COLOR YOUR WORLD WITH WATERCOLOR
with Felipe Echevarria
OSHER OLLI Spring 2020 class supply list
This looks like a lot, but some of it is usually already in the home. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at (970) 214-1454 (text or call, leave a message if needed, I’ll get back).
Art supplies can be quite expensive. I have made suggestions here for getting good student grade materials to save you a little bit of money. Sources are places like Jerry’s Artarama, Meiningers (Denver), Colorado Fine Art Supply (Loveland), Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Staples, etc. You can do mail order or go into the store. You may have to pay shipping and/or tax on top of the costs mentioned below.
I think you will likely have to pay around $50 to $90 for supplies for this class, depending on what you already have, and what quality level you want your materials to be.
REQUIRED supply, needed for first and second classes:
PAINT, I specify "any brand", but I suggest at least a student-grade paint of a well-known brand. Ask at the art store if you have to, or try calling me while you're shopping. Pan watercolors (the little rectangular cakes) are alright but you will not be able to do large washes with them as easily. I recommend paint in the tubes. You can get the smaller tubes, such as Grumbacher Academy or Winsor & Newton Cotman brands to save a little money in case watercolor is not for you.
>> Grumbacher Academy or Winsor & Newton Cotman are around $3 to $6 for an 8ml tube depending on where you get them. Total cost for paints is about $25 to $42.
* 1 tube of each watercolor (any brand you like, but try to get these colors):
* Ultramarine Blue (French Ultramarine is ok, too)
* Pthalocyanine Blue (often called Pthalo Blue)
* Cadmium Red Light (if it says "hue" on the label, that's ok)
* Quinacridone Red (Quinacridone Red is often sold under the name "Permanent Alizarin
Crimson" or "Permanent Rose" which is good, too.
* Cadmium Yellow Medium or Light (if it says "hue" on the label, that's ok)
* Cadmium Yellow Lemon or Hansa Yellow Light or Medium (if it says "hue" on the label that's ok)
* Raw Sienna
BRUSHES, must be watercolor painting brushes with short handles. The more you spend on brushes the happier you'll be with the performance. Sable hair is best, but synthetic or a blend of synthetic and sable are good. For starting out, synthetics will do fine. We need these sizes:
* 1 round a size 3 or 4
* 1 round a size 6 or 8
* 1 flat ¾” or 1" wide is recommended
>> Synthetic brushes cost around $3 to $15 each, depending on size. Total cost for brushes is about $9 to $25.
PAPER, You can get any brand as long as it says 90# or 140# cold press paper. Hot press is ok too, but it’s smoother and not as popular. I suggest getting one of each so you can try them out. I mention buying one or two 22 x 30” sheets now, but likely you will need more for class weeks 3 to 6.
If you’d like you can get a watercolor block, which is a tablet of papers with glued sides. Then you would not need to buy the loose sheets of papers above or the board as mentioned below to put the loose papers on. Just please get a block of 90# or 140# cold press and any size over 12” if you go this route.
>> 2 full size sheets cost around $3 to $8 each, a 16x20 watercolor block is around $20 to $65 each depending on brand. Total cost for paper for first two classes is around $7 for sheets, around $30 for a block.
PALETTE:
* butcher's tray, or any palette designed for watercolor. (Even a cheap little mixing dish is fine). You will need an area on the palette somewhere about 4 x 4” so you can mix a lot of color, so a good watercolor palette is recommended. Or you can get one little palette with compartments and an extra larger tray.
>> Palettes cost around $3 to $15 each for small sizes. Total cost for palette is about $5.
EASEL:
* OLLI has flat tables for our use, but it is best to have a slanted table for watercolor. You can buy an inexpensive table-top watercolor easel but even a couple bricks or big books and a flat drawing board will work. Ideally your support should be at about a 20-degree slant. So, your choice...
OTHER required supply:
* a sheet of 1/4” or 3/8” plywood, or sturdy chipboard (the boards on the back of drawing tablets), or
The Incredible Art Board or a sheet of ½” Gator Board. Board size needed for the first two weeks is
around 14 x 17”.
* 2" wide gummed paper butcher's tape (usually brownish tape with ready to moisten glue back) or
common package strapping tape
* pen, notebook for note taking
* scissors
* spray bottle
* a large clean flat sponge
* a water container (a large wide-mouth plastic or glass jar, or, empty water gallon jug with a handle
like Deep Rock, I'll show you how to cut this up to make a nice container for watercolor)
* pencil (like a #2, or a HB, or a 2H).
* white vinyl eraser and/or a kneaded eraser
* a rag and/or paper towels
>> Total cost around is around $3 to $20 for these misc supplies.
NOT REQUIRED supply, but can enhance class experience. The more you get here the more you will be able to try out neat things:
* an old toothbrush
* any other sizes or types of brushes you'd like to bring to try out
* cheap small kitchen sponge
* a little table salt
* 1 jar masking fluid or "liquid frisket" and a junky brush to apply it
* other: razor blade or cutting knife, natural sponges, piece of wax or white crayon, a small palette knife, a dip pen (like for pen & ink, but to use with the masking fluid), an 18" ruler, a cheap folder for info hand-outs, masking tape (3/4" is good).