Class Supply List
CLSC - Cloudscapes in Watercolor - Adam Adkison
Hi everyone, here are some things I wanted to pass along.
Paper:
Paper is the number one hindrance to watercolor. Arches paper is the only paper I've found that reliably performs. I could use other paints, other paintbrushes and still create good paintings, but without very good paper it just doesn't work. Arches brand 140 lb cold press paper is ideal. I buy them in a pack of 5 - 22x30 sheets, about $40 at Blick. Buy the large sheets, fold them in half, and in half again to get smaller sheets, these are much more cost efficient than the blocks they sell. You do need a substrate to tape them to. I recommend gatorboard which are lightweight, durable and easy to cut to size. Wood panels work as well. If you’d rather have them precut, this 20 pack of Arches on Amazon might suit your needs better and comes already attached to a backing board..
Colors:
- Ultramarine blue
- Alizarin Crimson Permanent / Quinacridone Rose
- NIckel Azo Yellow (QOR brand)
- A Phthalo blue (green shade) is occasionally useful as well.
These are the colors I use generally, both in teaching and in general painting. If you have other colors and want to use those, that's fine. If you want to get a full set of good colors this set by QOR brand has some excellent colors that are reasonably priced.
Palette:
Ceramic palettes are the best I've found. On plastic (and some metal palettes) the water beads up, not allowing you to see the strength of your washes, which is important in watercolor. Here's one that you might consider.
Brushes
Rosemary company in the UK makes excellent brushes for reasonable prices.
I use a #8 and a #10 round, a larger brush: 3⁄4” or 1” for spreading large amounts of water, and a 30mm hake.
If you want to just get a set, this one is a nice one (hake sold separate)
Misc
- light tan masking tape - (no colored tape - can cause color/value errors) I use a lot so this 10-pack works for me
- ruler - I like a clear plastic one so I can see where I’m placing it.
- backing board - something to tape your loose sheets of watercolor paper to. Gatorboard is lightweight and very sturdy.
- Paper Towels - viva brand are good quality
The color chart.
I recommend making color charts. It will help you see how colors are mixed. Any three primaries will work (blue, red, yellow), it's to see how those particular colors interact and what colors they create.
In each of the five squares, you start with purest tint at the top and going down, add more water until it's just a
step above the white of the paper at the end.
Here are a couple videos I made to guide you.
If you haven’t mixed colors or are having trouble I really recommend making your own charts. Set aside an
hour or so for each, it's very helpful.
If you have questions please feel free to reach out.
Adam Adkison
studio@adamadkison.com