There is something vaguely nostalgic about painting with gouache. I could not quite explain it until I realised that I had painted with gouache before as a child. The powder paint I used to use as a child was a type of gouache and is still available today. But the name is about all that is the same when compared to the paint I am using now. They are still paints in much the same way as a Trabant and an Aston Martin are still cars. In every other respect, they are entirely different.
I’m certainly no watercolour wizard and it actually excites me that I have copious amounts still to learn. Watercolour is such a unique medium that really breathes a life of its own, as one soon discovers as paint meets water meets paper. It can be quite unpredictable and you are bound to get a whole load of surprises, especially when you’re just starting out. Now I’m sure we all feel the same – that nice surprises can be fun – but sadly with watercolour, my experience has been that more often than not those surprises can be pretty nasty ones. As a graphic designer, one of my favourite and most used keyboard options is ‘command Z’ used to undo my last action (or stuff up), and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wished I had one of those for watercolour!!
As an artist using acrylics, you know how versatile the medium is. The quick drying nature of acrylics. The ability to paint on many surfaces. No cracking. Vibrant colour. But acrylics have their little quirks too.
Watercolours have always intrigued me although its been a medium I have never really pursued – mostly because the first few times I tried them I failed dismally.
Pastels have been around for a long time. You only have to see Renoir’s sublime works in pastel to appreciate this medium. Characterized by pure pigment, intense colours and a variety of applications pastels have a lot to offer. But pastel sticks have issues too. Soft pastels snap easily. A lot of pastel is wasted in excessive crumbling. Pastel dust is annoying. Sticks get dirty easily and must be carefully stored in foam boxes. Enter PanPastel Colors.
I came across Janet’s colourful art on Instagram and was instantly fascinated. So much of what we see seems to be dark and dreary and here is an artist who absolutely embraces colour and life it seems.
I must confess that I am old school when it comes to any form of spray paint. Sorry Banksy, but that graffiti thing does not work for me. Give me tubes of paint, brushes and a painting knife and throw away the key. I am happier that way. But I have been converted. At least in part when it comes to saving time and efficiency. After getting my hands on a range of Krylon sprays I have found a few new materials for my studio.
We have slowly been introducing you to various pencils, pastels and pens. But if you have the nasty stationary addiction I have, then storage becomes a bit of an issue. Especially if you by now have 12 sets of coloured pencils or a whole array of pastels (or, as in my case – both!).
We’re super excited over at ArtSavingsClub right now, because we’ve recently added a few awesome new additions to our Sakura Pigma range! We’ll still get to the Pigma Brush pens and Micron Plastic Nibs, but today we’re taking a look at the Pigma Manga set.
We are so fortunate. Imagine back in the day when Rembrandt Van Rijn and other artists needed new paints for their work. No convenient art store like Artsavingsclub where you could order the world’s finest oil paints. No, you needed to be an apothecary to create paint by hand and storing the paint was a nuisance too. I admit feeling a twinge of guilt when I opened a new box of Rembrandt oil paints recently. But mostly I felt excited to try out these famous paints made by Royal Talens.
