ART SUPPLIES
In creating a realistic painting using watercolor, I give extra attention to the tools and materials used so that my artwork can be maximized. Below is a full list of the supplies I use, let’s discuss them one by one.
PAPER
In watercolor painting I use Cold-Pressed 300 gsm paper which tends to be a bit thick so that the paper does not bend easily when it is painted. Cold pressed paper is not as jagged as rough paper but it is more jagged than hot pressed paper. You could say it is in the middle, and Cold Pressed paper tends to stay wet a little longer, making it easier to work on wet on wet and wet on dry techniques, so it fits perfectly with my painting style. I use paper from Winsor & Newton, Arches, and sometimes Fabriano Watercolor Sketchbook, depending on the object/subject I paint. The three of them have different characters of paper and have a good texture for painting using watercolor.
brushes
It cannot be denied that it is much easier to make your painting realistic when you use the right brush. This greatly affects the comfort in working to get a satisfying realistic result. I use Silver Black Velvet round brushes size 2, 4, and 6, these brushes are very taper and soft making it easy in creating subtle gradations and detailing. Then I also use Mop Brushes size 1 and 3 which I often use for blocking the background, these brushes are larger than the previous brushes which is very suitable to use when working with large areas, making it easier and faster to work on the process.
WATERCOLOR
Using the right paint is one of the most important things in watercolor painting as it will have an impact on the result of the painting. In realistic painting, I recommend using good quality paint for a bright and dense coloring result that will make the painting more alive. There are many choices of watercolor paints that you can use such as Winsor & Newton, Sennelier, Schmincke, Daniel Smith, etc. For me personally I prefer to use Winsor & Newton, I feel it fits my painting style and character. You can use any watercolor that you prefer, it all depends on you.
MASKING FLUID
Masking fluid is a blocking fluid that lets you easily cover up any part of the paper you don’t want to paint so it retains the white of the paper.
PENCIL & ERASER
I use pencil for sketching, I like to use mechanical pencil because it is very practical and easy to use. I also need an eraser to thin out the graphite sketch line before painting.
MASKING TAPE
I use masking tape as paper adhesive so that it doesn’t bend easily when it is painted and also as a frame when the masking tape is removed, making the edges of the painting tidier.