My Favourite Watercolour Art Supplies + My Setup Process
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ย. 2020
- Hello everyone! Apologies for the late video this week, had a lot going on but here's a run down of my favourite watercolour art supplies as requested by my patrons!
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AFFILIATE LINKS
I am delighted to be a brand ambassador for Betty Hayways brushes (since November 2020). They are an independent vegan paint brush maker based in the UK. This means that I am sponsored by the company to promote their products. They have been my go-to brushes for over a year so I highly recommend them.
If you would like to purchase Betty Hayways paint brushes, and you use the link below, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you: thechelseapapercompany.com/?r...
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MUSIC | Chillhop
Philanthrope - Maple Leaf Pt.2 chll.to/a8da4a34
Philanthrope, Sleepy Fish - Trenches chll.to/bc7f9f5e
Philanthrope, The Field Tapes - Serendipity chll.to/7db16819
Philanthrope, Guillaume Muschalle - Soil chll.to/eb80b47d
Philanthrope, Dotlights - Anemone chll.to/ce9e9083 - บันเทิง
Aside from your art content, I'm coming back because of your voice... So soothing😍 like asmr
I admire you and your art so much, i've learned heaps from you over the past year. Thank you so much for being such an inspiration
Hey Cait! What a lovely thing to hear! I’m so so pleased you’re liking my content, you’ve just made my day! 🖤🖤
This was a really helpful video! I didn't know about these useful little tricks, I'm totally gonna try these out!
Found my new favourite watercolour TH-cam artist today. Thank you 🧡
Yesss I’ve been binge watching videos like these to really help beef up my own art supplies. I thought I’d run out of them to watch but I woke up to this video💕 you’re the best James
Hey Elena 🤗 I love these kinds of videos too, I hope you found something useful from it! 🖤🖤
Fabulous tips about the skin tones. I enjoyed this.
Thanks Rachel! Glad you liked it 🖤
I just found your channel and I am loving it! I also work with watercolors and ink but I’m not nearly as skilled as you. You channel is helping me learn though! Keep up the great work
Thank you for the facts about the paper, it helped me to understand a little more! I always use hot press paper because I just like the smooth surface, just that. And because I tend to drawing directly on the paper 🤦🏻♀️so I erase like, a lot. I always wanted to try Daniel Smith watercolours, but I can't find them on Argentina. And I no longer have people that travels to the UK 😂
Can you buy from Jackson’s website? They might ship to Argentina, I hope you can try them one day because they’re amazing paints 🖤
I just ordered a set of those Betty hayways brushes… full disclosure, I do like the looks of them. But I’ve also heard good things about the quality. I really love arches paper too, especially the rough. Not too fond of the hot press except for calligraphy. Too hard to letter on a textured paper. Thanks for the skin tones demo… I still struggle a bit with this. Happy Holidays from 🇨🇦!
When I started with watercolour I wanted to try Arches, but when I discovered they use animal gelatine for sizing that was it for me. I looked for other great brands that would not use animals in their ingredients or processes. Fabriano is a great paper with many ranges that are not using animal ingredients. And Hahnemühle, a brand that's entirely vegan and has an incredible range of professional quality paper. For those who care, same goes for Windsor&Newton's artist watercolour... It contains ox gall, but Daniel Smith is absolutely fine to use (except those colours with pigment pbk9; from charred bones) .
Hi James. Thanks for sharing your supplies, those brushes are gorgeous! I tried following the link in your description but it led me to the affiliate portal, just pointing that out. I’d love to support you when I can afford the brushes :)
Thanks Kat! I’. So silly, I need to update that link in multiple videos I think 😂 thanks for flagging it to me 🖤
@@Finelinernerd Thanks for updating the link! I caved and bought the brushes through it with the black Friday discount! Can’t wait to try them
Haha! I really appreciate you using the link, and I hope you love them as much as I do! Let me know how you get on with them? 🖤🖤
Ashley purchased these brushes based on your recommendation and they are lovely. What I am disappointed by though is there is no box. They all came separate which considering the cost was a little surprising!
Remember us when you make it big
i have spent and saved so much $ on daniel smith paints lol that sounds counter intuitive
Hi James, thanks for the video! I'm very curious to try the Betty Hayways brushes now. The super sharp point looks fantastic. My Escodas lost their point a very long time ago... Regarding paper, have you tried Saunders Waterford? It's also 100% cotton and I find it great for layering - once the paint dries, it doesn't really lift anymore. It also comes in bright white ("extra white") and off-white ("traditional white").
