Tips for Painting on Cheap Watercolor Paper- April 23rd Newsletter (Patreon)

Hey Artnerds!

My NAMTA experience has me really thinking about art supplies and how we use them. The things we use, the things we hoard, the things we'd like to try if only we had the courage and someone to help us. Whether it's kits that can make an exciting but challenging new art form a little more accessible, a tiny knickknack that brings a smile to your face, or something priced just right so you feel comfortable using it- actually USING the supplies we have to make things that bring us joy.For a long time, I've talked about how cellulose paper isn't really a student-grade paper—although it's cheap and accessible, it can often be temperamental and challenging to achieve effects and techniques that are far easier on cotton rag papers. Despite these hurdles, I like student-grade paper and use it regularly. Today, I released a video about using cheaper watercolor papers. I've been painting on cheap papers for years and have developed a way of getting them to do what I want them to do.

Tips for Painting on Cheap Watercolor Paper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvP-pF46pb4

Everything below has been painted in an inexpensive Canson XL watercolor sketchbook, with minimal digital correction. And the best part is, you can learn how to sketch, ink, or paint all of them too!

Tips for Painting on Cheap Watercolor Paper: 

Find the papers that work for you. It may take some experimentation, it may take a lot of practice.

Accept that cellulose can't and won't do all the things you see cottonrag do. That's ok. It's really great for being accessible, fairly reliable, and a great medium for mixed media.

Cellulose paper is great for alcohol marker with watercolor on top- cottonrag is a far worse fit for these two.

Cellulose can take more erasing than most cottonrag papers, so it's also great for sketches or for looser ideas that need more work

Glazes are more challenging on cellulose, so it can help to work with just local color.

Don't be afraid to work saturated- cellulose tends to mute thinner layers of color.

Speaking of NAMTA, I had the pleasure of talking about NAMTA (and art supplies) with Lindsay Weirich, and you can join us!

What I'm Working On:

Editing Video:

Working on editing video for NAMTA. Have I ever mentioned that sometimes I get sick of the sound of my own voice? That happens when I have a BOATLOAD of stuff to edit in a hustle! Sometimes I do wish I had another editor on board to hand this sort of footage off to.

Painting Comic Pages:

This week, I'm trying to get another page from 7" Kara Chapter 9 finished!

Early Access: 

Yall Were Right?! Kuretake Gansai Tambi Art Nouveau Redemption & Bookmark: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-art-102623307

NAMTA Interview- FILA: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-102623187

Accessibility Aids & Comfort Grips: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-and-102623097

Making Paint with Kabocha- Vlog: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-102623040

New to the Public: 

Tips for Painting on Cheap Watercolor Paper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvP-pF46pb4