Resources for artists

Embarking on your watercolor journey feels like stepping into a realm of boundless creativity. However, amidst all the excitement, selecting the right brushes can feel a tad overwhelming. With various shapes, sizes, and bristle types to consider, where do you begin?

Let's simplify things: there are essentially two types of brushes—natural and synthetic. Natural brushes are crafted from animal hair, while synthetic brushes are man-made. Each boasts its own advantages and drawbacks, and the optimal choice hinges on what feels most comfortable for you.

In this blog post, I aim to explore the differences between these brushes, empowering you to choose the perfect one that aligns with your style and enhances your painting experience.

Natural Watercolor Brushes

Crafted from animal hair, such as sable, squirrel, goat, or hog, natural watercolor brushes have stood the test of time. Artists have favored them for centuries owing to their outstanding performance and capacity to hold and disperse water and pigment with precision. Below, we delve into the key characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of natural watercolor brushes:

Synthetic Watercolor Brushes

Synthetic watercolor brushes are crafted from man-made materials such as nylon, polyester, or a blend of synthetic fibers. These brushes have gained popularity in recent years due to advancements in manufacturing techniques, providing an alternative to natural brushes with their own set of advantages and drawbacks. Let's take a closer look:

My Personal Choice

As a watercolor artist, I gravitate towards synthetic brushes, particularly when I'm crafting various botanical shapes. With a round brush and an oval wash in my hand, there's little I can't bring to life. They are also great to work with masking fluid, as you may know, one of my favourite techniques.

For painting expansive washes or applying a final glaze, my go-to tool is the Hake brush. Crafted from soft goat hair bound together in a wide, flat shape, these brushes hold ample water and make painting large pieces an absolute delight.
If you want to learn more about my selection of brushes and how I used them, check my online workshop: Master Class No.2 Watercolor Brushes.

In Conclusion

Deciding between natural and synthetic watercolor brushes hinges on your personal preferences, budget, preferred medium, and painting style. For beginners, synthetic brushes offer a budget-friendly option that provides accessibility and versatility. Conversely, if your primary focus is on oil paints, natural brushes deliver traditional performance, albeit at a higher cost.

Ultimately, both types of brushes have their advantages and can enhance your watercolor painting experience in different ways. Whether you're embarking on a new artistic project or are a seasoned painter, selecting the right tools is essential for achieving your goals and obtaining the best results.

When was the last time you got so caught up in something that you lost track of time? Maybe it was during a chat with a friend, reading a good book, or enjoying the beach. This state, called "flow," is when you're completely absorbed and feel a deep sense of satisfaction.
Creating art can bring about this same feeling, allowing us to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and dive into a world of creativity.

A Brief Story of How I Found Meditation

I've shared before that although art was always my first love, when it came time to choose a career, my family encouraged me to go in a different direction—one that provided more stability. So, I did, and years later, I found myself trapped in a career and job that made me deeply unhappy. In my search for help, I found yoga, and then meditation. I can honestly say, this saved my life.

Rediscovering what my body was capable of (I danced classical ballet for 12 years), and with a clearer mind, I returned to my first love: painting. It took me another four years to discover watercolor as my medium and to finally go back to art as a career. In case you're wondering, I was 34 years old.

Mindful Tea, 2015 | One of my first illustrations using watercolors.	Inner Light, 2020 | This watercolor became cover of the book: 'Bodies Arising by Nicole Schnackenberg.

Art as Meditation

If meditation brought me back to earth, art took me back to the stars.

I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s how I feel. With a background in classical ballet, you can imagine how important movement is to me. So when I started painting, I found myself bringing that movement into my art. I’m not just talking about my hand; I mean really moving my whole body. I started stepping on the paper, splashing paint, and then I realized that I was meditating.

In 2012, I studied a Yoga Teacher Training, and my teacher used to tell us that yoga is meditation in movement. So when I started feeling the benefits of painting, moving, and breathing, I remembered this phrase. And I felt that I connected with something.

