A list of materials
Which pen do I use?
The most asked question I receive is which pen do I use. I sketch mostly with waterproof fineliners.
One of my favorite fineliners is Sakura's Pigma Micron, but there are many options in the market.
You could try as well fineliners from Staedtler,
Uni-Pinor Faber-Castell.
The most important is that you choose a water resistant one, so after you apply watercolors, the ink won't bleed.
The brands I mentioned above offer pack of fineliners with different tip sizes. For beginners I always recommend choosing a pack with few different tips. Only by trying you can find out which one you like most. I usually sketch with mid-size-tip like 0,4 or 0,5mm. When the sketch is smaller or when I want to make it look lighter, I use 0,1 or 0,2mm tip. For adding extra contrast, I use 0,8mm tip.
The brands I mentioned above offer pack of fineliners with different tip sizes. For beginners I always recommend choosing a pack with few different tips. Only by trying you can find out which one you like most. I usually sketch with mid-size-tip like 0,4 or 0,5mm. When the sketch is smaller or when I want to make it look lighter, I use 0,1 or 0,2mm tip. For adding extra contrast, I use 0,8mm tip.
Which paper do I use?
A paper can definitely make a difference! Having a good watercolor paper is really important. In my opinion,
the most common mistake beginners usually do is to try to paint on non "friendly" watercolor paper.
There are 3 different textures for watercolor paper available: rough, hot-pressed and cold-pressed.
My choice is slightly textured cold-pressed paper.
I love cotton papers; they don't buckle when you use lots of water or tear when you try to lift the paint.
I strongly recommend paper with grammage above 200g/m2.
My favorite paper is Hahnemühle Expression cold pressed or for more demanding works Hahnemühle The Collection cold pressed. I also like Arches cold pressed watercolor paper. You can find in different sizes. Similar to A4 or bigger. There are several other more affordable brands.
My favorite paper is Hahnemühle Expression cold pressed or for more demanding works Hahnemühle The Collection cold pressed. I also like Arches cold pressed watercolor paper. You can find in different sizes. Similar to A4 or bigger. There are several other more affordable brands.
Which type of brushes do I use?
There are basically 2 types of brushes you can get:
synthetic and animal hair.
Brushes made from animal hair (e.g. squirrels) are usually more expensive than synthetic ones.
The natural hairs have little scales on them which hold more water, and they are also very soft and delicate.
The main difference is that natural brushes seem to retain the moisture for longer time.
I really like to use the brushes from a German brand Da Vinci. One of my favorites is Cosmotop-Mix B wash brush, made from a mix of natural hair and synthetic fibers. I also like simple synthetic brushes that you can find in any art supply shop.
I really like to use the brushes from a German brand Da Vinci. One of my favorites is Cosmotop-Mix B wash brush, made from a mix of natural hair and synthetic fibers. I also like simple synthetic brushes that you can find in any art supply shop.
