Your Questions about Gear

Marque Todd says:
"I bought your WC video and have been avidly following all of the posts this week - a couple of things I am still grappling with for my kit and I hope you can answer:

"1) How do you protect your brushes from damage with all the jostling they get in a to-go pack? If they are loose in a container the tips can get damaged and that seems a pity particularly for expensive sable brushes. I am also having a problem finding something big enough for short handle brushes that isn't so long that it is hard to pack - any suggestions?"

Thanks, Marque. I keep my brushes loose in a box. The tips are safe as long as the box stays parallel to the ground, but in my belt pouch the box never tips on end. Sometimes if I'm worried about a delicate brush I keep the plastic protector from when it was new and slip that on. I keep the brushes all facing one end of the box. If one needs a good washing out later, I face it the other way in the box so that I'll recognize it right away.

I'm always on the lookout for a box that's just long enough for most short handled brushes but not too big, and one that opens quietly. If a brush is too long to fit in the box, such as an oil brush, I chop it down.

Jeanette uses a brush holder made of stiffened fabric. The brushes tuck into elastic bands, and the whole thing folds open to display the brushes while you're working. When in transit it rolls up and is held with Velcro. I like it except that it's a little too long for my belt pouch.

"2) If you are holding your sketchbook on your lap (vs. using the stiff board behind) how do you manage that with the landscape format? It is pretty floppy and somewhat of a balancing act. The only thing I could think of was to put a binder clip across the gutter/hinge area to help stabilize it."

Sketching at Yellowstone with friends from the ASAI

I've used the binder-clip-across-the-spine idea, and that works fine. Otherwise I just try to rest the middle of the book's covers on the tops of my thighs to keep it from flopping. If I have to, I steady the book with my left hand.

Glenn wondered about the sketchbook pochade rig, asking if I countersunk the T- nuts (Those are the threaded nuts with a flange that fits through the plywood, holding it to your tripod.)

Glenn, Yes, I countersink the T-nut flange using a 3/4 inch spade bit, then glue the T-nut in with Gorilla Glue, so that it doesn't work its way loose. But since it's getting pulled tight from the back, it holds really well. If I was using 1/4 plywood for the backboard, I probably wouldn't countersink for fear of weakening the wood.

For you scratch builders, here's the pochade laid out flat. The red dots on the paint tray are magnet positions, which hold on the metal mixing trays or watercolor kits.


Here is the underside with two quick release plates attached. My new iteration of the rig has three T-nuts, one just right of center and one on each end. I use the central support point if I only have one tripod, and I use the two on the end if I need two tripods to keep the rig more stable when filming.

Here's how the rig looks set up. Every angle and slope is fully adjustable: diffuser, sketchbook, paint tray, and camera bar. The camera I'm using is a Canon VIXIA HF series. It shoots 1080p to flash memory and has the all the essential features: focus lock, custom white balance, and exposure controls, plus an external microphone jack that yields less noise than my DSLR. For a mike I use the inexpensive corded Audio-Technica lav microphone, sometimes clipping it to the sketchbook itself to pick up the scratchy pencil sound cues.

In this view you can see the two tripods. The diffuser panel, which is covered with white rip-stop Nylon, can slide right or left in its gripper to eliminate the direct sun. On the left is the Mighty Bright HammerHead Book Light, which clips on for night sketching.

And here's the the painting that's on the easel, the one that you can watch being painted in the "Watercolor in the Wild BONUS FEATURES" video, drawn with a brush and sepia watercolor in a museum.

Here are the links to that 28-minute video, available only as a download.

"Watercolor: BONUS FEATURES" (Gumroad via Credit Card)
"Watercolor: BONUS FEATURES" (Sellfy via Paypal)

And here are links for the main feature:
"Watercolor in the Wild" HD download: (Credit Card) 
"Watercolor in the Wild" HD download: (Paypal)
"Watercolor in the Wild" DVD: (NTSC, Region 1) 

Finally, three reviews:
"DVD Review: James Gurney’s Instructional Video 'Watercolor in the Wild'" by Marc Holmes, Urban Sketchers

"Plein Air Revolution" by Brad Teare, Thick Paint Blog
"DVD Review: Watercolor in the Wild" by Dan Dos Santos, Muddy Colors

Watercolor in the Wild--New Reviews

"Watercolor in the Wild has been getting some wonderful reviews. Here are some excerpts:

Henry Malt, Art Book Review

"...His approach is very interesting. For a start, he allows himself about an hour for a painting. Each demonstration here – there are six, covering buildings, animals, people and landscapes – is edited down to about fifteen minutes and covers all the important bits without leaving you thinking, “hang on, what did he do just then?”. He begins, conventionally enough, with a pencil drawing, but then spends the next thirty to forty minutes putting in tones, values and shading. With a quarter of an hour or less to go, he gets to the detail. That’s not enough, surely? No, not for fine detail, but the point is he’s working on very solid foundations: the subject has structure and substance and he doesn’t paint the detail at all, just suggests what the viewer should be seeing so that they create the finer stuff for themselves. It’s very subtle and, although not unique in itself, certainly unusual in combination with so much preparatory work."

