Holiday List for Artists
Every year I like to share new art supplies or art related items on this blog and in my newsletter. Here is my list for 2016. I have included links and prices whenever possible. Enjoy!
The first two items come from Etsy- my new favorite website for art supplies.
MasterView Artist's Viewfinder.
I love this viewfinder by artist Mary Marin. I have used it extensively throughout the year and find it is very practical and easy to to use. I especially like that each card represents a different ratio and the canvas sizes that fit that ratio are printed on each card. I use the little windows to make thumbnail sketches that represent the size I want work in. The viewfinder is $18.00. To read more about it and to purchase it click here
Using the MasterView Artist's Viewfinder in Fiesole. Italy.
5 Inch Square Handmade Watercolor Journal by Emerson Bindery
This would be a great gift for an artist friend or yourself! These little blank journals are beautifully crafted with 120lb cold press paper and perfect to carry around for quick sketching. They are reasonably priced at $12.00 each and you can choose what color thread you like for the binding. The journals are shipped quickly and wrapped so they would make a great gift. For more information and to order click here
Alphacolor Pastels (Florescent Colors) by Costello-Webber
I own lots of brands of pastels and my favorite for fluorescent bright colors are Alphacolor Pastels by Costello-Webber. Quite simply no other pastel is quite as bright and saturated as these fluorescent colors. They are a pastel that is often overlooked by professional painters because they are ridiculously cheap and sold through craft and office supplies stores. I was gifted a set of 24 assorted colors many years ago and fell in love with the selection of fluorescents within the set. They are perfect for painting the brilliant colors of sunsets or glazing color on to the cheek of a portrait. The set I own is considered "vintage" but can be found on Ebay or Etsy for around $15.00. You can also purchase a set of 12 flourescents from Dick Blick for around $11.00. To order from Dick Blick click here
I used the fluorescent orange, pink, and yellow to paint this sunset plein air.
Favorite Watercolor Brush for Fine Texture: Loew-Cornell Flora #10
Here are the variety of marks you can make with this brush
I discovered this brush this year and am delighted how it creates textures that look delicate and random, think of grasses, tree branches, and hair. It is meant to be used as a "one stroke" decorative brush for painting flower petals and leaves. I like to load it up with paint and then drag the tip different directions or roll the whole brush across the surface. Either way you get marks that look organic and natural. Below are a couple of paintings where I used this brush. Oddly they are not sold at many of the art supply websites but I found it on Amazon for $13.16.
Color Shapers
In Italy I purchased several flat silicone brushes that I use like a palette knife for oil painting. They do not sell that particular product here in the U.S. but Color Shapers are very similar. I use them to apply paint and to remove it. To apply paint I use the brush like a spatula and spread the paint on the surface like frosting. I also use it to remove paint by scraping away at the canvas without worrying about harming the canvas. For straight lines they are fantastic, I use the fine edge to either apply paint or take it away. I own 1, 2, and 3 inch wide firm brushes. I also own a selection of smaller ones that I use to remove paint from small areas. You can find Color Shapers at Jerry's Art Artarama
"Before Sunset" 5x7 Oil-The light roof edge you see on the barn was scraped out using a Color Shaper.
There is the list for 2016! Happy Painting and Happy Holidays to you!
