Watercolor Sketching. Mark McGinnis

      An endless array of brushes exists for the watercolorist. The preferred brush has long been the sable brush. These brushes are produced with the select hair from sables with the best quality found in northern Asia. In my own experience I have found that some of the new synthetic brushes handle as well as all but the very best sable brushes which seem to be priced by their weight in gold. My current favorite is a brush called the Flow from Oriental Art Supply – it comes in small, medium, and large. They are handmade brushes and a bit spendy but are the most responsive versatile brushes I have ever used for transparent techniques. The most important quality to look for in a watercolor round is a tip that tapers to fine point. This will allow you to create a wide variety of lines and edges with one brush. Some painters also like to have a few flat-shaped brushes for washing larger areas. My preferences for round sizes are #0, #2, #6, #12 (a #4 would be optional).

      One problem with brushes and field painting is protecting the tips of brushes in transportation. A solution is to use a commercial holder. My favorite is a bamboo holder that allows you to roll up your brushes and lets enough air through so they dry properly. A homemade version can be made by rolling up the brushes in a small towel with a ruler in the middle for rigidity and securing with a string or rubber bands.

      PAPER

      Again, the selection of watercolor paper is vast. There is sheet paper, pad paper, roll paper, and block paper. My favorite for pleine aire painting is the watercolor blocks. A watercolor block is a stack (usually 12-20 sheets) of watercolor paper that has had all four sides of the stack adhered with soft glue. This allows the artist to work very wet if they wish and the paper will not buckle out of shape. When the paper dries it returns to its original flatness. The artist may then insert a palette knife or plastic card into the one corner that has been left unglued and gently remove the paper from the stack exposing the next new sheet. I like to have two blocks in the field so I can begin a second sketch while the first is drying. The blocks come in a variety of sizes from 4” X 6” to 20” x 29.” I prefer the 9” X 12” size. I like a smaller size for the quickness of a small sketch and the ease of transportation.

      Other considerations include paper surface and weight. Rough press is a coarsely textured surface that is not well suited for detail. Cold press is a moderately textured surface that holds washes well and is suitable for detail. Hot press is a smooth texture that is ideal for detail but is more prone to puddling. Fabriano watercolor papers has introduced a surface they are calling soft press that is between cold and hot press and is my favorite for studio work. Another paper consideration in weight — paper weight is designated in pounds, the weight of a ream of that paper, such as 140 lb. paper, which is the most common watercolor paper weight. For studio use I prefer 300 lb. paper that needs no stretching to keep flat, however, one does pay a price for that convenience. For sketching my favorite paper is Canson Montval blocks. It is a 140 lb. acid free paper with cold press surface. It is very moderately priced and though it does not have a good surface for rough work, it is fine for quick sketches.

      MISC. ITEMS

      There are a few other items you will need for pleine aire watercolor sketching. I like to have several pencils: first a 2B pencil (relatively soft) to use for rather bold borderlines and signature, second, a 2H pencil (relatively hard) to gesture (quick sketch) compositions when necessary. Other items include a kneadable eraser to clean up pencil or other unwanted marks (a note: always blow, do not brush insects off your paper – better for the insect, better for your paper); a water bottle of moderate size so as to not add to the weight of your pack; a cup for watercolor use (yogurt cup size); white paper towels cut into quarters and placed in a small plastic bag (a second bag is useful to put the used, wet towels in); and a few Q-tips to clean color pans and sometimes highlighting color areas on a painting.

      Some non-art materials items that can make the sketching trip more comfortable include: mosquito and tick repellent (type and need may vary depending on where you are); sunscreen; a hat with an adequate brim; a collapsible umbrella; a backpack or durable bag to carry your supplies; a plastic cushion to sit on or a collapsible camp chair (I even bring a small collapsible table to set my materials on), comfortable walking shoes suitable to the terrain, and in all day sketching trips I like to dress in layers to be comfortable at various times of the day.

      As your experience develops in sketching you will undoubtedly evolve your own personalized set of materials fitting your individual needs. This is as it should be.