"The exception to the one hour approach is a painting of a sleeping foal. Young animals are rarely still and only for short periods and this one is no exception. A large chunk of this section is taken up with watching the creature running round, interacting with its mother and eating. Finally, it needs a nap and we get to work. The point of this demonstration is to show how you can capture the essence of a subject if you’ve already understood it before you lift a brush. I like the fact that, once again, James doesn’t tell you this, but shows you."

"This is an exceptional piece of work and amazingly good value."

Read the rest at ArtBookReview.net

Charley Parker, Lines and Colors blog

"Gurney has a relaxed, conversational demeanor throughout — almost as though you had chanced upon him painting, asked about his materials and techniques, and found him more than happy to oblige. This is, of course, a superb approach for an instructional art video.

"The video production values are high, particularly in reproducing the sketchbook pages as the paintings progress, with lots of close-up views that show the renderings in detail....

"...One of the great things about these instructional videos by Gurney is the wealth of supplemental material available on his blog. This includes relevant material from previous posts and directly related questions answered afterward, all with lots of links to materials suppliers and other relevant resources.

"I now have several books and videos by Gurney, as well as being an avid follower of his blog, and I find a kind of synergy between his instructional materials, in that there is a basic underlying philosophy and systematic approach that comes from his considerable experience. I, for one, am hoping Gurney will follow up soon with a similar video on his techniques for opaque water media (gouache and casein). In the meanwhile, I’m finding transparent watercolor more pliant than I thought I would."

Read the rest at Lines and Colors

Review from Jackson Sze

"Watercolor in the Wild affords us a privileged look into the working process of a modern day master. James Gurney will inspire you to go out and paint, to try and capture life the way an artist can.With thorough breakdowns of equipment and materials, any artist will be well informed about what he or she needs to get started. The demos are both exciting and educational. As a Landscape Painting teacher, I would highly recommend any artist to watch and learn from Mr. Gurney. Though painting outdoors can be challenging, having this DVD in your collection should provide a constant source of encouragement and motivation."
Jackson Sze - Senior Concept Illustrator at Marvel Studios
https://www.facebook.com/jacksonszeart


"Gurney is an experienced teacher and you can really see that come through here. He is thoughtful and informative, while being very brief and succinct. It's a great companion to his previous DVD “How I Paint Dinosaurs.”  Read the rest—Dan Dos Santos, Muddy Colors Blog

"I highly recommend the affordably priced download for anyone who wants to learn more about achieving realistic paintings on location." —Read the rest—Marc Taro Holmes, Citizen Sketcher/Urban Sketchers.

“James Gurney’s latest instructional video, 'Watercolor in the Wild,' is an educational and entertaining trip into the mind of one of America’s most respected artist / illustrators." Read the rest—Darren Rousar, author of Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach

"James Gurney is making watercolor sketching from life accessible to anyone who's serious about taking on the challenge! (I'm in the process of begging and pleading with my digital students to learn to paint from life.)" —Nathan Fowkes, Animation Artist

-----

To purchase the 72-minute video "Watercolor in the Wild":
HD download: (Credit Card)  from Gumroad
HD download: (Paypal) from Sellfy buy
BONUS FEATURES (a half hour of additional bite-size inspiration)
DVD: (NTSC, Region 1-North America) 

Gouache Materials List

I was putting together a gouache materials list for an upcoming workshop, so I thought I would share it with you, too.

Surface

You can use illustration board, watercolor paper in sheets, a watercolor paper pad or spiral bound watercolor sketchbooks. However, I prefer to paint gouache in 5.5 x 8.5 inch hardcover stitched-in watercolor journals.

The two I recommend are Pentalic watercolor journal (which has 100% rag, 100 lb paper), and the Strathmore 400 Watercolor Journal  (which has 140 lb paper and comes in hardcover and softcover formats). The Moleskine book is OK too, and has more pages than the other two, but the paper is thinner, so I'd recommend that one if you're doing more drawing and dry media compared to watercolor.

Brushes
• Flats, synthetic 1/4", 1/2", and 1"
• Rounds, synthetic or Kolinsky sable, assorted sizes 4-10

A good bargain is to get a watercolor brush set with carrying pouch (regular length handles) or a short-handled water media brush set with carrying case. The latter will fit over the left hand page of the open sketchbook.

There are a lot of brands available, including very expensive Kolinsky brushes, but I don't think you have to spend that kind of money for most purposes. The cheaper synthetics can be very good. If I find a good brush, I buy a few extras to have on hand. I've found brushes of acceptable quality at the big box craft stores for very reasonable prices, but you have to check them out. What you want to look for are brushes that have good spring or snap, not floppy. The brush should come to a fine point — or edge in the case of a flat. That way you can use a fairly large brush to paint your picture.