Since then, I consider my painting practice to be a form of meditation. It has been incredibly helpful during difficult times, such as the lockdowns during the pandemic and dealing with endometriosis pain for years.

This is what I call 'Playful Watercolor,' a concept I talk about in my online class: 'Painting Flowers No.1: Loose and Abstract'. This was a 14-minute painting session where I simply play with leftover paint, focusing on being present without the pressure of creating a final piece.

If you enjoy working with plant medicines, feel free to integrate them into your mindful practice. Personally, I like working with cacao, a tradition I grew up with in Mexico. Once or twice a year, I hold cacao ceremonies and painting circles in my studio. Additionally, I offer private 1:1 sessions, available both in-person and online, where we can delve into rituals and mindful practices tailored specifically for artists.

 How to Practice Art as Meditation

Step 1: Get You and Your Space Ready for Mindfulness

I always light a candle or burn palo santo or incense before I start. It’s my way of telling my brain, “Here I am, ready to be.” Turn off any distractions, and set a timer if you have things to do later—this will give you peace of mind. Close your eyes for a moment and focus on your breathing.

Step 2: Stay in the Moment While Creating

Start making your art, whether it’s painting, drawing, or something else. Be mindful: if your mind starts to wander, gently bring your focus back to your art and your breath.

Step 3: Embrace the Present Moment

Don’t aim for perfect art. Instead of fixating on flawless outcomes, embrace the spontaneity of each stroke and the unpredictability of the process. Enjoy the unique results that come from being fully present.

Step 4: Keep Practicing

Make art and mindfulness a regular habit. Set a time that works for you and choose a realistic length. Start small; five minutes can be a good way to begin: light a candle, breathe, doodle, and you’re done! You can increase your time as you get used to it.

Every mindful moment, whether in art, with loved ones, or simply being with yourself, is valuable. Being present improves relationships and fosters self-connection.

Whether you're an experienced artist or new to the craft, try integrating art as meditation into your routine. Set aside time daily to create without judgment, and experience deeper self-awareness and calm.

Embark on this creative journey and discover the tranquility it brings. Give it a try and see where it takes you.

Have you ever found yourself staring at dried-up paint, wondering if it's destined for the trash bin? We've all been there. It's a familiar dilemma for artists: the frustration of seeing once-vibrant colors reduced to hardened clumps.

But don’t worry! Before you say farewell to your beloved paint, I'll show you how to rescue and revive it. With a few simple steps, you can turn those clumpy colors into something usable again, saving both paint and money!

Follow this step-by-step technique

1. Does your paint tube look like this?	2. Fill a jar with a little water, as shown here, and dip the tip of the paint tube for a day.
3. Place the paint in the palette or pan, and use the tip of a toothpick or any other tool to remove leftover paint. Cutting the tube will make it easier.	4. Once it’s in the palette or pan, let it dry. Spray some water to reactivate it whenever you paint.
5. Use the remaining water to paint.	Check out the video tutorial here and paint a mini moon with me!

I'm glad I could share these tips with you! I hope you find them useful. If you've tried rescuing your dried paint tube, please share your experiences with me—I'd love to hear from you!

For me, nature has always been the ultimate muse. There's something about its untouched beauty that ignites my creativity like nothing else can. It's impossible not to feel a sense of wonder and imagination wash over me every time I'm surrounded by its beauty. Whether it's the vibrant spring flowers or the delicate petals of a blossoming rose, each element of nature tells me its own unique story, waiting to be discovered. 

I believe that every artist has their own way of interpreting and expressing the beauty of nature differently through various mediums and styles and these unique experiences, whether abstract or realistic, are reflected in their artwork.

Ferns in Meanwhile Gardens	Green Garden, 2020

Stepping into nature is like stepping into a world of endless possibilities of finding inspiration for your artwork. 

Sure, you can find inspiration in museums, magazines, or even on Pinterest, but there's something truly magical about spending time alone in nature. Just being present, soaking in peace and tranquillity, can spark ideas and inspire your creativity in ways you never thought possible.

