Tools of the Trade: Paint
As we head into the summer break, I thought it would be a good time to share some of my favourite painting materials to use...perhaps you'll have a go at some painting over the summer...I hope so!
As always, the products I mention here are simply my personal recommendations – I have absolutely no affiliation with any of them, but they have all worked well for me.
I mostly work in watercolour but do use some special paints for detail and embellishment. I have an ancient set of Daler-Rowney watercolour paints from waaaay back in time, when I was at school myself, which I use in conjunction with the Reeves watercolour tins that are workshop staples. (My Daler-Rowney set doesn't have black, for a start...I know a lot of people say never use black watercolour...I disagree, but that's for another post!) It's also embarrassingly mucky but still works for me.
The Reeves colours are easy to blend, the pan size is practical for children and adults alike and it's an affordable set. Just be aware if ordering online, there is a very similar looking watercolour set in the same red tin but with brand name 'Major Brushes' – avoid this at all costs! The colours are weak and chalky – very disappointing. The genuine Reeves tins are quite hard to come by now, so I'm clinging on to my originals for as long as possible.
Metallic acrylic or gouache works beautifully layered up with watercolour, either used 'neat' for intense metallic details or mixed with water for a shimmering wash. Two of my favourite types are Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache and Jacquard Lumiere Acrylics (Halo and Jewel colours), which you can buy in a reasonably priced set of 9 small bottles. Such a small amount is needed that the bottles last a long time as well.
Having shied away from acrylic paint for many years, as I didn't feel that it's heavy, opaque feel suited me, I began to experiment with it a while ago and grew to really enjoy using it. Now, I often blend watered-down acrylic paint with watercolour when I need to boost the vibrancy or create some additional depth and texture.
I have found the Kolor Kingdom to be a very reasonably priced set with a good range of colours. It's also perhaps worth investing in a good all-round larger bottle of white acrylic paint, which you can blend into other colours to create chalkier effects, tints and pastels.
These paints work wonderfully on ceramics, as I found when I ran some plant pot painting sessions earlier this year!
- Make sure you wash your brushes / surfaces swiftly afterwards, as once it's dry, acrylic paint is very difficult to remove
- If it starts to get 'claggy' (Geordie word alert!), add a little water to help the pigment flow. This is especially useful for fine detail...I used to think that acrylic paint was not for me as I struggled with achieving fine detail. It turns out I just needed to allow it to flow more smoothly
- Don't be afraid to just go for it with acrylic paint, as you can layer up light on dark, dark on light and constantly change up your painting. You can even paint over the whole thing if it all goes drastically wrong!
Lion, courtesy of my workshop guest
Finally, a little gem I recently discovered is the acrylic paint pen! Posca paint markers are wonderful, but SO expensive and because of that, it's hard to have a wide range of colours at your disposal unless you want to pay big bucks. I can highly recommend Bonala dual tip acrylic paint pens as a more economical alternative – a wonderful range of 50 colours, with both brush and marker style tips.
Again, these also work brilliantly on ceramics, giving you the control and capacity for detail of a pen with the coverage of acrylic paint.
I can confirm that the plants in the pots above are sadly no longer alive (blame the London summer!), but the paint is still going strong!
Have fun experimenting with the wonderful world of paint and find what works best for you. Good luck!