Today we're going to be talking about using watercolour as a medium, its strengths for comics and illustrations, and our personal recommendations.

Why watercolour? What do you like about them?

Transparency allows you to build up layers while still displaying the qualities of the paper. It also allows you to do a lot of random techniques (spray bottles, wetting the paper, etc). You can get a very professional looking piece, even while being a little chaotic.

It's also a very accessible medium as far as cost and availability. A set of watercolours itself can be easily transported, allowing you to take it places more easily than other traditional mediums.

The nature of the medium also allows you to correct colours and mistakes more easily. Yay for forgiving mediums (just make sure you have paper that can withstand the multiple washes)!

What are some of the challenges with watercolours?

While the paints may be fairly inexpensive, quality paper can be pricey. (Check out our episode on paper from season 1 for more info here)

They are very unpredictable, and it can be hard to tell how the colours will look when dry or how they will spread as you paint. You'll have to trust the process and accept that the colors may not be as precise as you desired.

It can be messy. You're working with water (and lots of it) so you can expect to spill. And you'll also need to always make sure the piece dries before closing a sketchbook or setting it aside.

Colors will bleed if they're not dry. Especially if you're painting areas that are right next to each other.

You'll have to be patient. Which we all know is everyone's favorite thing when working on comics.

You may find it difficult to erase pencil lines after putting down colors.

If you have pets, watercolor paper can be a magnet for pet hair. Use painters tape to pick up pet hair before you do a wash. And watch your pet to make sure they do NOT drink the paint water!!

What would you recommend for people wanting to start out with watercolours?

Start with student level supplies, but keep in mind that supplies can make a huge difference so if you can afford higher quality, you may find that your experience is so much better than with lower quality.

It's okay to use things that are cheap. Except paper. Paper is worth the investment. But even so, you don't need the top TOP of the line.

Start with a warm blue, red, and yellow and a cool blue, red, and yellow and a black and a white. That will set up a good starter palette for you.

Experiment!!

What are some of your favorite materials for watercolour work?

Dr. Ph. Martin's Watercolour Inks
M Gram Watercolour Tubes
Arches Paper
Canson is good for comics
Van Gogh Watercolors
Schmincke Watercolors
Strathmore Paper

Bonus Tips

Start with light colours and work your way to dark colours. Unless you're like Rae. Then you can work the opposite way.

If you're working in comics, to save time or multitask while waiting for things to dry, you could try working in batches and doing the same colours across multiple pages so the first page has a chance to dry before you start the next colour.

Paper towels can help dry or pick up colours that shouldn't be there.

White paint in watercolour is usually semi-opaque, similar to a gouache. If you mix your white with other colors, it will change the transparency and how it looks on the paper. Typically, your white paint is a last resort for highlight corrections or to lighten or up the opacity of segments of a piece.

Some pigments are very susceptible to sunlight, and can fade. Experiment with this if your goal is to sell original prints so you know what will last. But if you're scanning to create digital prints, you don't have to worry about this as much.

Dot cards are a great way to try different brands and color palettes of paints.

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Episode Release Date: August 9, 2023

Episode Credits:

Rae Baade (@overlordrae) - they/them, empyreancomic.com

Phineas Klier (@tentacledeity) - they/them, heirsoftheveil.fervorcraft.de

Ally Rom Colthoff (@varethane) - she/they, chirault.sevensmith.net wychwoodcomic.com

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The Intro "DO IT (feat. Shia LaBeouf)", and the Outro "It's Good To See You Again!!", both by Adrianwave, have been used and modified in good faith under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licensed. Edits include: Fade IN/OUT, and a repeat added to the beginning of "It's Good To See You Again!!". For more information on this creative commons use, please reference https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.