My Favorite Watercolor Paper, Brushes and Paint! (2015)

You asked for it so here it is. A short video showing you what I use and why. I cover the big three, paper, brushes and paint.

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My Amazon Store of Favorite Products:

Arches Watercolor Paper

Silver Brush – Black Velvet Squirrel/Synthetic Blend

Princeton Neptune Faux Squirrel

M. Graham Watercolor Paint

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Picking great watercolor paper. A great place to start.

Introduction to the Mind of Watercolor

The Mind of Watercolor Web Page

Steve Mitchell Design

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[InklanUtterfield]

I've recently started watercolours and I've gotta say, Steve, your videos are really helpful. Also, what I like about your videos is you're pretty casual with the things you say; a lot of artists nowadays tend to act pretty uptight and have this air of superiority about them. You just say it like it is, without looking down on people who don't know how it is.

[mindofwatercolor]

@Karla– Glad to have you aboard! Nonsense, 50's not old. I have to say that cause I got you beat by 8 years. Anyway, after you've watched the basics playlist there is no special order. I designed this channel to be a quick tips and techniques show and an art materials review show rather than orderly, step by step, long form course instruction. The topics tend to be random and short. To put it another way, I'm sort of the "snack food" of watercolor instruction, hahaha. On top of that, my channel is only 9 mo. old and still in its infancy. I have plans to cover all sorts of stuff in the months and years to come. I've not even begun to scratch the surface, so for a beginner there will be a lot of missing info I'm sure. I encourage input and ideas about what topics to cover so any suggestions you have will be taken into consideration. As for studio organization its a fairly personal thing and depends somewhat on your space but perhaps in the future I will do a tour of my studio set up and that will give you some ideas.

Thanks so much for watching Karla!

[KimberlyCrick]

Agreed, I've been incredibly impressed with the amount of water my Princeton Neptune brushes can hold. They are very soft, but once you're used to using a soft brush they can be shaped to a fine point as you paint, so I use them for detail and washes alike. I use them for all my painting videos for now, though I do love the super fine points on those Silver Black Velvet brushes.

[mindofwatercolor]

If I could only use one brush it would probably be a quill (large round) of some sort. Like the Princeton. Allows big washes and yet has a fine point for detail.

[jeanmilhollin]

You give such great demonstration. You try too answer questions your viewers ask. We all I am sure learn also from them. Tell. All your young ones at 50 + that they are lucky . Here I am 73 and I my take longer than most I/love Watercolor. It does have a mind of its own and so do I. I have the brush and water without me it ain't going anywhere.

[dannwiester]

As always, thank you for posting. I always check here first before moving on to glean visual information from around the Tube. I depend more on visual and hands on learning because of AD although I still read as much as I can, I just have to reread five times over.  Also, I enjoy reading what your other followers have to share. But I suspect we have only begun to scratch the surface of what you would be able to teach us. I think we are pretty lucky to have a learned person willing to take the time and effort to teach others and as far as I can see you are one of the best at teaching on the Tube for information and instruction. I for one am willing to donate as much as I can each month to see you continue with longer tutorials to learn from. I hope other followers will try to do the same. Art and watercolor have given me so much comfort, peace, inspiration and joy for the past five years and like most people we start by teaching our self or take classes, then we find YouTube and Reece. Maybe I can skip some of my paper, paint and brush expense to retain what is vital to learning and at the same time give back to what art has given to me. I ask the followers, who among us could live without the sparkling personality of Reece and the fine lessons of Mr. Mitchell.

[jeannetteantry]

I am going to try these brushes. I have heard that the mixture is a good way to go. I am going to try the hot press paper too. I love getting good advice. I think it is so much work to create a painting and not have the paint lay or mix correctly or blend and set lines in my colors of have brushes that get lay paint with enough water or color in the brush. I am excited to try a little more expensive paper since I am really working to get a good result from my efforts. I realize I can draw out large floral and paint things I long to paint. Your insight is really worth so much. Thanks for sharing.

[carmelarugel]

Thank you for all your feedback on watercolor. Your video is very educational. 👌

[carolhoover-whippy]

My favorite watercolor brushes are the Squirrel Quill brushes from Raphael and Isabey. The brush I use the most is my #6 Raphael squirrel brush. I use the cold press Arches block size 12" X 16" and for a treat I use Arches 300 lb sheet. My favorite wc paints are Daniel Smith fine watercolors. I have been painting with these supplies since 1989 and they are still my favorites.
I love your videos. Your style is closest to what I learned from my professor in college. He always told us, "less is more." Thank you for your videos.

