Painting Methods & Materials

[phickey]

I bought some Canson yesterday, same stuff, and I'm not satisfied either.

[a.robbie]

I used to use micron or other graphic pens but forced myself to learn how to use a pen and nib. I use a B 5 or B 5.5 nib and dip it in speedball or whatever other permanent black and let that dry well before I start painting. It took a while to learn but it's much nicer looking than pen and easier and more consistent than using a brush.

[JJGooding]

It doesn't matter what you do...that Canson 140lb cold press paper never works. I don't know a single person that paints flash that can use that shit. Try Arches....if you buy from a chain store, it can be spendy. Thats why I usually print a Michael's coupon off and use that. You get like 40% off.

I bet if you try some Arches paper it will start shaping up a bit better. Also, try different brushes every now and then. I am certainly not a good painter but I do know that if you experiment you can always find something that probably works better.

As I hear people say, "There is no wrong way to watercolor, as long as it looks good, who gives a fuck?"

Thanks for the advice. I'll play around with brushes and papers and see what happens.

[Brock Varty]

Thanks for the advice. I'll play around with brushes and papers and see what happens.

I like Robert Simmons Sapphire brushes and any brush that has synthetic squirrel hair. I know I have a friend who has tried almost every paper out there and the only thing he will use is Arches. It is a Canson paper but it is the only one that works for some reason.

If anyone paints flash and finds a paper other than Arches that works well, please let me know. Arches is expensive shit.

[Juan Pardo]

I am also always trying out new stuff with watercolors, but mainly I use talens for the outlines although I tried Artist Pens from Faber Castell, still I think is nicer with an old pen and ink... am using ecoline colors and trying out different papers, I used Arches for my last watercolor, really liked it... Guess I will keep buying Arches although its more expensive...

[chrisnoluck]

I used to use micron or other graphic pens but forced myself to learn how to use a pen and nib. I use a B 5 or B 5.5 nib and dip it in speedball or whatever other permanent black and let that dry well before I start painting. It took a while to learn but it's much nicer looking than pen and easier and more consistent than using a brush.

I've been using microns as they're the only ones i've found that don't smear when the water hits them. I bought a pen and nib to try to learn to use but I can't seem to keep enough ink on the end to even pull one solid line. The microns work for now but the one thing I don't like about them is after I paint it the lines are much more dull than the rest and it kinda bugs me. Guess i'll just keep practicing til I can get it right!

[captaincabinet]

I have tried tons of lining pens and not found anything that i'm totally happy with. I like sharpie's but only for the first painting as no matter what paper I use it pretty much destroys the tip and the line just gets heavier and heavier.

I bought some Copic multiliners and a brush tip and I like them so far. They are the only ones I have found with a 1mm tip and they don't smear with water/inks. Where the lines go dull I tend to just re-do them after I am done painting.

I am trying out some new inks and colours and will try to post the results when I'm done!

[Brock Varty]

I tried using the Micron brush tipped pens for outlining and it work well...

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I am also always trying out new stuff with watercolors, but mainly I use talens for the outlines although I tried Artist Pens from Faber Castell, still I think is nicer with an old pen and ink... am using ecoline colors and trying out different papers, I used Arches for my last watercolor, really liked it... Guess I will keep buying Arches although its more expensive...

I really like that one on the left man.

[Kev]

It doesn't matter what you do...that Canson 140lb cold press paper never works. I don't know a single person that paints flash that can use that shit. Try Arches....if you buy from a chain store, it can be spendy. Thats why I usually print a Michael's coupon off and use that. You get like 40% off...

All I use is Canson or cheaper paper- never used Arches. I don't think my stuff looks incredible or anything, but I make it work for me.

[Graeme]

All I use is Canson or cheaper paper- never used Arches. I don't think my stuff looks incredible or anything, but I make it work for me.

+1 to that. I'd love to try Arches but that stuff is super expensive, and at this point my many weaknesses in drawing and painting have to do with my lack of technique and experience, and using higher quality materials isn't going to help that.

Here's some skulls I drew on Canson XL (ie the cheapest stuff) with Pigma pens and generic art store brand tube watercolour.

[chrisnoluck]

yeah for some reason i can't get arches blocks around here. i've just been using this shit thats like $3 a sheet.. its a little too smooth for my liking but i'm not any good anyways so either way it's probably going to turn out looking like shit anyways. maybe i should give arches a shot and just order it.

[captaincabinet]

I tried arches hot press out of curiosity but didn't get on with it. If I'm feeling flush one day I might try the cold press.

I like the Langton Press stuff. I have tried the standard and the Langton Prestige but I'm still learning so most of my frustrations are with my technique rather than the materials I guess!

[Brock Varty]

All I use is Canson or cheaper paper- never used Arches. I don't think my stuff looks incredible or anything, but I make it work for me.

That looks really good!

Obviously it is a matter of preference. I just have not ever seen anyone have good luck with spit shade watercolor on anything other than Arches. I am not a good painter by any means, so take it for what its worth.

