As boring as my husband found this (the non artist), I was absolutely riveted by all the trials of different materials. I love your videos. Thanks for sharing.

Graphite! Ouch but you are soooo right! Thank you 😮

All of this is very subjective - every artist has their best and favorite paper, paint, brushes etc..likely what their art instructors have told them is the best. I've noticed so many youtube artists eventually get their name on a set of brushes and make money on their merch . I'm not opposed to that - we all gotta pay the bills. But as a new watercolorist, the cost to try them all is overwhelming..Now I have tons of paper and tubes and brushes chasing "the best" and have consciously chosen artists who recommend to use what you have. Maybe find an artist you love to paint with and stick to the basics - I've learned that jumping from artist to artist can be mind-boggling and expensive and frustrating. Think about the Masters and what poor quality supplies they had and yet.....Good information for those who haven't made the purchase but I'm sticking to what I have in the drawer and try to paint something everyday using what I have; to do less is a waste of resources. If you don't use it, don't stick it in a drawer- donate to school or others for use. For me, its the journey...not the destination. Thank you for the video.

The algorithm brought me here; I agree with all your takes while-heartedly, although like you mentioned black has a place in certain techniques/urban sketching. For those who have budget limitations or can’t otherwise afford lots of cotton paper - 1.) Use both sides of the cotton paper. (High-quality paper is typically usable on both sides) 2.) Use watercolor/absorbent grounds to correct mistakes, prep low-quality paper, or completely cover an old practice painting. 3.) Experiment with sizing! Sometimes a cheaper paper can be made to feel more premium with the correct sizing. 4.) Some surfaces (like Ampersand Aquabord) feel different than cotton but are re-usable; just wash the old stuff away and try again! 5.) Gouache is more tolerant of cellulose/cheap paper, although it feels better to use cotton. I found non-US stores (like Artemiranda and Jackson’s) have frequent sales on non-US brands (like Arches,Roman Szmal, Schmincke, Etchr, etc), although you may need to spend a bit to get free shipping. Hopefully some folks found your video useful, and don’t take it too personally that cotton is a pretty great surface to use!

All very good to know! The more we learn, the better we can become! Thank you for the time you put into filming for us! And very happy to see you happy and confident! It's been a hard few months for you. Thank you for not giving up! ❤

Thank you very much for this video. It was very informative. I was wondering about Cottman watercolor paints? I am a beginner watercolor painter and would like to know if I should bother with the Cotman or just cough up the money and get the good paints?

Thank you very much for this video. It was very informative. I was wondering about Cottman watercolor paints? I am a beginner watercolor painter and would like to know if I should bother with the Cotman or just cough up the money and get the good paints?

At art school we didn’t draw on watercolor paintings. Sargent didn’t do that. Pencils shouldn’t be an issue.

I Just found you, and will subscribe! And wait, whoa! You have a pet ferret?? Now I know you're "my people" ❤

The sizing in papers can be more of an issue than fiber content. Soft papers will pil and stain so the watercolors will not flow whether rag or wood pulp. Cotman makes a great affordable wood pulp/celluose watercolor paper. True it may dry unevenly and sometimes create blooms but that can be managed by water consistency . Learning water to paint ratio is the key to a good painting.

I put off buying Blackwing pencils for years because, I couldn’t see what the real worth in them, being just graphite. I tried a friend’s pencil and really wasn’t impressed. Fast forward five years and I saw them recently come in to my local art shop and they were selling them individually. Now since they are not sold sharpened you can’t really try them out before you buy them, but I had a spare few quid and thought “What the Hell”, so I bought it. Got it home sharpened it and got to drawing. To tell you I instantly felt an affinity with the towns people in the “Emperor’s New Clothes”: The minute you put pencil to paper you realise they are on a par with a quality drawing pencil from The like of Faber castle and nothing more. Every one is honestly jumping on the band wagon to say they are some amazing art pencil, but they are not SMH. No one wants to admit that they have been duped into buying an overpriced pencil and are going along with everyone else. Do not waste your money. Buy a decent branded drawing pencil set for under £15 and save yourself money and the embarrassment that you have been duped.SMH

I did sign up for the craftsy classes. Thank you. I have heard recently several people mention lightfastness. Have you done a video on this?

Thank you for testing graphite pencils. I bought Faber-Castell 11 Pitt Graphite Matt (!!) pencils. Box set of 8 pencils in a range of HB to 14B, with eraser, sharpener, and big fat stompf. So pretty. The lines they make are matt only if pressed lightly. If one wants to use it in layers - the 4th layer is shiny.

