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Thank gosh you didn't buy those watercolors. Friends don't let friends by Big Lots Watercolors, lol. Those are way below student grade.
I watched the Oscars tonight. I am soooo tired, lol. Now, I am waiting for WENN to get all the pictures out on the Celeb gossip & fashion sites. I love award show time. Fashion is a huge inspiration for my art and watercoloring. I live for Oscar night. Oscars always show what will be in for fashion this year more than New York's fashion week. So apparently this year will be skinny belts and clothes that wash you out, ROFL! Hopefully, I can set down and color this week.
Yeah, even at $3 the more I think about it the more I'm glad I didn't. They are first and foremost probably dried out and not in a reuseable/good way. They are probably also so full of additives that they won't dissolve/mix properly and if they did the colors wouldn't be any better than cheap set of pans I already have, lol.
I not into award show much anymore but they have played the clip of the Lawrence chick tripping up the stairs a zillion time this morning. You already know I'm not a pink person but that gown is awesome. Made me want to pull out some florals and paint too! Now where are my twinks......
Poor JLaw! I felt so bad for her. That dress was too big to walk up the stairs. She was beautiful in it. She is the new girl for Dior. I knew Dior would go big and princessy with her Oscar dress. I wasn't disappointed. Her former stylist hated her. She would dress poor JLaw in 1980's Alexis Carrington meets the 1970's upholsterer look. It was horrid. Thank gosh for Dior.
I spent the evening looking at all the dresses. I had to look at all the dresses for the Vanity Fair party & Elton John's. I can say I am not inspired. I am more horrified than anything. Bradley Copper's Mom- Your lovely as can be. You have the sweetest son. Could you please give the Ostrich his feathers back. I am sure he would be grateful.
No painting or sketching out new fashion inspirations this week. My DH bought me some cute new ribbons and stickers so that has left me inspired to make something.
Does the music inspire you to create something Dini? Maybe the music is trying to tell you something... lol.
Spent yesterday watching the weather where my DS is at for college, yep he was in the path of the newest blizzard. Actually got to talk with him last nite, not a confusing incomplete text but a real conversation. I am happy now so maybe the muse will cooperate today.
I haven't had time to really create for the sake of creating - the last few weeks have been super busy, so I've really only just had time for 'required crafting'... but I do have a stamp set on the way from Inky Antics with the quote "To love another person is to see the face of God" and I can't wait to have that here! Guesting for them in May.
I went looking for watercolor paints yesterday and it seems that Michaels and Joann's both are cutting back on fine art supplies again, ugh. I can choose from Lowes-Cornell, Reeves, or art something. I'm so frustrated!
I did find a set of 10 Van Goeh tubes for $42 but wasn't sure. Should I go back, I have a %40 coupon or keep looking? I was trying to to this on the "down low" so DH wouldn't notice but I may have have order online anyway.
Do you have a Hobby Lobby close by? They have a nice selection of watercolor paints.
Van Gogh is student grade but a lot of professional artists do use them. The lightfast quality is excellent. Michael's does have a 50% coupons this week. My DH found one on his mobile app. I bought a huge pack of glitter Wednesday night. !
Do you have an art store in town? It's so hard to find high quality paints of any kind at the big box craft stores. Hobby Lobby has been the best bet for me.
Our Lindsay (TheFrugalCrafter) has great watercolor tutorials and videos on her site with artist quality watercolors.
I hope this links right. Here's a list of artist quality watercolors- Watercolor Painting - BLICK art materials It did not link right. Grrrrr. Click on Artist watercolor and it will take you to the listings.
Hobby Lobby was where I found the Van Goah paints. I keep thinking the M's & J's here were just waiting until after inventory time to restock watercolor paint sets but they still have the same the same stuff as when I started looking at the end of the year
Blick is where I was considering ordering from if I do it online. I'll check out the video you found asap. I've got the coupons for all three big box stores, M's is 50, J & HL are 40%. I guess a 10% diff isn't that much to get something better quality product. I may have to go to Asel but then I would have to pay full price, no coupons. What to do, what to do, what to do -lol.
