Watercolour Workshop - Amanda Brett Artist

Watercolour Workshop
Suggested Student Supply List
Paint
Student (8ml, $8ea) or Artist Quality (5ml)
TUBE paint
Pigment preferences to get started:
 Ultramarine Blue (warm)
 Cobalt Blue (cool)
 Alizarin Crimson (cool)
 Raw Sienna (warm)
 Burnt Sienna (warm)
 Winsor blue (red shade) (aka Intense Blue)
 Indian or cadmium yellow
Drawing Paper A3 spiral sketch pad or note pad
Palette
a simple white plastic palette with at least 4 large
mixing compartments, preferably with a lid or
folding ($5), OR a white dinner plate, bring
gladwrap to cover.
Spray Bottle
Any size, clean/cheap/empty from home to fill with
water (payless plastics 100ml $3)
Masking Tape
You’ll be able to mix every colour imaginable using
these pigments.
Approximately 1” wide, high or medium tack to tape
paper to board and divide paper up for exercises
I use Artist’s quality Winsor & Newton but
Cotmans is fine and cheaper to start with.
These paints will keep you painting for many
months and can be kept in storage for many
years.
Water Containers at least 1litre, white
Watercolour Paper
foam board 10mm 450mm x 350mm OR
gatorboard 10mm 450 x 350mm
X2 sheets Fabriano Artistico 300gsm cp sheet
760 x 560mm $14 each, cut into quarters
Watercolour paper is the main item where
substitutes will not do. Fabriano is the only paper
I recommend, if it is not available Bockingford is
a useful substitute for beginners.
Pencils 4b or 6B pencil, Craft Knife
Kneadable Putty Eraser and ruler
old tea towel and old hand towel, kitchen paper
small piece of flat kitchen sponge
natural sea sponge with tiny pores ($3)
Brushes
The best watercolour brushes are very soft
natural bristle but these synthetic brushes are
good substitutes. You can paint all your work
with just 3 brushes:
 Hake 2 inch ($8) make sure it has good
even bristles and no straggly bits OR
 Daler Rowney System 3 flat 2” ($35)
 Additional (optional)
½” ($10)
AND
 Daler Rowney Aquafine or Sapphire s85
size 14 round $33 (the biggest you can)
 size 4 round $10
ask for some water in-store and test the
round brushes to ensure they ‘point’ nicely.
This is only a suggested list
intended as the basic requirements
but feel free to
bring what you usually use.
Buy from Gordon Harris, Takapuna
Art Supplies or NZ Art Supplies and
ask for a student’s 10% discount
when you purchase.
Plein Air Watercolor Supply List
Primary Tube Colours
for clever clogs:
Brushes:
Daler Rowney system 3, 2” Flat
(or a 2” goat hair hake with even cut bristles)
Daler Rowney Sapphire #16 Round (ensure it
comes to a good point)
cadmium yellow
Alizarin Crimson
French Ultramarine
Watercolour Paper:
Fabriano artistico 300gsm, A3 block
Additional colours for
Not-so-clever clogs:
Miscellaneous:
rubbish Bags
bulldog Clips
big Umbrella
Sunscreen
Sun hat
Bug Spray
Rain coat or jacket
Indian yellow
Raw Sienna
Cobalt Blue
Burnt Sienna
Payne’s Grey
Phthalo blue
What I can’t paint plein air without:
Folding Palette
4B Drawing Pencil and sharpener
Sketch Pad
Kneadable Eraser
Easel/support of your choice
Water Container
Paper Towels
Water (for painting and drinking)
Backpack or easy carrybag
Folding stool or cushion
100ml water spray bottle
The key is to travel light and be totally ruthless
when selecting which of your gear you want to
take. You can get away with no more than 2
brushes (a large flat and a large pointy round).
If you want to be totally clever, bring only 3
pigments (primaries) and mix everything (see my
suggestion above). A folding palette for me is
essential as porcelain plates are too heavy and
This is only a suggested list intended as the
basic requirements but feel free to bring what
you usually use.
Buy from Gordon Harris, NZ Art
Supplies or Takapuna Art Supplies and
ask for a student’s 10% discount when
you purchase.
Email me with any queries:
[email protected]
www.amandabrett.net
require too much care. Blocks of paper are great
because your paper won’t fly away in the breeze
and you can leave out masking tape and easel/
support. When my blocks get down to 3 or 4
sheets, I keep them aside specifically for travel or
plein air painting. My wonderful Nikon camera is a
bit heavy but I love it so much I can’t bear to leave
it behind!!
See my plein air painting kit here
http://amandabrett.blogspot.co.nz
Warm up your Winter Blues
Watercolour Workshop
Suggested Student Supply List
Paint
Drawing A3 spiral sketch pad or note pad
TUBES ONLY Student (8ml, $8ea) or Artist Quality (5ml)
Palette a simple WHITE plastic palette with at least 4
This list is a starting point, it’s not necessary to get all mixing compartments, preferably with a lid or folding
($5), or a WHITE dinner plate.
of these colours, but just to give you some ideas.
Blues:
Cobalt blue
Cerulean Blue
Winsor Blue (aka Intense Blue)
French Ultramarine
Harmonious Colours:
Winsor (phthalo) violet
Winsor (phthalo) green
Cobalt turquoise
Phthalo turquoise
Contrast colours:
Cadmium yellow
Cadmium orange
Alizarin crimson
Quinacridone gold
Spray Bottle Any size, cheap/clean/empty from home to
fill with water (payless plastics 100ml $3)
Masking Tape Approximately 1” wide, high or medium
tack to tape paper to board and divide paper up for
exercises
Water Containers at least 1litre, white
Pencils 6B pencil, Craft Knife
Watercolour Paper
Kneadable Putty Eraser and ruler
X2 sheets Fabriano Artistico 300gsm cp sheet
760 x 560mm $14 each, cut into quarters
foamboard 10mm 450 x 350mm
Watercolour paper is the main item where substitutes
will not do. Fabriano is the only paper
old tea towel and old hand towel, kitchen paper
I recommend, if it is not available Bockingford
is a useful substitute for beginners.
natural sea sponge with tiny pores ($3)
Brushes
The best watercolour brushes are very soft natural
bristle but these synthetic brushes are good
substitutes. You can paint all your work with just 3
brushes:
 Hake 2 inch ($8) make sure it has good even
bristles and no straggly bits OR
 Daler Rowney System 3 flat 2” ($35)
 Additional (optional)
½” ($10)
AND
 Daler Rowney Aquafine or Sapphire s85
size 14 round $33 (the biggest you can) &
 size 4 round $10
ask for some water in-store and test the round
brushes to ensure they ‘point’ nicely.
This is a list of suggested items
but feel free to bring what
you usually use.
Buy from Gordon Harris, Takapuna Art
Supplies, Studio Art Supplies or NZ Art
Supplies and ask for a student’s
10% discount when you purchase.
Bring a blue item from home
Vases
Pots
Shirts (on a hanger)
Tea towels
Fruit bowl
Mugs
Cups and saucers
Shoes
Big flower
Jewellery
Blue paper bags
SPOTS, STRIPES
Wrapping paper (for a
blue backdrop)
Objet d’art
Teapot / coffee pot
Ornaments
Bottles / jug
Artists Retreat
5-6 October 2013
Student Supply List
Bring 2-3 project ideas along with your
research and reference material.
Paint:
Watercolour Paper:
Artist Quality preferable, whatever colours you
usually use will be fine
Bring several half sheets stretched:
TUBE paints only please.
My