Have you been tested for autoimmune diseases? My sister is going through similar as you. And they saw antibodies in Blood wk. Their thinking Hosimoto + ? Autoimmune runs in family too. Praying for you sister. ❤

That was such a great tip about setting the graphite with water before painting on it!

Interesting info. Thanks! So, what's with Craftsy? I bought many classes from them. The ones I took were good. Sometimes they would have sales and I'd buy more. Then one day I went to the site and found out that I needed to join Craftsy. I contacted them and was told they would let me have the courses I bought, but they needed the names of the courses. Huh? They have me on computer?? I gave up on them. It would be nice to have them give me reimburse me. The account would be under Carol Tensen.

I totally agree about the importance of good paper-it will cost you more in the long run if you try to learn as a beginner on cheap paper, because it just won’t respond well, and you’ll use way more paper experimenting.

Omg the crafty discount code is UNREAL!!!

Once I found Arches 140lb blocks it was a revelation 😀my advice is to see what other artists use and buy the best equipment and paint you can afford. Things are normally cheap for a reason! I use Sketchers waterproof ink in a variety of fountain pens, Lamy pens are inexpensive and come with easily changed nibs of different sizes, but the best secret of all is to find a Sailor Fude de Mannen pen these have funky bent nibs that give varying line weights, today my new Parker Urban in London Taxi black and chrome arrived I cannot wait to try it out. Agree about black, my art teacher Mrs Connolly at school told me never to use black she said to always mix your own darks and to never stop drawing and painting.

Another item that can be absolute death to a painting is Payne's Gray. It is a blended color so, not all brands are created equal. Some lean towards blue, some are absolute 'battle ship gray'. And some (I forget which brand....I tested them years ago, and just don't use them at all)...some have some opacity to them and make a painting murky.......my advice is just DON'T!!! I can see it from a mile away!! (so sad, and easy to prevent this one!!).

I wish you'd do a video of the do's and don't of using masking fluid. I have a hard time using it without getting a dirty blue stain even after lifting it. I have tried diluting with equal parts water. When it works well, it's fabulous, but I have ruined too many paintings with it to risk using it.

I just stumbled across your channel and I’m so glad I did! I just joined Craftsy for $1.49 and I wouldn’t have even known about the discount without you. thank you!

Canson XL spiral bound watercolor pads are great for beginners and for practicing. I've been urban sketching for a couple of years using slightly more expensive watercolor sketchbooks, but I still use Canson XL to try out color mixes and just general messing around.

I agree 100%!! I also started with the cheapy watercolor pad and was like "What the heck? Why isn't the water moving? Why isn't the paint blending and flowing? This sucks!" It was frustrating and I just thought it was me. It made learning a lot less fun as I could never get any of the stuff we look to see happen actually happen! Then I got some Bahong paper from Temu. (And yes, I realize they sell a lot of junk. But the paper is awesome!!) At the time I didn't realize it was actually considered a decent paper. I just got it for the cotton aspect. But then I realized it's on par with the really good papers (at least in many opinions) So I find there really is no need for the bad stuff, even for practice. It will make learning a lot more fun and you'll definitely get a feel for it much faster. At least I did :) I also get all my Micron pens, mechanical pencils and gel pens there (I do a lot of ink and wash) Even painter's tape and rulers etc. I did try the paint and it was crap. But the other stuff is worth looking into. And if anything gets damaged in transit, they just refund it. (I had a few pads get dinged on the corners and they just gave me the money back) Needless to say, I have a little paper addiction at this point. Haha!

I started with Pentel, then tried Mungyo Gallery and there was a world of difference. Then I tried the 48 set from Lightwish and WOW! They are so soft and creamy, and blend like dream. I can't even imagine how the Sennelier could be any better. And the price is way lower on the Lightwish. I use cheap cotton swabs for blending. If you buy the good ones the 'fluff' comes off in the pastel, but the cheap ones work really well. I can use the Lightwish on just about any kind of paper with good results. When I say good results, I mean for me. I am nowhere near the artist that you are and only dream about being able to do a piece like you've done. Fantastic!

I needed this message today. I seldom sit down to make art for myself. Thank you for sharing your beautiful sketch books

People buy what they can afford!!

Thank you for your informative video, very interesting. I have a variety of papers and paints and brushes. Wish I used them all more! Ha ha.

This is very helpful. I've been blocked for a long time. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing.