Hey Kuba! Nice to meet you 😋, thank you so much for the tip about the paper because I’ve been wanting some bright white paper for ages! My only problem with Arches is that it’s a bit too yellow, I’ll definitely check it out 🖤🖤
@@Finelinernerd if you want bright paper try out the fabriano artistico watercolor paper. It is 100% cotton and comes in two whites, bright white and natural white. I compared it with arches and it’s so much brighter. Also it’s a really soft, but not sensitive paper.
I love your style! your paintings have such a soothing aura! 😍Just one question, you use a beautiful gold in some of your work, what is it?
Hi Luca! Thank you for your kind words 🖤 the gold I use is Daler Rowney’s “shimmering gold” ink, it’s made with a mica that sits between gold and silver (something I like to call “champagne”) and it might just be my favourite art supply 👀🖤
Hi, I enjoyed watching some of your tutorials recently, recommended by someone in one of the watercolour groups on FB. I ordered a couple of brushes via your affiliate link. Hope you get the commission ;)
Hi Ildikó, welcome to the channel! I hope you’re enjoying the videos 🤗 and thank you for using the link, I do get a small commission so it means a lot. Hope you’re having a lovely day 🖤
I applied to be a brand ambassador for Betty Haywatts as well but I guess I wasn’t big enough. Their brushes are beautiful but so expensive! I’m hoping to get them for the holidays though but only a few. I’ll be sure to use your link!
I think they’ll do it again at some point so I wish , I wish you luck if you try again! Just know that size didn’t play a part 🖤 there’s such a range between the different ambassadors followings, I just think there were so many entries so don’t be discouraged 🖤 if you do end up getting some please let me know what you think! I LOVE talking about art supplies 🖤🖤🖤
@@Finelinernerd aw your so sweet ty! I’ll be sure to let you know. Also btw I’m that person who won the dot card on Instagram. Just discovered your yt and I love it keep up the cool content!
I’m that case welcome! 🤗 did you get my message about the dot card? 🖤
@@Finelinernerd yes I did! Thanks for updating me! Can’t wait to get them.
The package from Aus arrived today in the UK, so shouldn’t be long until it gets to my home and then it’ll be on it’s way! 🥰🖤
Hi James! Thank you so much for this video. I currently use Polychromos to emphasise some lines, but that miniature brush looks very interesting 👀 Btw, I went to check the Betty Hayways brushes out of curiosity, but I think that link may not be the right one! Just letting you know in case you wanna check it :) P.d. Do you recommend any specific lightbox? I've never had one and I searched some time ago but the reviews on Amazon were really varied 😅 That fear of drawing directly onto the watercolour paper is sooo real!
Hey Juan! I just updated the link, I’m so silly! Should work now 👍🏻 I know what you mean about the fear 😅 I’m not sure what lightbox I have as it was a present and it doesn’t have a brand name. But I would recommend getting one with an adjustable light dimmer because ambient light has a big effect on seeing through the paper.
And if you wanna abridge the time you are waiting for the light box then just hold your picture against the window. I did that a lot when I was young. 😎
@@Finelinernerd thank you so much for your advice!
nice to see other "basic" watercolor artists lol. i can't invest in a lightbox, just draw on the paper with a soft color pencil. do you just use porcelain dishes as palettes/mixing wells?
Hi Blythe! I am SO basic hahaha! I use plates because then I’m not constrained by how much I can mix, it’s good in practise until I haven’t washed them in weeks and I have 12 plates stacked up by my desk covered in dry watercolour 😅🖤
Hey James! Just catching up with your videos over the Christmas break, I was wondering (and I’m leaving the question here in case I’m not the only one with this question) do you let the paper dry before you tape it down? Or do you tape it down wet?
(Reason I’m asking is because I just taped down some wet paper as a test and it’s definitely bubbling up a ton. This isn’t Arches though but a hahnemuhle one, but it’s 100% cotton so I expect quality, so now I’m wondering if it’s the paper or the technique 😅)
Hi Leonie! I let the paper expand for 5-10 minutes but I keep it wet, it will curve slightly while it expands but then flatten out again before it starts drying. I tape it down at this point. That way the edges are bound to the board when the paper is most stretched, so when it dries it dries tight. I hope that helps 🤗🖤
@@Finelinernerd Yup, absolutely! Thank you! 😃 Interestingly, after I'd let the paper that was all bubbly dry overnight I found it totally flat in the morning! When I rewetted it, it did bubble but when it dried it dried flat again. This paper I'm using has very mystical qualities 🤔
Oh weird! And you’re taping it down after 5/10 minutes of being wet? (Depending on how wet you make it)
@@Finelinernerd Not this time, I'd just taped it down after maybe 2/3 minutes, after making sure it was good and wet. So I doubt I waited long enough for the paper to really stretch out nicely. I'll have to keep that in mind for next time :)
Between Windsor and newton and Daniel Smith, where would your sennelier paints sit?
