Arranging My Watercolors and Handling a Creative Slump

When I'm in a creative slump, I try to shift my mood and energy by looking for joy in little bits of everyday magic. I also like to tackle projects that will be fun and set me up to be more productive.

Recently I decided to rearrange my collection of watercolor paint by color instead of by brand. The process was fun and I love using my newly organized paints.

The brands I use:
Yarka St. Petersburg, Daniel Smith, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton, Schmincke Horadam and Holbein

The paint palette cases were purchased from Dick Blick (search "Empty Watercolor Tins"). The larger sizes hold 48 half pans and the smaller one holds 24 half pans.

The brush I use for swatching is a size 10 round Grumbacher Goldenedge brush and my watercolor swatching sketchbook is 9x12 Canson XL Watercolor sketchbook with 140 lb cold press paper (not my favorite paper but fine for a sketchbook and for swatching).

[DanaBarbieri]

Clara cracks me up! I'm happy you've found a good way to arrange all of your pretty paints. They look so nice that way. The swatching was very relaxing, I'm sure. I'm glad it helped give you a little creative boost.

[dianaw]

Thank you Anne. I have always enjoyed your beautiful art…so happy that I now found your YouTube channel. Happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful year to come. ( I purchased your lovely calendar for 2025 so I am off to a perfect beginning!)

[SimoneWhippArtist]

I thought I could hear snoring! 😂 It makes sense to rearrange all your paints in colours rather than by brand. Now you can see all the shades of each colour at a glance! Such a good idea to have the swatches to fit in the pans. I really like the metal tins. Arranging all those little paints must have been like arranging books in a library! I hope you have a good week Anne. 😊

[annickcottom]

Great idea sorting your paints into colourways and then swatching them.

[darklittlepeople]

oooh, lady, i think you've just sent me down a new rabbit hole ! 😅

[LisaHetrickIndigojadeArt]

This was so fun to watch! I love all the colors! Do you find it to be a lot to have out when you’re painting?

[MedaHalmaciu]

That was interesting. I think I have even more colos than you do. However I don't think this would work for me since I don't have a lot of room on my table. I find myself preferring small palettes of up to 21 colors. With a good mixing cheat sheet and a color wheel I don't need to have so many colors out. I feel overwhelmed by the amount of colors I own. I'd love to find a way of using them up and only replacing the ones I truly love and get rid of my fear of scarcity and lack. There will always be more to buy. I don't need to hoard them.

[iamchasingbutterflies]

This is a fascinating system of organizing paints! Does this system still work for you? It makes so much sense to arrange colors by the rainbow! That's how my brain sees things. I have my paints arranged by brand as I only have a few, but maybe one gray day, I'll take on the color arranging project!