I did notice something interesting when I was checking out Amazon, Dewert pencils and Reeves are the same company. Did ya'll know that?
HI..I have never used the Van gough..but I love W&N products..I also like Sennelier that Lylacfey suggested. They are super!
I would start with the best set that I could afford. The thing with tube watercolors is that if you get a decent, even if smaller set, you can mix MANY colors from it.
Hobby Lobby was where I found the Van Goah paints. I keep thinking the M's & J's here were just waiting until after inventory time to restock watercolor paint sets but they still have the same the same stuff as when I started looking at the end of the year
Blick is where I was considering ordering from if I do it online. I'll check out the video you found asap. I've got the coupons for all three big box stores, M's is 50, J & HL are 40%. I guess a 10% diff isn't that much to get something better quality product. I may have to go to Asel but then I would have to pay full price, no coupons. What to do, what to do, what to do -lol.
I did notice something interesting when I was checking out Amazon, Dewert pencils and Reeves are the same company. Did ya'll know that?
I read somewhere awhile back that Reeves & Derwent were the same. I have a reading obsession. Yes, I was the geeky kid that read the cereal box, lol.
I was in Michael's tonight and I was looking at watercolors for you. I am not impressed with Michael's watercolor section. They do carry W&N paints. W&N does have nice paints. My DH uses that brand for his oils. He does use higher quality paints for oils. He does like the W&N a lot.
Michael's you can buy individual tubes with coupons. You can pick up one a week and it doesn't hurt your pocketbook so much. That's how my DH collected his paints. Remember Michael's reward cards from last year? My DH got us to the gold level in two weeks buying oil painting supplies. Isn't that funny? Tonight he was digging around in the canvases. Somehow I walked out of the store with a new set of Hello Kitty glasses. My DH insisted I needed them. He's bad in the craft stores.
Here's a good link to get you started on Watercolors-
This page has the colors you need to get started with. I agree with this tutorial on the sizes. Bigger is not needed in watercolors. Small goes a long way.
I get asked a lot how I make Distress Ink. Watercolors contain the pigments that make "Distress Ink" especially the higher quality paints. Of course DI's are inks but a good set of watercolors will mimic a lot of techniques especially when you start mixing watercolor additives. Why I bring this up in such a confusing way, ROFL!
Buying a mid-range or higher end quality paints gives you a lot more freedom in doing watercolor techniques over student grade. On the mid-range paints you want a good quality that has some type of binder in it. In your research make sure your looking for a binder. Dick Blick does list it. I think CheapJoes does too.
Student grade watercolors, usually, do not have binders. They are good for laying down washes. Plus, they are fun just to play with. I like to keep a couple of sets in my art supplies.
Buying higher quality is a bigger sticker shock but it does come out to be more frugal in the end. Watercolors never go bad like other paints. Add a little water and they are brand new again. You will have a set that lasts a lifetime.
So would Van Gogh or W&N's Cotman's be better quality do you think as a mid range set?
Never mind forgot to go to the link you gave me, learning a lot....
cotman is a nice mid level paint, I would recommend that to my price conscious students. I use M Graham Artist watercolors personally. They also use honey and their colors are so rich and vibrant but almost all artist grade paint will be. I recommend investing in a large nice palette with wells around the edge to squeeze the tube paint into and a large mixing are in the center (Like the Pike palette) and start with a warm and cool version of each color, I use Alizeran Crimson, Cadmium red, cadmium yellow, lemon yellow, ultramarine blue and Pthlao blue and also Sap Green and burn Sienna. You can make anything with those 8 colors! If you squeeze them in the wells of a palette and let them dry before using you will get years (possibly a lifetime if you only using them for stamping) from your paint. I order from dick blick all the time, they are a great company. Be sure to leave the lid off the palette while they dry and after painting until they dry, that way if you have any impurities in your water the paint will not mold. Paint with honey tends not to mold as well. Hope it helps! I have a video on getting started in watercolor free here...well the video is free ha ha, can't comment on the price of the paint LOL! Lindsays_watercolor_basics.mpg - YouTube
Hope it helps
I purchased the Van Gogh 10 tube set but haven't opened them yet. My son is home for spring break now so probably won't open them up until next week. Lol it's gonna be the longest week and the shortest week at the same time, sigh
Ironically, I went to a different Hobby Lobby and found them $3 cheaper, not that it really makes a difference with a coupon but a penny saved is a penny earned right, lol. I think HL may just about the only company that still uses price stickers intead of electronics.
