Tools of the Trade
I’ve lost track of how often I’m asked about my paints & equipment so here’s a permanent place for it - please direct all budding illustrators and creatives here!
PAINTS
Long ago on a trip to China when illustrating was a bit of fun, I picked up a 24 watercolour set by Pebeo (I promise it wasn’t as expensive as this, but I don’t think Australia is a great supplier of the brand). I also work with a more affordable Kohl-I-Noor watercolour disc from Eckersley whose colours are a bit more pigmented, so I regularly end up using both sets (the browns in the Pebeo are more usable than the ones in the Kohl-I-Noor).
As you can see, very well loved.
More than anything, I believe it’s about getting used to the colours in your set, whatever it is. If you’re just starting out, don’t spend too much and see which colours you favour, whether you like the medium at all.. then invest more down the road with tubes/pans. I also occasionally refer to my trusty FW Acrylic Inks when I need a bit of oomph, or can’t quite get the right colour. I still prefer to blend skin tones with the ‘Flesh Tint’ colour as my base.
For Live Events, I defer to Copic markers as they dry quicker and don’t need mixing etc (the ones I use most are E00 and E51).
And for all my leather work on Painted Keepsakes, I use Angelus Leather Paints - they’ve got a great range of colours, but are on the more expensive side of acrylics.
PAPER
I will never use anything other than my beloved Arches Hot Pressed watercolour paper. I’ve tried many papers and this one is the best - trust me. For events, I print directly on to these with my printer. It’s more expensive, but I’d rather have the familiarity and know the quality of the paper so I’m not surprised by buckling/puckering onsite. (Different papers can also render colours a little different with tones etc.)
BRUSHES
I was asked this recently, and I’m embarrassed/proud to say that my brushes are some of the cheapest you’ll find, and I’m pretty sure I got them on sale. My main ones are: Robert A. Wade in a size 6, and a Roymac in size 0. I would recommend going in store to actually feel the brushes and look at the sizes. The numbers mean nothing on a screen to me..
A fraction of my brush collection.
PRINTER
My printer is a Canon Pro-10S. It does a good job, but definitely not as slick as a professional printing studio. I print all my live event templates and collateral on this, but outsource art prints etc. Be warned - it needs 10 printer cartridges.
SCANNER
I’ve recently upgraded to the Epson Perfection V600 and love it. The one I had before this was an Epson as well - I bought it second hand and it lasted me 6 years so I know it’s got good legs.
FILMING
I use my good ol’ iPhone 12 Pro (I’m actually pretty terrible with professional cameras, so a phone’ll do).
For the overhead painting videos and time lapses, I use a Uniqu kit.
SOFTWARE
Photoshop to deep etch/edit illustrations. Procreate for digital illustration. Inshot for Reels.
SNACKS
Chocolate digestives. I also have a block of Lindt 85% stashed next to my acrylics ‘just in case’. Of what? Don’t know.
Did I miss anything? Let me know & I’ll update the post.
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