If you're painting in casein, use only synthetics; don't use natural hair brushes (bristles or sables) because the paint can be hard on the fibers.

Paint
The Holbein gouache sets are good quality, and you get a lot of colors for a good value. Holbein makes a set of 12 colors of the normal size 15 ml tubes. They also make a set of 18 that sells for an inexpensive price, but the tubes are much smaller, only 5ml.

They also make an Acryla Gouache line, which has a closed surface after it dries, meaning water won't dissolve the dry paint.

Winsor and Newton's set is good quality, but overpriced at $139. Edit: Here's a W/N 10-tube set for $43

Royal Talens  makes a set of 8 and M. Graham has a 5 color set, but they lack earth colors, one of the joys of gouache. You can always buy the set for the pure primaries and then supplement with individual tubes of raw sienna, yellow ochre, raw umber, and Venetian red or burnt sienna, plus black if the set doesn't come with it.

Shinhan Pass makes a 48-tube set of "hybrid" gouache/watercolor paints. They're pigment-rich, non-toxic, and use gum arabic as the binder and most of the colors can be used transparently or opaquely. But note that 8 of the 48 colors are not lightfast pigments, so they're better for designers or sketchers than gallery artists. The set is priced around $180, not bad considering they're 20ml tubes, while most other brands are 15ml.

Here's a link-rich previous blog post about the various brands you can choose from. You can always buy individual tubes from other reputable firms but the price will add up rapidly.

What I do in practice is try all kinds of brands and colors. At any given time I carry around about 12-15 colors of different manufacturers. When I set up for a painting, I select the smallest possible set of colors that I need to paint the scene. I store unused tubes in large glass jars with lids that seal tightly. That keeps them from drying out.

Palette
It can be a plastic or metal tray of your choice, and it should be white or painted white. There are gray palettes, but I don't like them for watercolor and gouache because they make it harder to judge transparent mixtures.

I use the lid from a a colored pencil box spray painted white. It attaches to the bottom panel of my lightweight sketch easel with magnets.

Rags or Paper Towels
Paper towels made by Bounty are lint free. They can be dampened and applied to the palette to extend the working time of the paint, and of course they can also be used to clean brushes. Another solution for brush cleaning is old T-shirts cut into foot-square pieces.

Water Cup
I recommend the Nalgene 2 oz. jar for a palette-side jar and a 32 ounce plastic food container attached lower on the easel for cleaning brushes.

Pencil
A graphite pencil (HB) will do for the lay-in stage. If you want to use watercolor pencils, I recommend the Caran d'Ache Supracolor set of 18.

Pens

I use a Waterman fountain pen with brown ink for written notes. Remember that fountain pen ink dissolves in water after it dries, so unless you don't mind your lines being blurred, save them until the end. If you prefer to do linework before adding washes of water, you can use waterproof pens, such as the Microns, which come in many colors, including black and brown.

Water Brushes 
I use Niji Water Brushes with round tips. I normally carry between three and five water brushes. One is filled with water, and the others are filled with blue, black, brown, and gray water-soluble ink, such as Higgins Eternal ink.

Transparent watercolor kit
Having a watercolor set as an add-on isn't essential for gouache painting, but if you have a transparent cake set, it opens up many more options. I recommend a small set with in an enamel steel box so that you can hold it to your easel with magnets.

Schmincke Small Watercolor Set (12 Half Pans)

Winsor and Newton 24 Pan Set with Metal Box

Sennelier Watercolor Metal Box  (12 Tubes)

Blockx Watercolor Set (24 half pans)

Erasers

I carry two erasers, a Kneaded Eraser and a White Latex-Free Eraser.

Sharpener

I've used a Kum Pencil Sharpener, which not only catches the shavings, but also has a little flap that covers the hole, so the shavings don't leak out and pollute the pages of the sketchbook as well as anything else in my sketch bag. Another good one is the Staedtler pencil sharpener, which has a flap to protect from shaving leakage, and two holes for graphite and colored pencil.

Plastic clamps
Here's a 2-Inch Plastic Clamp and a 3.75-inch Clamp. Of all the clips and clamps that I've tried, these seem to be the most versatile for holding the book open or clipping the watercolor box to the easel.

Chair and easel
The biggest decision of your setup strategy is whether to sit or stand. A tripod folding stool is a strong and lightweight option. I usually like to sit if I'm painting something that's close to the ground, like a flower, or if I'm painting an upshot.  It's good to have a chair if you want to hold the sketchbook in your lap. I use a homemade sketch easel that I described on an earlier blog post. The nice thing about a tripod easel is that it will work for either standing or sitting.

The workshop

The workshop I mentioned earlier will be in the Denver Botanic Garden in Denver, Colorado on September 15-16, 2016. Sorry, it's sold out, but FYI, it's called
Painting on Location in Opaque Water Media with James Gurney.

Video tutorials

Gouache in the Wild
Watercolor in the Wild

Previously on GJ
Watercolor in the Wild materials

Gouache Ingredients