Also hope to suppliment with individual tubes eventually but this set is a good set for a novice (me) to get started with. I do know about the warm and cool colors read a fantastic book from the library about all that.
off to see if the kid is ever gonna get up and at it for the day... college kids and their "hours"... Have a great week everyone!!
Last edited by stampin stacy; 03-11-2013 at 06:26 AM..
Stacy I am so glad you checked back in and let us know what paints you got. I was wondering if you picked up any. I live in a college town so college kid hours are the norm, lol. He's on Spring Break Mom stop trying to get him up, lol. Don't you know the rules? Your supposed to let him sleep all day! ! Then when he gets up your supposed to make him all his favorite foods & do his laundry. ! When he is sleeping you can play with your paints.
I hope he has a fun Spring break and that it drags out forever. Short Spring breaks just suck. I think it's sweet he came home to Mom. He sounds like a great kid.
I love that Hobby Lobby still uses price stickers. It's so much better than Michaels' corporate pricing and confusing the employees where they just make a guess at what the price is. This is what my Michael's does, lol.
Unfortunately his bedroom is directly across from my stamp room so I don't usually go in there while he is sleeping, ah well.
Stayed up late reading and he woke up before me this morn, lol. He walked in and said "finally" cause he doesn't know how to make coffee in a regular machine. They are only allow to have coffee makers that do not have a burner, aka the expensive Kuereg's at school. Thank goodness he has a frugal gene too and is willing to use regular coffee and a reuseable K -cup filter or suppling a college kid with coffee could become more expensive than tuition, lol.
later guys, how about the rest of you any watercoloring going on?
Unfortunately his bedroom is directly across from my stamp room so I don't usually go in there while he is sleeping, ah well.
Stayed up late reading and he woke up before me this morn, lol. He walked in and said "finally" cause he doesn't know how to make coffee in a regular machine. They are only allow to have coffee makers that do not have a burner, aka the expensive Kuereg's at school. Thank goodness he has a frugal gene too and is willing to use regular coffee and a reuseable K -cup filter or suppling a college kid with coffee could become more expensive than tuition, lol.
later guys, how about the rest of you any watercoloring going on?
You could go in your room and blast heavy metal music so he can feel like he's back at school, ROFL! I would so do that just to be ornery.
I laughed so hard about the coffee machine. I don't drink coffee & I am terrible with coffee machines. I feel for college kids now. Everything extra is more expensive than tuition.
I wish I was watercoloring. I am organizing paper with a not so big helper of a cat on my desk. It's all my colored cardstock. I have way too much. I usually buy one sheet at a time. I bought big stacks so I could give my Mom cardstock.
She is losing her eyesight but the doctor tried some new treatments. She responded really well. Now, she's in cardmaking mode. She is going to think she won the lottery this week when I take all the cardstock over.
Everyone you need to go peek in the gallery at Dini's latest creation. I am going to make you all find it. Trust me it's worth it. I don't want to spoil the mouth dropping reaction you are all going to have.
Dini I was so impressed what you made. You can send it to me. ;)
Oh, I meant to say - I am doing some freelance work for that company and it has been fun to just let loose a little with my projects! I don't have any restrictions except to use their preprinted backgrounds and make them look good. Love that! It's nice to just create for creating's sake.
