Supply List for Laurie Asahara Workshop

 

We will be doing a 10” x 10” painting of a white rose, and explore how to create a white flower by using no white paint at all. We’ll carve out passages by emphasizing positive shapes in both reflected light and cast shadows. We’ll also focus on background value as an additional important aspect of painting white or light subjects.

 

At class, a full-sized drawing to trace from and a full color reference photo will be provided for a total cost of $1.25.

 

Below is my list of standard supplies that I use for all my own work. I don’t ever stretch my paper, but sometimes I clip it to a hard backing for support while I paint. If you prefer to stretch your paper, please do.

 

1. Watercolor palette. I use an original John Pike.

 

1. Watercolor paints. (Please feel free to just bring your usual watercolor paints. The rose will be done in pastel hues of pinks, blues, yellows and purples. While not necessary, you might want to supplement colors that you already have with some colors on my list that you don’t usually employ. It’s always fun in a workshop to explore new colors.)

 

I generally have transparent versions of the colors listed below on my palette. We probably won’t use all the colors on the list, and I generally don’t either. For my style of transparent painting, student-grade paint is fine:

 

Lemon Yellow

Warm Yellow

Bright Orange

Fire Engine Red, like a Pyrrol Red

Pink, like Permanent Rose or Opera*

Alizarin Crimson

Robin’s Egg Blue, like Manganese Blue* or Cerulean Blue or Cobalt Teal*

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Cobalt Blue*

Thalo Blue or Prussian Blue

Hooker’s Green

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Raw Sienna

Burnt Sienna

*Indicates a professional grade paint, which colors are nice for florals

 

1. At least three round brushes ranging from size #4 to #10. Synthetics are fine, but which brushes you use is a personal preference that you either already have or will develop as you paint.  

 

Please bring a scrubby type brush for removing paint, like an old #2 flat stiff bristle oil painting brush or a dedicated watercolor scrubber brush.

 

1. Paper towels or cloth rags to use as a blotter after rinsing brushes between washes of different colors. Please do not forget to bring these items – they are used to control the amount of water in your brush, which is a critical aspect of watercolor painting.

 

1. Facial tissue to blot wet passages on the painting, if and when needed. (I have a roll of toilet paper for this use.) Any tissue should be unscented with no additives like hand creams or oils.

 

1. Hairdryer (just to speed up drying of initial larger washes).

 

1. If you want to, you can bring Masking fluid and an applicator for the masking fluid. I apply masking fluid with a bamboo skewer for delicate areas. Make sure your masking fluid is new, and not more than 6 months old. It rapidly deteriorates into a useless goo/water mix that can destroy the surface of your paper.

 

1. Rubber cement pick-up (to remove the masking fluid).

 

1. 1/4 sheet of 140# or 300# cold press Arches watercolor paper. This measures 11 x 15. I use 300#. Please get Arches cold press paper. It must be “cold press”, not “hot press”. Do not get inexpensive paper or you will be disappointed. I’m not even a fan of the surface of Arches paper blocks.

 

1. A board or other backing to support your watercolor paper as you paint, if you like.

 

1. Pencil, eraser, masking tape, and non oily transfer paper to transfer drawing onto watercolor paper.

 

1. Container for water.

 

1. Spray bottle for water.