My tools and materials

When I decided to paint in watercolors, the most difficult question I faced was which materials to use. The options that were available in the market were baffling. There were many types of papers, tons of paint manufacturers and the options available for brushes drove me crazy. Seeing all the choices, I was completely confused. I read about the materials online and searched which ones were most popular amongst the artists. Many of these products were not available in India and I had to order from online websites in the UK and US. It was a big hassle and costed me a lot of money, moreover a lot of materials specially brushes that I ordered were not good.

Fortunately now we get most of the good brands in India and its easy to procure quality materials for painting.

Before you read about the materials I use, I want to advise you to buy the best that you can afford. The quality of the materials that you use can make a huge difference in the quality of artwork that you are going to produce.

Paper

I have tried many papers like Saunders, Canson, Fabriano etc. but Arches 300 gsm cold pressed paper remains my favorite. Paper and painting surface is a very personal choice, what works for me might not work for you.

Arches is best for my kind of work and takes a lot of layers. I stretch my 300 gsm paper on a wooden board before painting. To stretch watercolor paper, I soak it in water for a few minutes. Then I place the wet paper on a board and staple it all over. The paper is left to dry overnight. I start my drawing on the dry and stretched arches paper, which now takes multiple wet washes without buckling. An absolute delight to paint on!

Brushes

In the beginning, I didn't know which brushes to use, the options available in the market left me puzzled. So I brought many brushes, especially those which had good online reviews . After a couple of years of hit and trial I decided that Silver black velvets are the best. These are a blend of natural squirrel hair and black synthetics which allow the brush to hold a large amount of color and release it with perfect control for watercolor. The brush maintains a fine point and is ideal for detailing. I use number 6, 8 and 10. For large washes I recommend a flat 1.5 inch silver black velvet. I also use a 3" hake brush for large paintings. I also have some Escoda and Davinci brushes which I rarely use.

Paints

Daniel Smith and Winsor and newton offer high quality and rich pigments.

I exclusively use only these two brands. There are other paint manufacturers in the market which provide a wide range of paints like Da Vinci, Mission Gold, Sennelier etc. Always buy artist quality pigments instead of student grade and always check the lightfast rating before using any paint on your paintings.

Palette

I have a foldable plastic palette which has all the colors that I frequently use. Apart from this I have small ceramic and melamine bowls for color mixing and these are very handy when I have to mix paints for large washes. I keep a round white plate to keep these small palettes arranged while painting.

Hope this information is useful. In case you have any queries regarding watercolor material please feel free to email me at barayashiva@gmail.com