PaintBox Tip #46 Handy tips & tricks

Handy tips and tricks for beginners 

Always ...

1. Have plenty of drawing paper handy for practicing.
   
   
2. Take notes in class.
   
   
3. Squeeze out new good quality, tube paint every week so that you don’t have to scrub at dry paint (aka bird-poo) and damage your brushes.
   
   
4. A white porcelain dinner plate is the best palette ever, use cling film to cover when you have finished for the day.
   
   
5. OR use a palette with a lid to avoid dust and stray animal hairs in your pigment (my Bertie used to love sitting in blue!!).
   
   
6. Prepare your brushes with a quick swill in water so they’re ready to load with paint.
   
   
7. Use a kitchen sponge or old tea towel to moderate the water content in your brush.
   
   
8. Keep a hand towel close-by to control stray drips of water from your hands and brushes.
   
   
9. Paint standing up for as long as possible.
   
   
10. Sit for more control when adding calligraphy and detailed strokes.
    
    
11. For tubes proving difficult to open, run the cap under hot water and then use pliers to gently open.
    
    
12. It’s called WATERcolour for a reason.
    
    
13. Keep spare sheets of good quality watercolour paper handy to practice washes, colour charging, shapes and investigate new pigments before you venture onto your painting.
    
    
14. Make colour charts with your pigments – colour wheels, value scales, practice mixing greys and greens, opaque, staining and transparent pigments and brands.
    
    
15. Wash out and dry your brushes gently, lay them flat on a towel to dry on your table. 

remember to have fun!!

:)

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