Adult Watercolor Workshop Supply List

I’m looking forward to our upcoming workshop May 24th & 25th at the White Crow Conservatory in Saginaw.  Here is a list of supplies I will be using.  Please do not feel that you need to purchase any or all of them.  If you’ve been painting for a while, you probably have some of your own favorites.  (If you’re new to watercolor, be sure you have the basics: 140# paper, the 3 starred paints below , and what you can of the “Other Important supplies”).

PAPER – I use 140 # cold press paper (usually Windsor & Newton or Arches) stapled to homasote or ‘Gator’ board or taped down to a piece of foam-core, masonite, plywood, or other support.  We will be using 1/8, ¼ and ½ sheets so one sheet 22” x 30” and some old scraps for experiments should do it. 

BRUSHES – For washes I usually use a 1 ½” Golden Edge by Grumbacher (Robt. Simons has the same size brush called a Skyflow), a 1” flat Aquarelle (Grumbacher 6142 - mine is 35 years old), a lot of my brushwork is done with a # 12 sable round and a #8 synthetic, I use a small stiff-bristled brush for wipe-outs (Fitch Scrubbers) and a #2 rigger for flicking in branches and grasses. 

PAINTS – Most of the paints I’ll be using are artist’s quality tube watercolors by DaVinci, Daniel Smith or Windsor & Newton. My palate is a round Steven Quiller plastic palate with a lid, which keeps me aware of the relationships between colors.  (You could use a plain white china plate, butcher’s tray or any palate you prefer.) 

My Palette:

Cobalt Blue *  
Ultramarine Blue
Viridian (Thalo Green Deep)
Permanent Magenta
Permanent Rose*
New Gamboge
Aureolin Yellow*
Windsor Red
Quinacridone Gold
Thalo Blue
Cobalt Violet

(If I could only choose 3 colors, they would be the ones with stars (these colors do not stain the paper and can be lifted or erased, while still giving you all the colors of the rainbow when mixed), although I’d dearly miss the rest of them . . . if all of this is just too expensive, get Renzetti or Van Gogh tubes, they are STUDENT grade (the color is just not as strong and will not go as far, but at least you can see if you like watercolor!) 

***OTHER IMPORTANT SUPPLIES – Sketch book, 2B and HB pencils, a soft eraser, Masking Fluid (a small old brush for use with masking fluid & just a tiny bit of dish detergent for keeping your brush healthy), artist’s tape or masking tape, a rigid support to tape or staple your paper down upon, a little bit of coarse salt, wax paper, plastic wrap, Tissues, an old hand towel or paper toweling, palate knife, spray bottle (like the kind for hairspray or windex), sponges (small flat celluloid ones –kitchen sponges- for cleaning out your mixing area and natural ones for stamping on paper), 2 water containers (I use 2 cool-whip or cottage cheese containers) and a water bottle for drinking and carrying your water.   

REFERENCE MATERIAL – Please bring references that appeal to you . . .sketches or photos that interest you.  I’d love to see something that you’ve done! Mostly bring a sense of adventure, the wonder of a child and a good sense of humor to deal with our results!!! See you soon!  Judy 

For questions or comments, my phone number is (715) 793-4709 or you can Email Me

(to download a printable copy of this poster in .pdf form, click here)