How can I unlock my Creative block?

Whether you're a beginner looking to build your skills or an experienced artist in search of fresh ideas, immersing yourself in the natural world can breathe new life into your creative journey. Most importantly, if you ever find yourself going through a creativity block, my advice is simple: go outside, embrace nature, observe the smallest details like textures, colors and movements. Instead of just seeing, I would also suggest you to feel the air, touch the leaves and listen to the surrounding sounds. Don’t worry about the ideas now, simply enjoy and live in the moment. Once you go back to the studio, start by painting whatever speaks to your soul, and watch as the room of inspiration opens before you.

Always remember, Inspiration from nature isn't about copying what you see; it's about feeling the experience it gives you.

Here are five ways I find my inspiration:

1. Immersing In Nearby Nature

Explore nature wherever you find it, whether it's a local park, your backyard garden, or a countryside stroll. I always sit and soak in the peaceful surroundings of my garden studio or visit my favourite garden in my neighbourhood, ‘Meanwhile Gardens’. This place saved my mental health during the pandemic and inspired my Spring Collection 2020—the first collection where I applied masking fluid in layers as I do know, an idea that originated during a visit to this garden!

Check out the Meanwhile Garden, Spring Collection 2020.	Meanwhile Gardens

2. Capturing Every Moment with Your Camera

As an artist, nature is my main inspiration. Thus, I click countless photos from various angles and directions, I capture the surrounding beauty – you never know what might inspire your creativity later on. Experimenting with different settings and taking photos at different times of day helps me discover new perspectives and ideas. Check out my Master Class No.1 where I discuss how these photos inspired me to create the watercolor monstera.

Putting together my selected photos to create a mood board is a fantastic way for me to explore unique color palettes and smooth my creative process.

Mini monstera painting from my Master class No.1	Photo of Monstera Leaf, exploring different angles

3. Reflecting and Meditating

I find a quiet spot in nature to sit, reflect, and meditate. I allow my mind to be clear and my thoughts to flow freely, connecting with the surroundings at a deeper level. I make sure to be fully present in the moment, just as our minds use dreams during sleep to analyse the experiences we’ve had in the past. Continuous painting can drain both my energy and mind, so it's important for me to take breaks and simply relax, doing nothing at all.

Nature's beauty is both inspiration and relaxation, with every moment spent soaking it in.

4. Taking Notes

I am known for my non-sketching approach, but I always make sure to bring along my journal and pencils to scribble notes of interesting scenes or objects I come across. This allows me to observe and interpret the world uniquely. These serve as references or starting points for my future artworks, also helping me overcome creative blocks.

5. Creating Artwork

Once I return to my studio, I always take a moment to reflect on my experiences. When I feel ready, I start making art inspired by what I saw. I love experimenting with different materials and textures to develop my signature style. And you know what? I don't worry about making it perfect; I just start painting, and things always seem to fall into place. I let my imagination run wild and allow nature to guide me in finding my own artistic way. Plus, I've learned that it's okay to make mistakes – sometimes they lead to the most amazing discoveries!

You know, the best part about nature? It's the endless color inspiration it provides. From the soft hues of dawn to the rich tones of dusk, there's a whole spectrum of colors just waiting to be explored. I love embracing the dance of light and shadow and playing with different shades to add depth to my artwork. And you know what? It's this infinite palette of colors that keeps me inspired on my artistic journey.

As I wrap up, I just want to remind you: creativity is everywhere – we just have to open our eyes to it. So let's take a moment to soak it all in and let our ideas flow free!

One of the main qualities of watercolors is that by varying the amount of water and pigment that we use, the result can be very transparent or even opaque.

To practice transparency and color value in my book ‘DIY Watercolor Christmas’, I proposed a project called ‘Layering Circles’ (Photo 1). A wet on dry exercise where we can observe this quality while layering circles.