Thank you 🙏

Ya can't go wrong with Mitsubishi Pencil Co. 😁

I wanted to hate the Blackwing Black pencils. I really really really wanted to the Blackwing pencils... So expensive.... Did I mention, I really really really wanted to the Blackwing pencils... 3 boxes latter... I am hooked! Literally hooked! I love them, because I can get more depth in my drawings, from the blackest black to a faint whisper with a sharpened point/less pressure. Witches have wands, I have my Blackwings. I have drawers & drawers of art supplies, I could get rid of it all, but not my Blackwings. Draw on sisters!

I love BaoHong's Academy Watercolor paper. Such a bang for your buck.

Thanks from Down Under. New subscriber and I used the discount to Craftsy. Bargain

Why are some people getting mad that she is recommending higher-quality paper? She is correct. The paper used in watercolor is crucial. If you are on a budget, you can start off with six tubes (or pans) of high-quality paint and a pad of Arches (or Baohong--less expensive). The paper can be cut in half and you would just have to paint small. The paint will last a long time. This is all you need and your experience painting will be much less frustrating and the results will be better. Of course, you can use a pad of cheaper paper to test things out.

Hi, love your video and good advice. Why do you use different email accounts for your orders? Hugs from Italy 🇮🇹

Brushes are such a weird issue. I have spent loads of cash on extremely expensive NEEF brushes from Australia and just a few bucks on synthetic brushes from AMAZON that are GREAT for watercolor and it's hard to tell you WHY that is although I can say there are brushes that are good for oil and acrylic BUT not good for watercolor. and the size and shape really matter with watercolor. I can't see any need to use my "knife" shaped broshes for anything but ink or water.

Hey Amy!, You are absolutely correct about the paper BUT, HOWEVER - You don't have to throw out your "other" paper because they are good for pencil sketching and even charcoal!

Thank you! This is the best art channel! ~

Crafts is really good .excellent advice. @Thanks

Just started following you, this is a Really helpful vlog, I learned these lessons the hard way! I would add, for me I out grew my student quality paints very quickly too. I wish I'd bought a limited pastel of good quality paints over a large pallet of student quality.

I like mixing my own soft blacks with burnt sienna and aquamarine or using a gray. If it’s too light, I can build it up. It also removed the need to spend money on a black paint😂. (I don’t use ink for line work, only paint.)

I'm still learning how to paint watercolor. BUT... I agree with some points. 1) cellulose paper is great for practicing brush strokes...but not for quality results. The main issue I found was the pilling. 2) I buy cheap brushes for craft uses. I found the tips do not hold up very well, but they are better than nothing for a beginner. I have been gradually increasing the quality of my brushes and have found a difference. 3) Graphite- I HATE GRAPHITE! Save it for drawing practice! I prefer sketching with watercolor pencils in a very close shade . They do not dirty your painting if you use a light hand and the right color. 4) Black paint.. This is a good idea... I'm going to experiment with these colorization tips! Of course, black has it's place in certain styles. 5) Black ink. Now this is subjective. I love black ink, however I just bought a new set of pens that includes a grey color, and I'm really liking it. Haven't tried the sepia pens yet, but will be ordering them. I also have dip pens, but I need to practice with them more. I do appreciate the reminder to spend more time with them. 6) One thing that I would like to add... On Paper.. Using the right texture is important! Examples: *I love Hot Pressed paper for detailed work. * Cold Pressed is better for handling looser and wetter applications. * Rough Paper is probably going to be great for very wet and loose applications, as it can grab the water in the texture. FINAL THOUGHTS: We don't have to agree with each other, try things out and make your own conclusions, but I do think this video can be helpful to some.

Great tips, Amy!

I enjoy your commentary, but I don’t enjoy the speed it up videos. I don’t watch any videos that are sped up or have music. I just want to hear the sounds of your studio and your voice teaching what you are on KZbin to do. I don’t understand speeding up videos if you’re trying to teach something.

Disagree on paper. I like cellulose for some things. And I like some better than others. One of my fav I found at Walmart. Black isn't that rare. Black is rarely flat. Complementary colors don't always work for something. Ugh. This is why I dislike these kinds of videos. Best for you might not be the best for someone else. Especially when people are beginning. I wouldn't spend a fortune on paper that I don't want to practice on knowing I am LEARNING.

I’d love to see a side by side with the bad vs good of the same painting

Thanks! I have been wanting to try Craftsy but I was hesitant to spend the money. Thanks for the $1.49 price for a year! I signed up.

I like the look of those markers, great art piece, thanks for sharing.