Would you like to use watercolors to color your drawings, but you hesitate to take the plunge for fear that it will be too complicated, that it takes too much material and that it costs too much? So, rest assured, because in reality you will need very little equipment and it exists at all prices.
Discover the different materials needed to get started:
1) Paint in cup or tube
Some will tell you that buckets will be easier to start watercolor, because there is a risk that the tubes will be misused. However, it is by making mistakes that we learn as we say! It’s really a matter of feeling.
The buckets are small hard blocks that need to be wet to be used. When laying on the paper, the paint will inevitably be transparent. Also, to make mixes you will have to use the cover of the color chart, which is messy.
For the tubes, you will need a additional pallet, in wood or plastic, as you see fit. You will put a third of hazelnut on your palette and you will also need to dampen your brush to use the paint. However, unlike buckets, you will be able to manage the intensity paint on the paper. In fact, the less water you apply, the more intense the paint will be, and therefore less transparent on the paper. In addition, the mixtures will be much easier to perform.
Credit: istock / galobovy
2) brushes
You will find brushes in shops or on the internet specific to watercolor made of synthetic hair. They will allow you to apply the paint more fluidly and without leaving traces. To start, choose a brush fairly wide round, a brush flat and a brush of precision for details. You will find them individually or in a pack. The important thing is to get to grips with the brushes and the necessary gestures to create pretty shapes.
Credit: istock / msk.nina
3) paper
Don’t skimp on the format: if you have a cutting mat and a small cutter, opt for a block XXL ! You will not be limited by your movements and you can cut your sheet to the desired size. Regarding the grammage, the ideal is to buy a paper of 300gr / m2 special watercolor so that the paint is well absorbed and prevent the paper from curling. If you take basic printer paper, the result will be completely different.
Credit: istock / sandsun
4) Other materials
Of course, you will certainly put your pencil drawing beforehand. However, note that you will not be able to erase it once your watercolor is applied. So remember to erase your drawing before, or to iron it with a felt-tip pen (or other) if you want to have outlines.