By using the same principle we can create the effect of light in a fun and simple way. I exemplify this with a string of lights (Photo 2), but I didn’t go trough the process. So I thought it will be handy to create a step-by-step tutorial.

Layering Circles	String of lights

The following tutorial is for a yellow light, but you can create lights in many colours. The key is always to work from light to dark, so don’t be afraid of using enough water to achieve this. You can only use one color if you want, although I propose using two for a more interesting effect.

I also created a quick video that can be found as a reel on mi IG account where I added a blue back ground just for fun. It is a more experimental approach where I also sparkle some salt for an additional texture.

For this project you will need:

• Watercolor paint
• Watercolor paper
• Pencil or watercolor pencil
• Brushes

Color palette

Lemon Yellow and Pyrole Orange

Step-by-Step

1. Paint a translucid yellow circle and let dry.	2. Draw the light bulb using a watercolor pencil.
3. Make a watery mix of Lemon Yellow and Pyrole Orange, and paint a second circle, slightly smaller than the first. Go around the light bulb in step 3 and 4, we want to reserve the original color. Allow to dry.	4. Add more orange to your mix and paint a third smaller circle.
5. Repeat this step if you wish with smaller circles, I painted a total of five circles.	6. Leave the light bulb as is or add more color if you wish. I added more yellow and orange. Using a gray watercolor pencil, draw the base of the light bulb.
7. I drew some lines to resemble the idea of a strain.	8. Try it using different colors!

Video / Reel (TO BE UPLOADED TO MY IG ACCOUNT SOON)

For the group of lights with a blue background in the video I used:

Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Light, Pyrole Orange, Cobalt Teal, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Indigo.

It’s that time of the year when we start thinking about Christmas decorations, and because I am all about handmade, I want to share one of my favorite projects from my book ‘DIY Watercolor Christmas’: the galaxy ornaments.

I love this project because it is also a cool way to experiment with Watercolor Ground, an absorbent primer that allows us to paint on many different surfaces such as paper, glass, wood, metal, fabric and plastic.

It is also interesting to observe how some texture techniques react differently than they do on paper. This is a fun and slightly messy activity that can be done with children.

Additional tips for applying watercolour ground

Some brands recommend sanding non-absorbent surfaces first, but I prefer to apply a coat of white acrylic paint instead.

After applying a coat of white acrylic and allowing it to dry, for best results you will need to apply two coats of watercolor ground, allowing for drying time in between coats. Once the second coat has been applied, allow it to cure for at least 24 hours before beginning to paint with your watercolors.

For this project you will need:

• Watercolor paint
• Glass ornaments
• White acrylic
• Watercolor ground
• Table salt
• Rubbing alcohol
• Brushes
• Toothbrush or brush with stiff bristles
• Spray bottle (optional)

Color palette

I use a mix of Prussian Blue, Indigo, Payne’s Grey, Ultramarine Blue, Cinnabar Red. To give each bauble its own personality, change the dominant blue for each one. Indigo and Payne’s Grey will result in an intense shade, and by adding a little Cinnabar Red to the mix we get a lovely purple.

NOTE: This video tutorial is based in the ‘Galaxy Ornament’ project of the book ‘DIY Watercolor Christmas’ by Ingrid Sanchez, AKA CreativeIngrid. Publisher : David & Charles (13 July 2021).

The dream of writing a book

Painting a Christmas Wreath for the project 'Traditional Wreath'. This is also the artwork used on the cover of 'DIY Watercolor Christmas', Ingrid Sanchez 2021.

Writing a book in pandemic times

Trying to capture the step-by-step process	Painting glass baubles with a galaxy texture

And I did it!

Photography session at David & Charles offices	Taking photos of my art supplies

When I finished writing the text, it was time to work with the proofreader. What a great experience having someone catch all the little mistakes and make sure my instructions were clear. Keep in mind that English is my second language and never had I imagined that I would be writing a book that was not in Spanish. It was also amazing to think that I painted and wrote all that text while fighting constant brain fog and body aches. With inhalators at hand and in between a couple trips to the hospital in an ambulance, I did it! I wrote a whole book... in English!

