Materials for Animal Portraits in Watercolor

1) Pencil, Kneadable Eraser and Ruler

2) Ink pen with waterproof black ink

EITHER:

• Sharpie Pen (Not Marker)
• Or Sakura Micron
• Or Pitt Artist Pen
• Or Fountain pen with Platinum Carbon Black ink or DeAtramentis Document Black ink

3) Watercolor Paper, 140 lb cold press

1st session size: 5"x7"

All following sessions sizes
EITHER:

• 5"x7"
• OR 8"x10" with your own reference photo
• OR 11"x14" with your own reference photo

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• 100% cotton such as Arches, Fabriano

4) Watercolor Kit (Bring what you have. If you don't have anything…)

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Winsor Newton Cotman Pocket Box (best student-grade paints available, nice compact size for travel, inexpensive, a good palette of colors)
• Two watercolor brushes, round size 8, 10, or 12 range
• Small water sprayer (Mini Mister is the smallest)
• 1-2 plastic cups for water (Collapsible silicone cups from REI are nice)
• Paper towels

5) OPTIONAL: Techniques for Image Transfer

• Low-tack tape (Dollar Store masking tape, blue painters tape, or artists tape)
• Clear plexiglass sheet (can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowe's: https://www.lowes.com/pd/OPTIX-0-08-in-x-8-in-x-10-in-Clear-Acrylic-Sheet/3143395). Note: The purpose of the plexiglass is to provide one particular method for tracing a photograph (in conjunction with a wet erase pen), size should be the same as the reference photo or larger.
• OR use tracing paper 
• OR use a grid method
• OR draw image free-hand

6) OPTIONAL: Sketchbook (Spiral or Hard-bound, any size)

Note that a watercolor sketchbook is handy for warming up if you find "good" paper too intimidating to start with

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Any Strathmore “Mixed Media” or “Watercolor”, including “Visual Journal”
• Or Global Arts Hand*Book (Travelogue or Watercolor)
• Or Moleskine Watercolor
• Or any Stillman & Birn
• Or Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketchbook
• Or Pentalic Nature Sketch or Aqua Journal