The Jackson’s sample pack wasn’t the only one I got in my Jackson’s order back in 2021. I also tried a super-cheap St. Cuthbert Paper Mill sampler, cheap mainly because the size of the paper is really small (7 unequally-sized cuts measuring roughly 5.5″ by 7″ or 8″.) Since this is a size I often paint in anyway, the smallness didn’t bother me, but I did get fewer chances to form an opinion than I would from my own cuts off a larger page. Still, here are my quick thoughts on each paper.
My Favorite Watercolor Paints by Brand
It’s all very well for me to do Color Spotlights identifying my favorite version of each color, but it can be hard to collate and use information when you’re standing in the watercolor aisle at the art store. Every shop seems to carry different brands. I’ll find myself with a rare chance to stock up on, say, Holbein open stock on sale, unable to remember which colors I actually preferred from Holbein. So I’ve made a list of my favorites by brand; and I thought I’d share it with you! Revised October 27, 2024.
Every Paper in Jackson’s Cold Press Paper Sampler
In April 2022, I purchased Jackson’s Cold Press Watercolor Sample Pack of 12, which contains 12 11″x15″ quarter-sheets of cold-pressed watercolor paper in a variety of brands and weights. It took me this long to sample them all, but I’m finally able to share my thoughts on every paper in the sample pack! Since I … Read more
Neon Palette III
Here’s one more run at improving the Neon Palette. This is fairy similar to my previous, Drawn to High Places-inspired Mark II, but this time I’ve divided the palette into two categories: The Colors Top Row – flat matte brights: Bottom Row – glowing transparent glazes: The Future of the Neon Palette…? Okay. Here’s where … Read more
Inspiration Mood Board: Themes
In a few different classes, I’ve had the assignment of making a mood board to inspire artwork. In Liz Steel’s Watercolour course, she suggested making a color mood board to get in touch with your favorite colors, and in Ruth Wilshaw’s Fantasy Landscapes in Watercolor and Gouache, she suggested a more general mood board of … Read more
Palette Profile: Sarah Burns
Sarah Burns is a Scotland-based landscape watercolor and gouache artist from whom I’ve learned a ton especially about gouache. She’s shared her palettes for each medium on Youtube, so I’m going to explore each of them!
Lessons from Ruth Wilshaw’s Classes
I recently took a pair of classes by Ruth Wilshaw on Domestika: Atmospheric Landscapes in Gouache and Fantasy Landscapes in Watercolor & Gouache. Without spoiling everything in the classes, I wanted to keep my notes on what was personally meaningful to me.
Single-Brand Watercolor Palette Ideas
I don’t typically limit my palette to one brand – I will use lots of colors from different brands – but I thought it would be a fun exercise to try to come up with the paints I would choose if I could come up with, say, a 12-color palette from any given brand.
Monthly Retrospective: May 2023
May is Warbler Month in Massachusetts – the best month of the year for birding because exciting birds are briefly traveling through on their northward migration, singing and carrying on. (There’s also a fall migration, but because it’s shorter and quiet, I rarely see anything.) I was excited about the birds I was seeing and … Read more
What’s the difference between Quinacridone Gold and Monte Amiata Natural Sienna?
This question has been asked to me multiple times, so I decided it’s time for a post!
