Paint and Pencils, Crows Nest, March
PAINT and PENCILS – Combining watercolours and colour pencils for a range of subjects.
Artists of Crows Nest Inc.
Crows Nest Community Centre
March 19-20, 2022
Watercolours and colour pencils are a perfect match. This workshop will explore how to use them together in individual ways, while working with a variety of different subjects and styles. “Failed’ watercolour paintings can be improved with the addition of pencils or they can be used simultaneously as a mixed-media artwork. Be surprised by the range of surfaces compatible with using these mediums together.
Techniques with aquarelle (water-soluble colour pencils) will also be covered. It’s quite rare to find workshops with these pencils, but students will learn many tips on how to get professional results.
Some basic experience with watercolour is essential, but newcomers to colour pencil art are welcome.
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Watercolour supplies: Paint - a range of professional quality watercolours in your preferred brand. (Please don’t compromise on quality!) Alternatively, 3 primary colours will suffice eg. MaimeriBlu: Primary Yellow, Primary Red Magenta and Primary Blue Cyan or Holbein: Permanent Yellow Light, Quinacridone Red and Phthalo Blue Yellow Shade or Daniel Smith: Hansa Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Rose and Phthalo Blue Green Shade.
Watercolour brushes in a variety of sizes. Include a hake or mop brush for large areas.
Paper –You will require 300gsm watercolour paper in Medium (Cold Pressed) or Smooth (Hot Pressed). My recommendation is to buy a watercolour block as the paper is already stretched. ¼ or ½ sheet size is fine. (About A4 –A3) Quality brands are Arches, Saunders Waterford or Fabriano. Student quality paper just doesn’t work well. Make sure the paper is 100% Cotton. OPTIONAL: Wood boards: These are made like a canvas but from birch wood.
Palette – The large plastic palettes with lots of wells and a lid are my recommendation. Make sure it has a large enough mixing area.
Board –Larger than your paper and something to prop up under one end for working at an angle. It needs to be perfectly smooth for using with colour pencils.
Other Necessities – Drawing equipment (pencils, kneadable eraser, ruler etc, plus pen and paper for taking notes), 1 sheet of graphite transfer paper (not carbon paper), an old towel or hand towel, tissues, 2 plastic containers for water, and masking tape. A medicine dropper or plastic pipette for squirting small amounts of water would also be handy.
Colour Pencil supplies: Pencils - Bring as large a range as possible of either aquarelle (water soluble pencils), or other non-aquarelle pencils if you already own them. Suggested aquarelle brands are Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils, or Caran D’Ache Supracolor or Prismacolor Premier Watercolor or Cretacolor Aqua Monolith.
Other non-aquarelle choices are Prismacolor, Faber-Castell Polychromos, Derwent Coloursoft and any other professional brand. If you have a large selection of pencils that are water-soluble, you can use them for all ‘dry’ techniques and won’t need to purchase the other non-aquarelle type.
Sharpener – I highly recommend the desk-type rotary sharpeners. They cost about $40-$50, but are well worth the expense. Available from some art stores, Officeworks and other stationers. Derwent makes a cheaper one that works well. Otherwise, the small, all metal sharpeners will do. Buy the pencils first and then check that they will fit the holes in the sharpener. (The Derwent Artist Pencils, for example, will not fit all sharpeners.) I will bring 3 of mine to share.
New soft- bristle brush – 2” wide or larger. For brushing away pencil crumbs. This is to be kept separate from your watercolour brushes.
Eraser – I’ve found the only tool that can remove colour pencil effectively is an electric eraser. Battery operated ones are available by Derwent, Kent, or Mont Marte from some discount stores or other ones from Smiggle stores. I will bring some to share.
A ‘dud’ photograph or transparency or acetate sheet - For using under your drawing hand to prevent smudging your masterpiece.
References: I will supply references for group studies but you are welcome to bring any copyright-free images of your choosing for personal projects.