Supports to Paint On

I started out with sketchbooks, lots of them, and I suggest you just buy a few different ones and try them.  It is all sooooo personal what works for an individual artist.

Everyone raved about Moleskine’s so I bought one.  Didn’t like the treated paper at all!  Everything I tried to do on it just rolled off, that’s ink and watercolor.  The size and history are way cool…..but I also bought one of the itty bitty ones that so many artists do amazing sketching in.  Like I said, it’s very personal.

LOVE the Handbook Journals – mostly I use 5.5″ x 8″ and the 5″ square ones which fit nicely in my purse.  That and a travel size watercolor palette and Niji waterbrushes, which I can’t do without for handy on the go sketching.

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WOOD

I got frustrated working on paper, so fussy having to tape it down and all that.  Once again, ’tis a very personal thing discovering what supports one likes/loves to paint on. And wood is so solid, no bouncing around like canvas, and doesn’t get soggy like paper.  I’m an Earth sign, so maybe I just love its solidity and stability.

I go to a local lumber yard/large hardware store and pick out birch panel, 1/8″ or 1/4″ and have them cut it down for me.  Some folks like masonite, but I never know which kind to get, treated, untreated, as I read different opinions across the web.  And it’s usually got formaldehyde in it, so I prefer just wood.  I come home and paint the first coat (include the sides) with regular old housepaint primer, then after that is good and dry I paint on an acrylic gesso.

Get painting!

I use this for acrylic paints, and varnish at the end.

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WATERCOLOR PAPER

I started out buying watermedia sketchbooks and my first paintings were all on these pages, which if they were any good I would tear out, cut off the spiral edge, and call it a painting.  The drawback is that if you do something really nice, which happens every so often, then you’ve done a great piece on a not quality paper.  The journals I used had 110lb paper, which was great for a sketch journal, but not the best for a really nice painting.

So, I’ve found it best to stick with Fabriano or Arches, even Kilimanjaro (CheapJoes), 140lb watercolor paper.  Draw it into the sizes you want, then fold the paper back and forth and use a wooden spoon or something to get the crease really flat (it breaks the fibers of the paper) then tear is AWAY from you.  Then you’ll get these lovely deckled edges.

Lately I’ve been taking the extra step to gesso two coats before painting.  This is a great surface for watercolor, gouache and acrylic.

Now you should have a stack of really nice paper that should inspire you to start painting!

Oh yeah, huge but delicious splurge, use 300lb….thick thick thick, so substantial, and never buckles even if you practically soak the thing with paint.  Your masterpieces will lay flat and are just yummy to pick up and hold.

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PASTEL PAPER

Canson Mi-Tiente – since I love gouache so much, having a mid-value color to paint upon gives an inspiring start.  This way you only need to think of your lights and darks as your mid-tone is the actual support paper.  Pastel papers come in sooo many gorgeous colors.  Just grab a few small ones, I think their 12″ squares, and have fun.

OH YEAH – something extra special cool that I just discovered is Clear Gesso.  Wow….when I roll this over the pastel paper first, I have a great surface to paint on, can wipe back, yet the color of the paper remains. Way cool! Here’s an example I did…

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CANVAS

I can’t really speak to canvas as I’ve only done one painting on it (A Kidney for a Bouquet) and that was a canvas panel, not a full gallery-wrapped canvas.  Maybe I’m scared to work on one….but I’ll get there.