[giespel]

I recently started watercolor painting and have been using only Arches. I can't even compare with non-cotton paper. Yeah, I'm spoiled 🤩

[KDubTwin]

After watching this video, I bought the Silver brushes. I love them. I also started using the M. Graham watercolors. I love those also! Thank you for your video.

[ariellemagno]

This is great, Steve! Thanks a lot. I'm a beginner and I've always thought I'm supposed to invest most on paint but you've made it clearer to prioritize paper. And God, I love your cold pressed Arches.

[debracarty]

Steve, I have to agree with you on the paper, funny, I use the Same brushes...love, kove, love! Now, paint....I have mostly Daniel Smith, a few M. Graham, I really haven't compared, my foul! I will definitely do so! I respect and admire you as an artist so gonna have

[Robreehl]

Steve,
I found you on Pinterest and am so glad I did!  I have taken up watercolor again.  My first time was several years ago when I took some watercolor classes.  Now I realize why I loved it so.  I have been watching watercolor instruction videos for the past few months and honestly I LOVE your videos. They're so well done and easy to understand.  My fave so far ... and I haven't watched all of them yet is the one on how to pain trees.  I have been struggling with that for a while... but now I can't wait to try the 'shape' study and then actually paint some real ones.  Please continue to do these instruction videos.  I think it is what you were made to do.  Thanks so much.  My watercolor learning curve has been accelerated because of you and I am so appreciative of that.  My best,
Rosemary Breehl

[Mellie]

Hi Steve! What a blessing this video was.... Super beginner and struggling with gradient washes. This video is really helpful!! Thank you from London

[musicme]

Thank you for each and every video. You never fail to inform, entertain and always CREATE BEAUTIFUL ART!

[pilucapiluca]

The firsts brushes i've bought are two synthetic brushes by Raphael soft-aqua.. and they have really surprised me!!! They are imitations of petit gris, and they are really soft!! I'm loving them...!!!

[Karla_Smith]

Well Hello Steve!

It's so nice to find your wonderful videos!  I appreciate your willingness to share your favorites but also that you mention what to look for as it sure helps a beginner like me who has been searching for real honest answers about this subject of supplies. It's sad when you pay good money for a workshop and get frustrated because of the starter grade products they recommend only frustrate instead of inspire since not all products are the same at all...  Now that I have my paper, and a few brushes, I'm ready to really learn to paint with watercolor.  As for my paints, I have inherited some Windsor Newton from my mother and grandmother but also, I was able to go to a Golden demonstration at a near by art supply store and decided to purchase a set of 6 colors to give a try.  I live in Southern California and the weather has been so darn hot that I'd love to give M. Graham a try in the future since I like the idea of the paints staying a little more moist....  I truly look forward to getting started in watercolor painting but I'm not sure where to begin...  Can you direct me to your videos in order?  I have done the basic but now I'm not sure what comes  Also, do you work on a slant at all?  

Since I've acquired a load of art supplies and such, I'm organizing my studio space (garage) and would love to hear how you store and organize your art studio and supplies.  One side of my garage is being arranged so I can organize by type of supply etc, but mostly so that I can gather whatever I need for whatever art project I'm participating in since I won a class with a mixed media artist last year, Jeanne Oliver, Studying under the Masters.  This Masters series will allow me to use my collection of pens, pencils, acrylics, watercolors, neocolor II crayons, etc.  So you see being organized is going to help my brain so I can just gather my supplies for each project at hand.  Watercolor has been something I've always said I'd love to try and being at my old age of 50, I'm really ready to give this art a fair chance...  On days that the temps are in the 90's, I'd love to have a travel bag ready to grab so I can sketch and paint at the shore....  Do you paint/sketch away from your home studio?  I'd love to hear?

This comment is a bit long and I'm sorry for that...  

Again, thanks so much for your great videos, I don't have the funds to attend any real life art instruction so I've turned to learning what I can with wonderful folks like you.  

Warm regards,
Karla

[boodo]

I ordered a no. 8 Silver Black Velvet brush that came today. WOW.. now I see what you mean.  Nice balance, amazing tip, smooth... Thanks for the tip.

[toxicmelody]

*Sees the Brush cost $44 on Amazon, goes and set a trap in my yard for a free squirrel brush*