Watercolor Pouring Supplies | Materials for a Pouring Watercolor Workshop
Watercolor pouring is one of the most exciting and unpredictable techniques I teach. Instead of building a painting stroke by stroke with a brush, students learn how to layer transparent and opaque watercolor, allowing gravity, movement, and chemistry to create effects that are almost impossible to achieve any other way.
After teaching this technique in workshops across the country, I have refined the supplies that consistently produce the best results. This is the exact watercolor pouring supply list I recommend for my classes.
What Is Watercolor Pouring?
- paint is diluted
- poured rather than brushed
- layers are built
- masking protects areas
- gravity creates unexpected effects
I use watercolor pouring for everything from florals and landscapes to architecture and cityscapes. These paintings show several ways I’ve incorporated poured color into finished artwork.
Pouring Watercolor will teach you a lot about how watercolor works- how water effects (or doesn’t effect) paint, layering opposite colors,etc. I hope you take a future class or workshop to learn this technique.
Recommended Watercolor Pouring Supplies:
Good watercolor paper is probably the most important supply for this technique. Pouring repeatedly saturates the surface with large amounts of water and pigment, so inexpensive student paper can buckle, pill or behave unpredictably. I generally recommend professional 140 lb Arches or Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper.
Arches 140 lb Cold Press 11×14 Block
Fabriano Artistico 140lb 12×16″ Block
Creative Mark Flo Bottles
Winsor Newton Ultramarine Blue
Winsor Red
Winsor Newton Winsor Yellow
You don’t need a huge collection of colors for watercolor pouring. I recommend starting with a simple red, yellow and blue because transparent layers can mix directly on the paper as the paint moves and flows. A limited palette also makes it easier to understand how pigments interact during successive pours.
Creative Mark Masking Fluid Brushes
Incredible Nib. Optional but very useful.
Pebeo Masking Fluid (big bottle)
Pebeo Masking Fluid (small bottle)
Ruling Pen (for applying small lines with masking fluid)
Holbein Spray Bottle
Spray Bottle
Sterling Edwards Big Brush Watercolor Palette. Optional but my favorite palette in the world. I own 5:
Brushes
Richeson Silver Velvet #6
Richeson Silver Velvet #2
Nita Engle- How to Make a Watercolor Paint Itself (optional but a great book)
Roland Roycraft- Fill Your Watercolors with Light and Color (also optional but one I would never part with)
Thanks and I hope to see you in a future workshop/class!
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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345