Oof, I don’t know, maybe third? I do love them but some of the colours in the set aren’t what they maybe should be (for example the Alizarin Crimson is kinda brown) I don’t automatically “reach” for them like I do W&N and DS, but they are great paints 🖤
@@Finelinernerd I’ve been using Paul Rubens and White Nights and now I’m ready to move on to some more professional paints but it’s impossible to know where to start!
It is isn’t it! It’s a mine field, like I say in the video try a limited palette from a few brands before making your decision (so you don’t waste money like I have in the past 😅) let me know what you choose in the end? 🖤
I got a cheap light box a while ago, and a bunch of tracing paper - but I've never used either. I'm too impatient, I think. So I do my sketch and then just do the drawing again on the watercolour paper. (And is it bad that I'm sitting here watching and hoping that wasn't Arches paper you were using for those swatches? LOL)
It was arches paper 👀 but I had to show the reality! 😂 you’re so brave drawing straight onto it!
@@Finelinernerd Arches 😳- I couldn't do that (unless I had a warehouse full of it). As for me, brave or lazy... I wonder which it is.
It did hurt a bit 😂
@@Finelinernerd ha ha it hurt me too. Second hand pain.
@@Finelinernerd We appreciate the sacrifices you make for us viewers, James. 🥰
I ordered the full set of brushes but they didn't arrive in a lovely box like everyone else has shown, they were just loose in a thin sheet of tissue paper (the wrapping kind, not the bathroom kind...). It takes away from the luxury for me that a set isn't properly packaged as even budget brands manage to put their brush sets in a tub, tin or wrap.
Oh no that’s a shame! Have you emailed Betty Hayways to find out what happened? 🖤
@@Finelinernerd nah, but I looked through tagged posts on Instagram for other purchases and it seems to be how they're shipped now and has been since last year. I assume that the Chelsea Paper Co. decided it was cost prohibitive to send them in a bulky box to protect the storage box (which appears to be cardboard anyway?) that then wouldn't fit through a letter box when they could instead send in the thin box they were sent in, especially as coming from Jersey into the UK they had to add a customs declaration. There's less chance of headaches with all the border uncertainty if a customer doesn't need to physically accept the package. That or they just ran out of lovely boxes somehow and didn't think it was important to tell anyone they were changing the presentation of the product for... reasons? But that feels unlikely. They were intentionally packed as received, hand wrapped with a company sticker, so whatever the reason for not including the box others received, it was a conscious decision. I don't think emailing would create any kind of resolution, as it's not like someone just forgot to send the box. It's fine I suppose, I have brush rolls, but it's still disappointing that they've marketed the set since launch as coming boxed and had their "ambassadors" show it that way too and then changed the presentation seemingly without notice.
I’m sorry they weren’t represented here as you received them, I wasn’t aware of the packaging change but you raise good points for a possible reason why it was changed. I have a spare box because I bought a set myself long before the ambassador program started, I’m very happy to send it to you (I’ll cover postage), if you would like it send your address to finelinernerd&gmail.com for me 🤗
@@Finelinernerd ah you're very kind to offer, but it's honestly fine. I'll store them in my brush roll and they'll be safe and secure. It's moreso the principle than the practicality that's bothered me. They're lovely brushes, and it's a real shame that they're not being given the attention to detail they deserve after what sounds like a lot of effort went into design, supply and manufacture. Obviously life has changed a lot since they were first released, but a quick note on the website about the lack of a box the customer may have seen from one of their ambassadors' video/written reviews or tagged social media posts advertising the brushes would have sufficed. Transparency is important, especially as a relatively young brand. They rely on social media and word of mouth for advertisement so it would also make sense to keep their ambassadors up to date of any changes, but nobody I've spoken to had any idea. Very strange.
If you change your mind let me know, as I say I’m not using one of them so very happy to share. I’ll give the feedback to Betty Hayways as well 🖤
Hi James, thank you so much for sharing your supplies and your experience. I learn so much from you!! Thank you thank you!! @helenikes
Hi Raquel! I never knew you were @helenikes! Good to know 🤗🤗 and I’m really glad you like the video 🖤🖤
Come on. Be brave. I always sketch directly on Arches paper my art not nearly as good as yours. I might do a rough study before I sketch on the paper. It is almost impossible to ruin Arches paper even after erasing lines five times it does not effect the watercolor work.