I'm pretty sure everyone else probably already knew this, lol, but don't bother with the 'budget' priced Royal Langnickel tin of watercolours. They are terrible. Very grainy, and very chalky looking when they dry. I am not impressed that I wasted even a small amount of my limited budget on them. :(
Sounds like the results I expected to get from the Big Lots set I didn't buy. I learned years ago a few extra $$ can make all the difference in the world. Bought a very cheap basic 8 set of pastels that just would not color the paper no matter what. I still see that set and think, " I could have bought a stamp or two for the money I wasted there, grrr", lol.
I was tempted for a moment to get the really cheap gouche set but have talked myself out of it, I think...
The funny thing is, I still have the remains of two cheap sets I had as a kid (one is Reeves, the other is nameless) that are miles better than these modern new-fangled things! ;)
I will just have to save up for a few months and then get either the Cotman or Koi pan set.
Hi Everyone! I hope you are all enjoying Spring and being able to go outside to paint. This is my last post. My DH & I bought our dream home. I am off to make new art, gardens & decorate. I know I won't have time for my forums any more. I am very excited. I wanted to let you all know how much I treasured my friendships that I made here and my make do thread. Big hugs!
Soo..is anyone still using water media? I have been out of the loop for the better part of this year and am just trying to catch up on some of my old threads...I am hearing crickets in them HAHAHA
We moved this year and I just got my studio unpacked..all the pencils are ready to go..just gotta get in some kinda creative groove again.
I'm with you! I have all these mediums at my disposal, and my creative groove just isn't groovin!!!!
I'm curious too, have any of you ever used the Peerless water colors? If so, any thing special I should know before I dive into them? Thank you in advance for your expertise in this area. I sure appreciate any help.......
Lovetostamp, I don't have experience with that particular brand of water colors. I will sometimes look up a produtc on Amazon and read reviews if I am not sure about them..maybe you can try that LOL
I'm with you! I have all these mediums at my disposal, and my creative groove just isn't groovin!!!!
I'm curious too, have any of you ever used the Peerless water colors? If so, any thing special I should know before I dive into them? Thank you in advance for your expertise in this area. I sure appreciate any help.......
I love Peerless watercolor papers. The colors are so vibrant and really love that I won't have to worry about them drying out.
There is nothing special about them except being aware as to how vibrant they are.
I have only played with them once briefly. They were very vibrant and true in color, they would also be portable. Just cut a swatch of each color place in a zip bag or something and off you go.
I have only played with them once briefly. They were very vibrant and true in color, they would also be portable. Just cut a swatch of each color place in a zip bag or something and off you go.
True on the portability but make sure that you stack your strips so that it's color against color because they could contaminate each other. I just wrap a rubber band around them. Also, some of my color strips didn't have a label with the name on them and so I wrote the name on the backside.
I've attached some info that might help and the color chart.
I have never heard of the peerless watercolor papers( IDK how LOL)..What's the attraction to them?
When you get down to it for me watercolor mediums are about the same but it's about personal preference. I like the papers because they are portable, vibrant, and they last forever because you only need to pick up a small amount of color.
I don't buy watercolor in tubes because they dry out;
With pencils and crayons I have to make a separate pallet because I have trouble being able to blend out the pencil lines.
Pots seem not be as vibrant - the colors are nice but very soft
I'm not going to try to make anyone believe that they must have the Peerless papers and must replace what they currently have. I have pencils, crayons, and pots because they give me a huge range of colors but if I knew about the papers first, I would have never bought the other watercolor mediums.
I so appreciate the feedback from your experiences.
I originally saw a class advertised thru a well known on line site, and the instructor used these watercolors. The samples were stunning, and the colors so beautiful, that is what inspired me to purchase them. I did some on line research, and well.... (You know how us crafters can get sucked into things) Before I screwed things up using them, I thought I would get some expert advise. They look so easy to use, and the colors so vibrant. The samples looked like you could also water them down for a pastel look as well, since they are transparent. I love to try different things, so...... That's why I have more stamping stuff than I can ever use!!!
Thanks again for all your input, it's so beneficial when you're trying something new.
