Choosing a Palette
Laying out my palette
My first thought for this project is supplies. Do I need anything I don’t usually have? Do I want to do things differently? Recently, I read Hazel Soan’s book The Art of the Limited Palette ( https://a.co/d/2VArGQl ) and was really inspired by her use of 3 or 4 colors to accomplish a beautiful variety of tones, colors and stunning work. I HIGHLY suggest this book if you are a beginner to watercolor. I wish I had found it years ago. That said, I LOVE using lots of colors!!! One look in my gallery will tell you that my style is colorful and detailed. How to meld the two? My decision boiled down to finding the colors that I could really utilize to create more colors and then incorporating some of my personal favorite colors to that palette. My favorite palette (https://www.dickblick.com/products/masterson-aqua-pro-watercolor-palette/ ) has room for 32 colors so I typically fill the pans with paint from tubes and let it dry. This time, I didn’t fill just in case I changed my mind on my choices. I also attempted to have a wide variety of colors that would fit into the Tonalist idea of using colors that are easy on the eyes: greens, purples, blues and greys. Tonalist painting is the goal here after all!
* The code for the brand I use is next to the color. DS=Daniel Smith WN=Winsor Newton MB=MaimeriBlu Dr=Daler Rowney HO=Holbein HA=Horadam Aquarell
** The links I provide, I’m not getting any kick back from. These are literally products I have, use and love and I’m trying to save you time if you want to have them too.
My Palette Choices
Starting in the top left corner:
Azo Yellow DS
Transparent Yellow MB
Quinacridone Gold DS
Greenish Yellow HO
Viridian DR/WN
Undersea Green DS
Deep Sap Green DS
Indigo MB
Indanthrene Blue WN
Cobalt Blue Deep WN
French Ultramarine WN
Cerulean Sky Blue MB
Cobalt Turquoise WN
Imperial Purple DS
Schmincke Violet HA
Lavender DS
Raw Sienna DS
Burnt Sienna DS
Burnt Umber DS
Van Dyke Brown DS
Payne’s Grey DS
Lunar Black DS
Neutral Tint MB
Alizarin Crimson DS
Pyrrol Scarlet DS
Permanent Red Light MB
Quinacridone Coral DS
Indian Red WN
Quinacridone Sienna DS
Perinone Orange DS
Transparent Orange DS
Indian Yellow WN
I also did a really deep dive into the pigments and all the good stuff that goes with these colors: transparency, stain, granulation, and temperature which you can see here. I don’t normally go this in depth, but because it’s a new project I figured what the heck. Honestly, it was really fun to do too.
If you are ever curious about pigments or need more information on pigments, you can check out this fantastic website https://artistpigments.org/. They have gone through the ardorous project of cataloging thousands of pigment from every maker for every medium. It’s really astonishing. Check them out. There is even a way for you to catalog YOUR pigments so if you are wondering “hey, do I have that color?'“ you will be able to look it up. It is a really great tool for watercolor addicts.
As far as paper goes, I will probably be using one of 2 papers MOST of the time. The paper I typically reach for is Fabriano Acquarello Artistico 100% Cotton Extra White 300g/m 140lb. I like both the texture, brightness, and the pricepoint. It isn’t the most expensive paper but it has a great quality to it. I prefer pads because I am too lazy for stretching and taping and frankly living in North Carolina it is super humid one day and dry as a bone the next and pads give me some consistency. I’ve also been using New York Central Art Supply 100% Cotton Watercolor Block 300lb cold pressed lately and love it. Once again, not the high price point of other papers but has the quality I’m looking for. I may use Arches from time to time, especially if I am looking for a paper with a rougher texture to it. Rarely will I use a hot pressed paper.
I’m going to be quite honest here. I have a lot of brushes. I have squirrel and synthetic, expensive and affordable. I am NOT a brush expert. I am still learning myself. My favorite brushes are probably the Princeton Velvetouch rounds and I’ve recently grabbed a few sets from Fuumuui. The Fuumuui take a few weeks to get in the mail, so long that you might forget you ordered them, but they are pretty nice brushes for the price, so if you are on a budget, check them out.
Now, let’s get painting!
