Where Did I Put My Brush?!!

 This entry was originally posted on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

I am constantly losing my brushes. I put the big one down to use the little one. Then I put that one down to use a scrub brush. Then I go back to the big one and it has rolled somewhere under my painting or my palette or off the table. Ugh! I feel like I spend more time looking for my brushes than actually painting.

Then a friend suggested that I cut notches into the top of my water container. And viola! no more lost brushes! (That is if I remember to put it back into the notch).

Treatment of Brushes

 

This entry was originally posted on Friday,, January 13, 2012.

NEVER EVER LEAVE YOUR BRUSH IN WATER!

First of all, if you leave it in the water, the tip will bend or break.

Or the handle will become waterlogged and crack.

So you don't want to dry it standing up either.

The best way to dry your brush is to lay it flat and leave it flat in between washes. 

The Best Scrub Brush

 This entry was originally posted on Thursday, January 12, 2012.

Sometimes that hard edge is just too stubborn for the synthetic brush.

That is when the big gun needs to come out.

It is THE SCRUB BRUSH

(not to be confused with the soft synthetic scrub brush, of course)

Mine is similar to the Fritch Scrubber that is sold at art stores as a very special scrub brush.

 I once left my Fritch in the water and the handle cracked (oops!) then I lost it (probably on purpose),

then I found myself in Canada with no suppliers of Fritch Scrubbers. Oh no!

What to do?!!! I panicked!! Okay, not really cuz that would be breaking my third rule.

Instead I found a brush that was among my oil brushes but had never been used. It was a hog's hair bristle type brush. And I cut off the end and made it look like my Fritch Scrubber. Only I discovered that it worked better. Ha!

 So you don't need any special brand of brush. Any type of hard brush will work. Just cut off the tip and you can scrub away those little mistakes.

Soft Scrub Brush

 This entry was originally posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

Sometimes you want to soften an edge that has dried or lift a color just slightly. An old synthetic round watercolor brush works great for times such as these.

It is also good for mixing large puddles of paint and you don't want to ruin the tip on your beautiful, expensive kolinsky sable.

Brushes

 This entry was originally posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

I have tried many brushes over the years and I must say that a kolinsky sable brush is worth every penny.

They are more expensive but they keep their point longer than synthetic brushes.

Plus they lift paint better when doing wet in wet work (not to be confused with scrubbing).
My favorites are a #6 round and a #12 round.

Rough Paper

 This entry was originally posted on Monday, January 9, 2012.

Rough watercolor paper has the highest tooth. It is taken directly off a mould and not put through any cylinders.

It is great for drybrush techniques. I especially like it for plein air work when I want to capture texture more quickly.

Cold Press Paper

 This entry was originally posted on Sunday, January 8, 2012.

Cold press paper is the most common and most popular type of watercolor paper. Therefore, it is the easiest to find. It has more texture than the hot press paper.

Instead of being milled through hot cylinders, the paper is milled through cold cylinders so the fibers lay down slightly.

I prefer the cold press paper because I can get soft edges.

For instance, the following iris is done on cold press paper.

Notice the difference with the edges on the hot press and the cold press paper.

Hot Press Paper

 This entry was originally posted on Saturday, January 7, 2012.

There are different textures to watercolor paper.

These textures are usually called hot press, cold press, and rough.

Today I will tell you about hot press.

The texture is smooth. I like to think of it as if a hot iron has smoothed it out, which is basically what happens.
After the paper has been made, it is run through some hot cylinders to smooth it down.

It is beautiful but can be difficult to use. The paint seems to slip and slide over the surface more.

Some may enjoy this look. Others may find it more difficult to use.

It is great for more detail work and recently I discovered a common use for hot press paper.

It was brought to my attention that many botanical watercolor illustrations are done on hot press paper so I had to give it a try.

It is wonderful for creating hard lines. If this is the look you want, it is worth the investment.

 

Paper Weights

 

This entry was originally posted on Friday, January 6, 2012.

Watercolor paper comes in several different weights and you may wonder, what is that all about? That paper doesn't weigh that much!

Actually, it does. When it is first made, it is rolled onto a ream and weighed. So the 140lb paper was on a ream that weighed 140lbs. And so on and so forth. The ream is about 500 sheets of paper (22x30").

The most common weights are 90lb, 140lb, and 300lb.

When choosing which weight to use it is sometimes helpful to know what you want to paint.

 

 90lb paper doesn't absorb as much water and paint so the color is more vibrant. It best to do quick work that is a one time go with this paper. It doesn't hold up well with multiple washes. I don't usually use this paper because I do like to build up my color.
I use 140lb when I am traveling and for smaller paintings and studies (1/2 sheet or smaller).

300lb is used for my larger, more serious work (portraits) and for my poured watercolors. This is because it is more forgiving. I can wet and rewet many times and scrub away much easier. I am less likely to make a hole in it! And finally, I like the way it sits behind a mat. It just feels more substantial especially when it is a big piece. 

Watercolor Paper

This entry was originally posted on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

Now that you are mentally prepared to begin painting, there some more practical things to consider. One of which is choosing the right paper because having the right paper makes all the difference. There are many types of watercolor papers out there and most are different versions made by the same company.

But the most important thing you need to consider is that 
your watercolor paper is 100% cotton. 

You will have so much more success if it is. The paint flows easier and the paper doesn't buckle as much.

The paper that is not 100% cotton has a mixture of cotton and wood pulp.
So the paint doesn't flow. It just settles into the paper causing it to buckle and warp. Then all your color runs together and blooms start to happen where you don't want them. And finally, when you try to put more color on, it just lifts the color that is already there and you get mud.
Then you panic.
Or you throw your brush down and grumble that you were never meant to do watercolor.

So, please stick with the 100% cotton paper.