‘go to’ palette consists of:
Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Alizarin Crimson
Raw Sienna
Burnt Sienna
Winsor blue (red shade)
Indian or cadmium yellow
Quinacridone Gold
Additional options:

Cadmium Red

Turquoise Green light

Paynes grey

Cadmium orange

Winsor Green
Fabriano Artistico 300gsm CP and Arches
Medium CP 300gsm are the only papers I
recommend for this level.
Also bring spare watercolour paper (bockingford
is useful) for exercises.
See my Tips and Tricks page for instructions
on stretching watercolour paper
I always paint with:
Drawing Paper loose paper or sketch pad
Palette - white only please
Spray Bottle - small, clean/cheap/empty from
home to fill with water (payless plastics 100ml
$3)
Masking Tape - 1” wide, high or medium tack
Brushes:
The best watercolour brushes are very soft
natural bristle but these synthetic brushes are
good substitutes. You can paint all your work
with just 3 brushes:
1. Hake 2 inch ($8) make sure it has good even
bristles and no straggly bits
2. Daler Rowney Aquafine af85 size 30 round
$30
3. Rigger or script liner $7
ask for some water in-store and test
the round brushes to ensure
they ‘point’ nicely.
Feel free to bring what
you usually use.
Water Containers at least 1litre, white
Pencils 6B pencil, Craft Knife
Putty Eraser, plastic eraser & ruler
old tea towel and old hand towel, kitchen paper
small piece of flat kitchen sponge
natural sea sponge with tiny pores ($3)
Buy from Gordon Harris, Takapuna
Art Supplies or NZ Art Supplies and
ask for a student’s 10% discount
when you purchase.
Watercolour Workshop
Beginners Student Supply List
ESSENTIALS
Paint
TUBE paint only please
Student (8ml, $8ea) or Artist Quality (5ml)
1. Winsor blue (red shade) (aka Intense Blue)
2. Indian yellow
3. Alizarin Crimson
4. Burnt Sienna
You’ll be able to mix every colour and tone
imaginable using these pigments.
Watercolour Paper
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Palette
a simple white plastic palette with at least 4 large
mixing compartments, preferably with a lid or
folding ($5), OR a white dinner plate, bring
gladwrap to cover.
Drawing Paper
A3 sketch pad (cheap) or loose a4 sheets
Spray Bottle
Small, clean/cheap/empty from home to fill with
water (payless plastics 100ml $3)
Masking Tape
1” wide, high or medium tack to tape paper to board
and divide paper up for exercises
Cheap substitutes will NOT do, Watercolour paper
is the most important element to learning and to
achieving a great watercolour painting. Fabriano is
the only paper I recommend, if it is not available
Langton or Bockingford (full sheets or A2 only) are
useful substitutes for beginners.
Water Containers at least 1litre, white
X2 sheets Fabriano Artistico 300gsm cp sheet
760 x 560mm $14 each
Kneadable Putty Eraser, plastic eraser and
ruler
Brushes
The best watercolour brushes are very soft
natural bristle but these synthetic brushes are
good substitutes. You can paint all your work
with just 3 brushes:
4. Hake 2 inch ($8) make sure it has good even
bristles and no straggly bits
5. Daler Rowney Aquafine af85 size 30 round
$30
6. Rigger or script liner $7
ask for some water in-store and test
the round brushes to ensure
they ‘point’ nicely.
Pencils 4b or 6B pencil, Craft Knife
foam board 10mm 450mm x 350mm
old tea towel and old hand towel, kitchen paper
new, flat kitchen sponge
natural sea sponge with tiny pores ($3)
Buy from Gordon Harris, Takapuna
Art Supplies or NZ Art Supplies and
ask for a student’s 10% discount
when you purchase.