Water Source

PREPPING TO PAINT

Let’s start at the beginning and chat about how to prep your supplies to paint. Here are the fundamentals that I use daily. We are going to talk about creating movement and shine on your palette and your paper, and why that magic sauce is what watercolor is all about.

WATER SOUR c E

When it comes to your water source, any clear container that’s short in comparison to the length of your brushes works wonderfully. It’s easier to rinse your brushes in a short jar, and you want to be able to see when your water needs changing. I like to use short 6-oz clear Mason jars.

You can maximize your painting time by having two jars of water nearby when you sit down to paint: one for washing your brush clear of light-colored paint, and one for washing out dark-colored paints. It’s also good to have a clean water source nearby in case of accidental spills and splatters. Plus, you can dampen your paper towel to quickly tend to mistakes (see page 99).

When it comes to changing the water, some say that you want your rinse water to remain clean enough that you would let your goldfish swim in it. If I used this barometer, I’m afraid my fishies wouldn’t fare very well. I always start out with lovely, clear room-temperature water, but it muddies up pretty quickly. As you begin to paint and develop your style, you can see if you prefer to follow the goldfish rule for your rinse water, or to simply refill your water when you feel like its muddiness is affecting the coloring of your paint.