+1 to that. I'd love to try Arches but that stuff is super expensive, and at this point my many weaknesses in drawing and painting have to do with my lack of technique and experience, and using higher quality materials isn't going to help that.

Here's some skulls I drew on Canson XL (ie the cheapest stuff) with Pigma pens and generic art store brand tube watercolour.

That is damn nice. I have no idea how you guys do it. I just can not use the stuff. No matter what I do my blends are choppy and all of my water goes away the second I touch the paper with my paint.

[captaincabinet]

This is the first full sheet i've done on the Langton Prestige stuff;

[a.robbie]

I've been using microns as they're the only ones i've found that don't smear when the water hits them. I bought a pen and nib to try to learn to use but I can't seem to keep enough ink on the end to even pull one solid line. The microns work for now but the one thing I don't like about them is after I paint it the lines are much more dull than the rest and it kinda bugs me. Guess i'll just keep practicing til I can get it right!

Yeah, for me the big issues with microns is are that watercolor paper just sucks them dry making them not very long lasting or consistent with saturation. I also dont like how they reflect light when being scanned if you're going to make prints (thus making shitty prints). Keep trying with the nibs. It's all about practice, angle, and finding the right kind of ink for flow. If you let the outlines dry for a while they totally stay while you do your washes.

[Chelsea Shoneck]

I use arches cold press and I love it. I've also recently started using Waverly liquid acrylics (previously I used FW exclusively) and I really enjoy them. I've been doing a ton of marker stuff lately but this thread is making me itch to get back to my liquid acrylics. When I transfer the image to the arches, I use a super fine nibbed pen, and after doing all the shading and color I go over all of the lines with a brush, and that's honestly my favorite part of the whole process. I'm not perfect at it but it's a fulfilling challenge I suppose. Here are a couple I did earlier in the year with Waverly liquid acrylics. Sorry if the images are huge >.<

[Brock Varty]

@Chelsea Shoneck That looks awesome man. I am in envy.

[Juan Pardo]

The only thing I realised about arches is that it doesnt break so fast, so u can keep fading the colors and it wont start getting those little paper balls that some other papers do... I still buy cheap paper for trying out different tecniques but when I am kind of sure of how I want to paint a drawing or want to make a present I prefer arches...

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Really nice chops @Chelsea Shoneck, definitely have to check out liquid acrylics!

[Chelsea Shoneck]

@Brock Varty @Juan Pardo thanks for the kind words ^_^

[Paul Aherne]

Buying one of those waterbrushes that Valerie mentioned earlier in this thread was one of the best moves I've ever made! haha. Alexander Grimm also suggested getting them and his paintings are fucking excellent. Takes sooooo much stress out of painting tattooy type images. I just apply paint/ink with a normal brush as usual) and a pentell water brush to blend out. Just start to blend out with the water brush, quickly dab the end of it to get rid of paint that has now come on to it, then blend out some more with it. Real easy. Make sure to only use a smallish sized water brush so not too much water is coming out.

Also, one other thing I noticed don't fill up the water brush fully with water when refilling it. Only fill it around 1/3 of the way maximum. I've found that if it's completely full then the pressure of the water causes too much of it to rush out when you're using it which makes the blends harder to do.

Anyway, hope that helps someone :P

I did this quick rose painting with the water bursh and this longer girl head in a rose one with a water brush too. Definitely saving me a lot of time :)

[captaincabinet]

I've been thinking about getting one of those brushes for a while since I noticed people at Rain City in Manchester getting good results with them. Going to look for one today!

[smiling.politely]

one of my coworkers uses one of the water brushes, but as a way to make washes with solid water color. he's begun mixing that very painterly look with spit shading recently, and is getting some killer stuff knocked out. i'm still on regular ol' spit shading, but i wouldn't be opposed to at least trying one.

[Paul Aherne]

Well I definitely noticed a big difference in the speed I was able to paint those kind of paintings once I figured out how to use one. Just be sure to get a decent quality brand and not too use one that is too big because that might result in too much water coming out of the brush when trying to blend.

I'd definitely recommend at least trying one out though. Don't see why anyone painting flash wouldn't enjoy using it.

[captaincabinet]

I tried out the new FW acrylics I got last night. Still some PH Martins watercolour in there as I haven't been able to get all the colours I need yet!

Edited November 15, 2012 by captaincabinet
image related nightmare

[Wood]

I've been trying to get to grips with painting flash for the last couple of months. Finally got a handle on blending the blacks smoothly but some reason the colour seems to be coming out patchy, especially when trying to paint solid flat areas. I'm using the Dr PH Martin's liquid watercolours and Winsor & Newton cold-pressed 300gsm paper. Figure it's maybe something to do with the quality of the paper? If anybody's got any tips I'd really appreciate it. Just ruined a sheet I'd been labouring over for a week.

EDIT: Never mind, I'm an idiot. First time using those liquid watercolours, didn't realise the pigment settles in the bottom of the jar. Learnt that one the hard way.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Wood
Being an idiot