Art Materials (Sketch Book Finale: Lanaquarella, Encaustic Compatible)

"Encaustic Compatible"
Hello all,

My finale in sketch books will be in making your own, and in making your own you will need quality paper. It would take forever to delve into the many intricacies of book making and paper, so instead I present a quick synopsis. In binding you can not lose with the traditional Japanese stab binding. And depending on your technique and/or medium, your choice in paper changes.  When it comes to making a good sketch book I believe you can not lose with watercolor paper.  Watercolor paper can be very different when it comes to brands, weights, or types and offers the ability of various mediums from gouache to pencil.  If you only use pencil and maybe very light painting you can easily get away with a lower weight paper, 140 lb (300 gsm), but, if you can't stand the warping, wrinkling, and indentations that are accustomed to lighter paper, I would recommend 300 lb (640 gsm) paper.  This finally brings me to Lana, a top pick for paper, sure other companies make great paper (Fabriano, Arches, Strathmore, etc.), but we all have our favorites and Lana is is one of mine.

So give Lana a try, I don't believe you will be disappointed.
For info on paper suitable for encaustic go to Watercolor Paper

Always, Thank you for reading,
Jonathan Parks
http://www.lanapapier.fr/
http://www.cartieremilianifabriano.com/
http://www.arches-papers.com/fr/
http://www.strathmoreartist.com/
http://parksartworkstoolstechnique.blogspot.com/2008/11/watercolor-paper.html

Art Materials (Strathmore Artist Papers)

Hi everyone,

Continuing on with sketch books- I thought of mentioning one of my favorites- Strathmore 400 series.  Ok, I know this really isn't a sketch book; however, some of us don't use sketch books or even, "sketch."  So for those of you looking for a drawing paper of various size, etcetera:  I particularly like this series because of its cream color.  But if your not into the cream color and prefer white, Strathmore make pretty decent paper all around.  You should also check out the wind powered series.

Thanks for reading
Jonathan Parks
http://www.strathmoreartist.com/
http://www.strathmoreartist.com/fineArt_drawing.php

Art Materials (Moleskine Watercolor Books)

Hello all,

Well as promised I am continuing on with sketch books; this time Moleskine.  I particularly like the large (5.25" by 8.25") watercolor notebooks with there heavywight paper perfect for painting and drawing; not to mention the simple and plain design.
-
Also you can get it with perforated pages (or not)- I have both.  It comes with 30 (60 if you count both sides), 200 gsm, cotton, cold-pressed, acid-free pages.

So, check'em out
and thanks for reading
Jonathan Parks
http://www.moleskineus.com/
http://www.moleskineus.com/reporter-large-watercolor.html

Art Materials (Rite in the Rain Sketch Book)

Hey Folks,

I would like to talk a little about sketch books and particularly this time: Rite in the Rain products. Are you someone who sketches outside or travels with your sketch book? Ever worried about your notebook or sketch book getting wet? Well, Rite in the Rain has many styles of note/sketch books available. The best thing is you don't have to worry about getting them wet or even, literally working in the rain.

Unfortunately I don't believe you will be able to paint watercolor on this paper, but if you only use pencil- you can't beat it.

Next to come- more on sketch books/papers.

Always, thank you for reading

Jonathan Parks

http://www.riteintherain.com/

Art Materials (Lineco Neutral pH Adhesive)

Hello All,

It has been awhile since my last Art Materials post- so, for the first week back I thought I would keep it short and share a product from Lineco. I have been using Lineco's neutral pH adhesive for awhile and I have found that it is quite reliable, much like other products they make. So if your not sure about archival polyvinyl acetate (PVA), try Lineco.

Thank you for reading.

