Suzanna Winton - Realistic Watercolor Portraits: How to Paint a Variety of Ages and Ethnicities

Over the years, I have used many different types of supplies for water-color painting. I have learned that the better my materials are, the better my paintings turn out. Through hard work and learning what supplies worked best for me, I have been able to achieve the results I desired. What follows is an account of the supplies I use and how I use them.

BRUSHES

Mainly you'll need a set of rounds. It's worth your while to spend a little extra money on a good set of sable rounds. I prefer Kolinsky sables. They have a great full body with a long, fine point. They are also designed to hold a lot of water. I also keep a couple of angle shaders. Ask your art supplier for suggestions or guidance if you need it.

PAPER

I can't stress enough the importance of good paper in portrait painting. It is essential and can be the difference between a good painting and a bad painting. I use Arches 300-lb. (640gsm) cold and hot press. The hot press is smooth and is particularly good for painting children because it nicely reflects their smooth complexions.

Cold press works well for character portraits. It has more texture and is great for painting a subject that has a lot of lines and textured skin. But this is only a general rule to go by; it is perfectly acceptable to interchange them.

PAINT

I use mostly Winsor & Newton watercolor paints, but I also like Holbein. I prefer the more transparent colors, and they seem to work better for the layering process. Each one affects the other when applied on top of one another. The tool checklist contains the colors I use on my palette. Some of the colors I use all the time, and some are add ins, which I add to my palette when I need them. If the color is a different brand than Winsor & Newton, I will include the name brand.

PALETTE

My palette has two sections with two separate palettes that fit together for traveling. The top palette and the bottom palette are both divided in the middle. This helps keep my paints fresh and divided into categories. One palette is used for flesh tones, and the other is set up for backgrounds.

PENCILS & DRAWING TOOLS

For drawing my subject matter, I use a mechanical pencil. Any kind will do. I prefer this type of pencil because it always keeps a point, and you never have to sharpen it. It also gives a fine-lined drawing with very little smudging. This is important to me because I am left-handed and tend to get a lot of smudge marks if I am not careful.

PAPER TOWELS

Bounty paper towels are my favorite. They hold a lot of water and are generally more durable than some of the other brands. I prefer the white ones. When you use ones with the designs, it is easy to confuse whether the paper towel has a design or paint on it.

WATER CONTAINER

The water container I use has four compartments because I like to have clean water at all times. If one compartment gets dirty I can just move to another. Having clean water all the time is essential when painting skin tones.