The materials I use to create my paintings are very important in the success of my pieces. Over the years I’ve found the brands and types that I prefer best, and I tend to stick to them, although I do enjoy experimenting with different mediums and tools every now and then to see if there’s anything new (at least to me) that I’d like to start incorporating into my practice. There are five materials/tools that I use pretty much every time I create a painting. They are: watercolor paper, graphite pencils, fluid acrylics, synthetic watercolor and acrylic paint brushes, and sturdy wooden easels in a couple sizes.
I use 140lb Cold Press Fabriano Artistico Watercolor paper. I like the act that this brand doesn’t use animal based sizers (in the past I’ve used some watercolor papers that have had strange texture changes when a lot of water has been applied to the surface, and this paper does not do that), and the texture of the paper is subtle enough to add some visual interest to the paintings without taking away from the piece with more dramatic texture, like a rougher paper might do.
I buy my paper in a roll and cut it to fit the boards and surfaces I use to paint on. I like this flexibility, and it is more affordable than buying individual sheets of paper, which often don’t match the size that I would like to paint anyway.
When I am doing smaller pieces on the go I prefer to carry a selection of drawing pads and watercolor paper pads.
For pencils I use Derwent graphic pencils. Although I do have an assortment of pencils in my studio I most often use Derwent pencils. I like the quality of the lead, and they have a wide range of lead, from hard to soft.
I use my pencils for sketching and laying out the outline of the paintings. I generally use between 6H and 2H lead because they are hard and light enough to get the drawing down without becoming too dark and also causing smudges when I start painting.
When I paint, I almost exclusively use Golden Fluid Acrylics. I have been using fluid acrylics as my main medium for over 15 years. I love the range of colors and the quality of the paint. The main reason I chose fluid acrylics is because although I enjoy the way watercolors allow me to create subtle washes and use the essence of the water to create visual effects I wanted to e able to build layers on my painting without worrying about the colors washing out and bleeding together. I also like that the fluid acrylics can get opaque if I want them to. With fluid acrylics I can manipulate the paint to get effects like watercolors, but I can build layers longer without the integrity of the paint disappearing, and I get the slightly opaque qualities of the fluid acrylics.
I use an assortment of brushes, but the one I prefer are these Raphael watercolor brushes. Their bristles are a high quality, they hold paint and water well, and I can use them for washes and more opaque applications.
As a painter I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my easels. I use two easels often. One is large and is used primarily for my larger paintings. The other is a tabletop easel that I use for small works.
I like my large easel because it is easy to fold up and store when not in use. It is also sturdy and durable, which is important when working in large scale.
The small easel can hold pieces up to 9 x 12 and easily sits on a table. It has adjustable notches to push up and down the easel.
I also often use a small tabletop drafting table. Similar to the tabletop easel it can only do smaller paintings, up to approximately 18 x 24, but it is a well made and sturdy easel, and it really helps me when I have a smaller painting that I would rather have on a table than set up on my large easel.
There are of course other materials and tools I use to create my paintings, but these are the ones I use most often and would recommend as a necessity if you’d like to start painting with fluid acrylics. Beyond the paint the other materials can be used for any painting medium, and the drawing pencils can be used to create base layer drawings or finished pieces. They’re all high quality and yet also affordable, which is a priority for me as I work to expand my practice. I hope this list helps in case you were interested in these details or if you just want an idea of how I create my paintings.
