor Pad. For paintings that need a considerable amount of water, I like Strathmore's 400 series and Canson Montval artist series.

I've never had the need to stretch out the paper before I paint. But if you feel like experimenting, that may work on the cheaper ones if you're painting with more water.

Water Container

I just wanted to include the cool Mason Jar I took from my mom's kitchen and use as my water container on the drawing. 😂

You can go ahead and use anything, as long as it holds water. Really.

Artist's Tape

If you need clean edges or to temporary tape something together, this is the way to go. It won't damage your paper and prevents the ink from staining the paper.

For example, I used artist's tape to make the edges on this drawing. It is also the tape I use to make the handmade tiles for some repeat patterns, like this one.

Scanner

This is a question I get asked a lot. The scanner I'm using is an Epson Perfection V37 and it's been perfect for what I need so far. Maybe I'll get a more expensive one in the future, but right now, there's no need.

Hope this information gives you some guidance if you were having questions about the supplies you need—or were just curious about the one's I'm using!

I believe this is the last post of the FAQs for now. If I'm missing a question that you'd like me to answer, please don't be shy and let me know.

Have a lovely day!

Love,

JessieAmo

#faq #100patternsbyjessieamo