watercolour painting
Search for the Perfect Watercolour Palette
What I Found at the End of a Long Search for the Perfect Watercolour Palette
· Dreamy and mesmerising
∘ What is the first thing most watercolour artists want?
· Transition from iPad drawing to real watercolour
· Swatching colours is a lot of fun
· Conclusion
Dreamy and mesmerising
What is the first thing most watercolour artists want?
They want their artwork to look its best — dreamy, magical and mesmerising. And all of that with all colours of the rainbow at their disposal. Well, I certainly did.
Living in Sydney, Australia, you don’t always get all the European or American watercolour brands easily. We have to rely heavily on online stores that deliver to Australia. They are slow, more expensive and sometimes may even arrive a little damaged. And it can take a long time for deliveries to arrive. But it’s the best choice Australians and possibly New Zealanders have, being so far away from the rest of the world.
Transition from iPad drawing to real watercolour
After trying Procreate on my iPad in 2021, I took the headlong plunge into proper old-fashioned watercolour on paper. It was somewhere around early 2022 I did the first painting of my adulthood. It was far from pretty, but it got me hooked, and I haven’t looked back since. I realised soon enough that I was going to land up spending a bit of money on my new hobby, but can you put a price on happiness?
In about a year’s time, I’ve tried quite a few pigment brands like Schmincke, Winsor Newton, Gansai Tambi — Kuretake, Daniel Smith, White Nights, Van Gough, Sennilier, Holbein and even Tombow watercolour markers. They are all different, all amazing in their own little way. Some are expensive, some middle of the road, but most of all, it has been fun.
Swatching colours is a lot of fun
There is one thing for sure, swatching old and new colours is an amazingly exhilarating process. As you practice more, you learnt to swatch better, you also learn to make the right mix of water to paint ratio. This is where the magic begins, and you discover beautiful tonalities of colours. It’s fascinating watching pigments infuse with water and other colours on paper.
Conclusion
The perfect palette is an illusion — there is no such thing as a perfect palette. It is all a journey. But sure enough, you will like some brands or colours more than others. The trick lies in experimenting with a wide variety of them, even if they have critical reviews online.
Colour palette selection is a very personal choice. Take other people's advice with a grain of salt. What works for them may not work for you. So go forth and make your mess. Dirty your hands and clothes with watercolour. The answer doesn’t lie in a brand or a box. What you like today will change in a few months’ time. Embrace the journey.
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