#IM SORRY MY PALETTE IS SO GROSS IT LITERALLY HAS MY HAIR STUCK IN IT

[acetechne]

I really love your art! While both mediums that you used are amazing I am fascinated by your traditional art! I was wondering what supplies do you use? I think you watercolour for colouring instead of gouache since it looks much thinner but I could be wrong.

Hi there! I’m so glad you like it :D

I’ve been neglecting traditional art a lot since I’ve moved all around the country in the past three years, so some pieces might look vastly different than others because I have access to different spaces and materials at different times. Tbh, I reaLLLY would like to get some gouache, it’s just that I have been living out of a suitcase while I was in school and wasn’t able to get any ;;

The Secret

GENERALLY however........... my secret is that I’ve been using the same watercolour palette I’ve had since high school :’ ) and I dont know what brand it is because the transparent lid literally fell off and vanished ages ago, it was something that my art teacher had picked out.

(As you can see, my yellow is almost completely gone which is a Huge Problem because I use yellow as a base for a lot of things Especially skin tones. It’s great to have other colours, but a lot of art i do relies on just mixing the three primary colours.)

Most watercolour art I do is using this palette, like this or this or this. Since I brought it with me while I was studying in Toronto, nearly all of the art I’ve done in the past three years with some exceptions has been done with this old boi. I wish I knew what it was because I’m going to have to replace it eventually... I’m back home now so if the art stores here still carry it, I can investigate.

(THIS GOT LONG SO I HAVE SOME MORE SUPPLIES AND RELATED THOUGHTS UNDER THE CUT) (feel free to ask for clarification on anything) (And if you ever need watercolour tips I cannot recommend Watercolour by Shibasaki enough, the man is a god, LISTEN to when he says to use a Big Brush he Means it)

Pricier Stuff

The great thing about watercolour is it’s a cheap and highly accessible medium. If you want strong pigments that last for years, by all means please get something a little pricier. I use a Sakura Koi field set for painting outside or in cafes, like this, this or this or even doing comics like this. Although its great for small paintings, a lot of stuff I do with these tends to turn out a bit washed out because I’m Afraid of using too much pigment which I have to get over. Also, Daniel Smith gives you rich, buttery colours and you don’t need very many tubes to get a gorgeous range of colours and you can even get a “dot card” which is like a little paper palette with a few smears of paint on it for a more affordable price. My tubes have been in storage until just a few weeks ago, so I don’t really have many examples of using them... but I think I used them here. (I even had some dried up paint on my palette when i got back and used it for this and look how rich and vibrant that blue is after sitting dried up in storage for three years).

The Secret... Part Two

However like i said, the brilliant thing about watercolour is its affordability and accessibility. Whether you prefer tubes or pans, you’ll probably find something in your price range thats easy to use and gets you the results you want as long as you practice. I have a set of Staedtler student watercolour tubes I haven’t used much yet that I picked up on a student sale ages ago (art stores, especially ones near art schools, sometimes have discounts for students of all ages at the start of the school year). But you know, if you just want to add a pop of colour to a page in your sketchbook and you’re not too worried about something fading, use that old crayola set from kindergarten! I mean it! If you have one around, dig it up and play with it. This is Crayola, and so is this and this and this! Kids paint works a little differently than other paints (and it fades like HELL if you leave it in the sun, so dont hang it on your wall too long), but it’s great for confidence boosting and livening up your sketches (or drawing attention away from sketches you dont want people looking at lol)

PAPER!!!!!!!!!!

You can get away with using dollar store paints to make good watercolour. You can’t get away with using copy paper. If you have to spend money somewhere, spend it on good paper.

Great news: Canson XL Mixed Media sketchbooks are cheap, come in all different sizes, AND THEY ARE AWESOME!!!! There are haters out there (including Quatsch, who much prefers the Strathmore Soft Covered Art Journal). The paper crinkles because it’s not as durable as Actual watercolour paper, but its fantastic for practicing and putting a light wash on other types of drawings. I love it.

Other stuff I use

- INK: Most of my inking has been done with Staedtler Fineliners. These are good quality pens, especially for technical drawing, because you can paint over them no problem, they dont get mutilated by erasing, and they draw crisp straight lines. However, they don’t angle or turn corners super naturally like a Fabercastell might, even if they are more durable and leave stronger marks. I only just started using Sakura Microns (which I’ve coveted for a long time) and as long as you are gentle with them, I think they’re the best of both worlds.

- TEXTURE: You’ll notice a lot of my art has pencil crayon (CoLoReD PEnCiLs, sorry Americans) on top because i like to beef up the colour and detail. You can use pretty much any kind for this, but I use Laurentians which sadly are no longer produced even though they were THE staple, default pencil crayon brand for Decades in Canadian schools. If you’re lucky enough to find any, hold on to them!

- WHITE: Uniball signo white gel pen babyyyyyyyy

- BRUSHES: I don’t... know, i got my acrylic brushes from high school and I just pick up a watercolour brush or four whenever I feel the need, you can’t really go wrong here. I use waterbrushes for travel which are good as long as you keep them clean (because stagnant water Will go mouldy so don’t leave it in there)

- OTHER: When I get tea from a take out place I sometimes save a paper cup or two and wash them out after i finish, they’re handy for water. I also use glass jars for pesto that I’ve cleaned out because the lids make them easier to sneak into school xD Use one for clean water and one for dirty water P L ea Se

GO FORTH AND CREATE!!!!!!!! Especially now that there’s more hours of sunlight, it’s night to sit outside or in a window and do some painting.