Materials List for Watercolor Class with Richard Koleszar

If you have already been painting, just bring what you have to the first class.

Most of these items can be purchased at Jerry’s Art a Rama in Norwalk or online catalogues, such as Dick Blick, Cheap Joes, or Jerry’s Art a Rama. You can also get some items at Michael’s, but the other sources have more selection.

PALETTE:

John Pike – or any with paint wells and a place to mix and pool colors.

PAINTS:

Color tubes 5, 15 & 37 ml. Windsor & Newton or other good quality manufacturer. NOT “hues” or “student grade”. Color list supplied below – basic colors and advanced selection.

PAPER:

 Watercolor 140 lb. cold-press is best for working on half-sheets (30” x 40” cut in half). I usually buy Arches or Kilimanjaro. Other papers you find are equally serviceable. You’ll need 2-3 sheets.  A sketchpad 90 to 140 lb for value sketches (also pencils – HB, 2B & 4B – two of each and a good pencil sharpener.

BRUSHES:

You can buy basic sets which include all but the 1 ½” wash brush. Simmons is a combination of synthetic bristles which bounce back well. OR you can buy separately the basic brushes #4, 8 & 10 round; ¼” & ½: flat; and it’s nice to have a #6 script brush or “liner” for small twigs, power lines, etc.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Kneaded erasers; paper towels “Bounty”; support board for paper that is ½” wider than your paper and that is made from ¼” plywood, plastic or “gator board”; binder clips to hold paper; masking tape; X-acto knife; Q-tips; sponge; pocket knife with dull blade; container for water; photos for subject matter.

These are my paints that I am now using (Liquitex, Windsor Newton, or similar):

 Cadmium yellow light – warm Hansa yellow – cool New Gamboge – warm  Cadmium orange – warm Quinacridone red – cool (or Scarlet Lake – cool or Cadmium red light – warm)  Permanent Alizerine crimson – cool Windsor violet – cool  French ultramarine blue – warm Cerulean blue – cool  Cobalt blue – cool Manganese blue or sap green Leaf green (DVP) or yellow green – cool  Windsor green or Viridian – cool Prussian blue – cool Ivory black – neutral Quinacridone gold – warm Raw sienna or yellow ochre – warm Brown Madder – warm  Burnt sienna – warm  Van Dyke brown or burnt umber – cool

 Items marked with asterisk are the basic colors needed. Try and set your palette up with warm and cool color groups – and keep it that way so you can concentrate on painting, not groping to find a particular color. That way you’ll instinctively drop your brush to the right color!