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Welcome to your Studio Insiders' newsletter
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Hi Insiders!
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Are you ready to take the leap?
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You probably know that I'm a big fan of brands like Meeden, Viviva, Kuretake and Paul Rubens. They have given beginners access to very good quality and extremely affordable materials, which I couldn't even have imagined when I first started painting, and as a beginner it's so helpful if your materials aren't expensive because it removes the fear of wasting them.
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For example Meeden's watercolor painting set is just over $30 (use code DIANE10 to get this price) and gives you 24 tubes of paint, 12 brushes, 20 sheets of 100% cotton paper and a ceramic mixing palette. That's EVERYTHING you need to get started - and to be honest if space and funds are tight you really don't ever need anything else.
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As you progress in watercolor though, you're bound to want to treat yourself to some higher quality materials. You'll start to notice that you can't get that specific shade of green you want, or that you don't have a punchy enough orange, or that you'd love to be able to make granulating mixes in more colors. And when that starts to happen you're ready to start looking at the truly professional brands.
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I have shared my experiences of many professional brands with you already - A Gallo and VHAquarell handmade paints, as well as Winsor & Newton, Schminke, Old Holland, Daniel Smith, Sennelier, Daler Rowney (you can browse these in my Amazon shop) - and soon I'll be sharing my experiences with Holbein and M Graham.
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Let's talk about Michael Harding
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Today though I want to talk about Michael Harding watercolors. Michael Harding is himself an artist, and he is the creator of a world-renowned range of oil paints which he first formulated in the 1980s. He has recently revolutionised oil painting by creating "miracle medium", a solvent-free non-toxic medium which doesn't alter the properties of oil paint. And after twenty years of development he has at last released a range of watercolor paints!
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Last week I contacted Michael Harding Paints and Joelle Harding was kind enough to send me their botanical set as well as half a dozen individual colors for me to try. And I'm absolutely thrilled with them! You'll be seeing me use these paints regularly for florals as we move into summer, and I know you're going to love them as much as I do.
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Sold Worldwide
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It's easy to get Michael Harding watercolors, because they are stocked by the best online and bricks and mortar retailers. Our recommended suppliers are Jacksons Art and Blick Art Materials, both of whom do sell on Amazon but you might get better prices by buying from them direct.
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Michael Harding Botanical Set
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List price $202.88, currently $121.73
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ps. When you buy on Amazon, please take the time to check who is selling the paint. Look for items being sold by Blick or Jacksons, and being shipped from an Amazon warehouse.
pps. Most of the links in this email are affiliate links, which means that we will receive a small commission if you choose to buy, at no extra cost to you. This not only helps to keep our channel running, but also helps to strengthen our relationships with manufacturers and retailers so that I can try out new products and get discounts for you, like our permanent 10% off discount with Meeden and Viviva!
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Would you agree that we would all be better off if we lightened up a bit from time to time? I have been mulling this over recently - the fact that we seem to be in the habit of taking ourselves so seriously, being so easily offended, forgetting to laugh things off and see the positive side...
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So this week there was nothing for it but to paint some silly sheep!
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I decided to switch to more of a whimsical style for the remainder of the #brilliantbirds Daily Watercolor Challenge for April too. I hope you enjoy having things mixed up a bit!
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This week's second YouTube tutorial was a page of bright and summery flowers, following a method which I learnt on Skillshare. I painted these partly to test out the sample paints and brushes from Craftamo which will be in our subscription boxes next year.
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In case you're wondering, no the brushes won't duplicate any from my brush set, all of which are essentials for loose watercolor. For the subscription boxes I'm curating a range of different sizes and shapes of brushes which will help you to explore different styles and find your favorites.
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ps. This video was sponsored by Skillshare, and you can get a 1 month free trial by clicking here.
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Most Popular...
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(Does this mean that some people have started painting Christmas cards ALREADY???)
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To Inspire You...
This is an oil painting of Mont St Michel, which I painted a few years ago. It hangs on a wall in the Studio and most days I don't notice it, but it caught my eye this morning so I thought I'd share it with you!
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I have a tutorial showing how to paint this scene in watercolor. Click below to watch it!
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Thanks for reading, and we hope you enjoyed this edition of the Insiders' Newsletter.
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