Warehouse 521

 Terry Miura: Gouache Workshop Materials List

For this workshop, you will need the following materials and equipment - please give yourself plenty of time to purchase items you don’t already have - availability and shipping (if ordered online) can be unpredictable!

I will list the items first, and then go into some detail about each item in the following pages.

• Palette

• Paper towel

• 100% cotton marker paper

• Paint container

• Gouache paints

• Spray Bottle

• Sketchbook or watercolor block

• Brushes

• Container for water, for cleaning brushes • White Tape

• Pencil

• Clamps

Easels are provided in the studio, but you may bring your plein air/portable easel if you prefer.

OK, let me give you a little more info about the key items in the following pages. Please read carefully, especially if you’re new to gouache or plein air painting!!

Wet Palette

This is probably the most important piece and if you’re not familiar with it, it may be a little confusing. But essentially, any waterproof shallow tray will do!

A wet palette is a waterproof shallow tray made of plastic or metal, lined with layers of paper towel (or a thin piece of sponge) saturated with water, and on top of that, a sheet of 100% cotton marker paper is laid.

We use the surface of the marker paper to mix our colors.

The whole point of this is to keep the mixing surface moist, so as to considerably slow down the drying speed of paint.

I’ll show you how to do all this during the workshop, of course, but you will need to make sure you have a shallow plastic or metal tray, paper towel, and 100% cotton marker paper (more detail on this below) .

You can buy a wet palette system like Masterson Sta-Wet palette (works very well) or make your own.

I’ve tried white enamel butcher trays, small plastic cafeteria serving trays, thin plastic document holders, and tin cases that used to contain sets of color pencils. It doesn’t much matter, as long as they’re waterproof.

Metal Butcher Tray. Plastic Document holder from Target Tin case from color pencil set

Size: Masterson has two sizes; the small one is called the Handy Palette and is about 8.5 x 7 inches. The larger one is 12 x 16. If you’re making your own, any size in between those two sizes is good.

100% Cotton (or cotton blend) Marker Paper

I use Bienfang 360 marker paper. It does not have to be Bienfang, but it is important that it’s 100% cotton or cotton blend, because it’s much tougher and won’t disintegrate as you try to mix paint on it.

Size: Make sure it’s the same size as your tray/palette, or larger. If it’s larger, You’ll need to cut them to size before you use them.

[edit}I was told recently that Bienfang paper is no longer 100% cotton, but cotton blend. Still works well!

Paint Container

This is a small plastic container with several compartments in which you can squeeze out paint, and keep it malleable after you’re done with the day’s session. Most of these containers will work great for keeping your gouache paints workable for days, but not forever. I have yet to come across a box that’s 100% air tight. But since you’re going to be painting often (Right? Right!) that’s a nonissue.

The one I use is from The Container Store, and it’s less than $5.

https://www.containerstore.com/s/craft-hobby/small- compartment-boxes/1d?productId=10029793

It does NOT have to be this particular box! Any small

compartment box will do. Like weekly pill organizers.

Technically speaking, this is optional. If you don’t use a box at

all, it doesn’t affect your painting ability - it just helps save unused paint. If you haven’t found out already, gouache is not cheap so...

Paints

Gouache, of course. The brand doesn’t matter. I use Windsor & Newton, but other brands are just as good.

• Permanent White

• Naples Yellow

• Brilliant Yellow or Primary Yellow or Cadmium Yellow Medium • Yellow Ochre

• Neutral Gray No.1 from Holbein

• Neutral Gray No.3 from Holbein

• Brilliant Red or Cadmium Red

• Ultramarine Blue

• Sky Blue or Primary Blue

• Vandyke Brown or Burnt Umber

• Any other colors you have or want to try, bring ‘em!

Try it out! You don’t want to find out on the day of the workshop that your system doesn’t work!

Spray Bottle

Fill it with water. This is just to mist the paint on your palette to keep them from drying out. Any ordinary spray bottle will do. I use a small travel sized one, as you don’t need to use it that much.

Sketchbook or Watercolor Block

I use different supports, like Moleskine sketchbook with watercolor paper, or Canson mixed media paper sketchbook. Arche’s watercolor block works very well, too. (Hot or cold press)

We are going to be painting small, so you don’t need anything big, but just make sure the paper is for water media.

Brushes

A couple of different sizes of flat watercolor brushes. I use a 3/4”, a 1/2”, and a 1/4”.

Plus, one small round watercolor brush.

Synthetic or natural hair - either is fine.

A Water Container for Cleaning Brushes

I use a small collapsible bucket.

You can use any kind of container, of course, but just make sure you Have some way of attaching it to your easel. (Clamps?)

Try it out with water in it. Does your easel support the weight?

Note this particular collapsible bucket is only for use with the easel. It doesn’t hold its shape sitting on the tabletop, so you’ll have a flood on your hands!

I think the rest is pretty self explanatory - but if you have any questions about any of the materials / equipment, please don’t hesitate to ask, and do it sooner rather than later.

Don’t wait to gather your stuff! As you know, sometimes stores are out of stock or there are delays in shipping.

And, PLEASE, try it all out before the workshop, to make sure everything works, and you’re not missing anything. Go sketching outside. You will have a much better sense of what’s involved, and you’ll get a whole lot more out of the workshop!!