Jonathan Parks

http://www.lineco.com/

Art Materials (Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor)

Hi All,

This week I'm jumping back to watercolor with, "Hydrus Fine Art Watercolors," from Dr. Ph. Martins. A liquid form that is highly concentrated, lightfast, and in thirty-six colors; convenient for those who like watercolor but don't need a hundred different colors. Links found below.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan Parks

http://www.docmartins.com/

Art Materials (Speedball, "Encaustic Compatible")

"Encaustic Compatible"

Sorry folks, I started a new job so it may be a little chaotic for awhile, BUT, I wanted to mention Speedball. They make a variety of tools that can be utilized for encaustic and a lot of other useful material; so check them out.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan Parks

http://www.speedballart.com/

Art Materials (Watermedia)

Previously I said that I would elaborate on watermedia; the reason for which the last post was featuring Lyra. Watercolor, or water media is often my backup medium. This is not to say that it is of less value. Unlike watercolor, other media such as encaustic or oil are prone to bulky or awkward requirements. But I won't get into that. There are many options for watermedia: pencils, inks, liquid paint, solid dry paint, wax based, straight pigments, soft pastels, gouache; not to mention all the brushes and palettes to choose from, the list is endless. However, I am a firm believer in simplifying things; you don't need all that fancy stuff, dozens of brushes, or elaborate travel sets. I would also like to mention watercolor is not to be taken for granted; it is a difficult medium to master- the trick is not to get caught up in all the fancy techniques or the endless supplies.

Brushes- you really only need a few small ones for any details, and a couple of bigger brushes to do a wash (unless you are painting really big). For the washes, a nice large and medium hake will do just fine- they are cheap and easy to find from any major art supplier. As for the small brushes, you really can't skimp on quality, sable is probably your best choice, but that doesn't mean you have to pay out the nose- Blick artist material makes a fine set of inexpensive sable brushes, as do many other companies.

Palettes- while working at home or in your studio- a large ceramic WHITE bowl is great to have, as well as a few small dishes for your paint (as many as you feel you need at one time). Squeezing out all the liquid watercolor into a palette for it to dry up, defeats the purpose of it being liquid in the first place; of course someone might argue that some companies make palettes specifically designed to keep your paint fresh- really not necessary. If you want dry paint, buy dry, otherwise keep it in the tube unless you need it. If you are on the move, traveling, or just working outdoors, then you really only need a small jar (use the paint right from the tube, off of the pencil or crayon. I've been using a Script brand glass ink jar that was designed with a divided well inside (as to where to get one: I bought mine from a junk store- it is about 15-20 years old, I'm guessing)

I could go on forever, but..... I will probably just feature some of those items later. If your curious about something particular, it never hurts to ask, and maybe I will talk about that next time.

Have fun, and thanks for reading,

Jonathan Parks

Painting: "water" by Jonathan David Parks

Art Materials (Lyra, "Encaustic Compatible")

"Encaustic Compatible"

This week I would like to introduce Lyra (see link), predominately a pencil manufacturer. Lyra makes anything from makeup pencils to encaustic crayons. If it were not for their long history I would be wary; however, many of their products I would recommend from watercolor pencils to just your basic graphite.

Thanks for reading.

More to come later.

Jonathan Parks

http://www.lyra.de/index_pc.html

Art Materials (Caran d'Ache Neocolor II, Water-soluble Pastels)

This week I wanted to switch gears and take a look at watermedia; which brings me to one of my favorite art supplies to come around in some time- Caran d'Ache Neocolor II, Water-soluble Pastels. Found under, "children," supplies on Caran d'Ache's website (links found at the bottom of this post), this is a great item for those who paint outdoors and travel a lot. They are in a compact dry stick form, opposed to a tube product; in addition and for those who work small, they seem to last forever. I have been using this particular product for three to four years and I still have the same tin with all the colors (Take a look at my paintings of waterfowl on my portfolio page, to see an example).

Thanks again for reading and don't forget to tune in for further info on watermedia.

Jonathan Parks

http://www.carandache.ch/

http://www.carandache.ch/m/la-couleur/enfants/les-pastels/neocolor-ii/index.lbl