Books for the pre-release	Holding the first copy!

 

By December 2020 the text and the projects were ready, but we still had no photography and as a result they started talking about delaying the release to 2022. After all the effort we had put in, my heart was broken. But then a miracle:  Between moving to a new house and a third lockdown the publishers found a well ventilated studio in Exeter where we could finally do a photo shoot. I hopped on a train but with all my excitement missed the stop and arrived into Exter late at night three hours later than scheduled. The city was empty and there were no taxis anywhere. An adventure from beginning to end!

 

‘DIY Watercolor Christmas: Easy painting ideas and techniques for cards, gifts and décor’ finally came together a year after we started planning it. This book is not what I thought I would be publishing as a first book, but life is never what we think it will be. And I am so grateful for it, so incredibly fortunate to be alive and sharing this story. The first copies arrived this week and my heart glows with happiness.

 

I loved creating this book because it made me think as a beginner again. I couldn’t teach workshops during 2020 but I wrote something that will help a larger audience, and having taught so many classes in the past has given me good insight into the needs of those wanting to learn. The theme doesn’t matter, the medium behaves the same way no matter if you’re painting flowers, galaxies or Christmas wreaths.

 

I hope this book speaks to you and helps you discover a medium that has brought so much joy to my life. And of course it is a big plus if you love Christmas!

BUY A SIGNED COPY

When you meet someone for the first time, there are some questions that one would expect. Given how jobs tend to define us as individuals, it is only natural that someone wants to know what you do for a living. But somehow I doubt that if you answer that you are a lawyer, the next question is ‘Do you have a second job?’ I have had so many funny conversations which start off with these two questions. It recently happened to me in a gallery where I was exhibiting and I felt like answering:

“Yes, I am a full time artist and don’t live on the street!”

Interior design challenge for The Sunday Times, London 2019.

Why do people assume that one cannot be an artist and enjoy a stable career? Of course, it is true that you need to work a lot (as with anything you want to be good at) and, especially at the beginning, you might need to generate additional sources of income. The difference is that art is fun and does not necessarily feel like work. But in a society that teaches you that only by suffering will you be successful, it can sometimes feel strange to other people.

It is not uncommon for me to get direct messages from young people on Instagram asking me whether it is possible, if I actually live from my art or I just post on IG as a hobby. A couple of other very common questions is what did I study and where.

In another post, I will be sharing the story of how everything started for me, but for now the important question is: Can you make a living as an artist? And the answer is yes, absolutely. But this does not happen overnight. You need to work hard on your skills, create something unique and be very proactive when it comes to learning and seeking new opportunities.

I wish there had been someone to answer this question when I was young and all I wanted to do was paint. The advice I received from my father was that I should study architecture and paint as a hobby. Of course, he was thinking of a career that gave me plenty of useful skills and a realist chance of finding a job.

I liked so many ‘artistic’ things at such an early age that I think my path was very clear from the beginning, but it got lost for a while because I did not realise all the cool things one can do as an artist. Luckily the internet now exists and you (future artist?) are reading this! If you wish you could paint, draw or make any kind of creative activity, all the while make a living from it, the following is for you.

Know that you don’t have to be in a gallery or museum to call yourself an artist. In fact you don’t have to call yourself an ‘artist’ to create whatever it is that you do. At the end of the day it is just a label, so don’t worry too much about it. A lot of people do not like it because it feels heavy but I personally love it!

There is no career that is going to teach you how to become an artist, everyone’s path is different. For example, I studied a Bachelor’s degree in Information Design and a Master’s in Publishing, so in fact I am a self taught artist. But studying a career and working in several office jobs has been very beneficial for multiple reasons:

1. For years I worked in the publishing industry, where I learnt a lot about colour and production (super useful when I digitise my watercolours).
2. Eventually I switched to a more fulfilling role as Brand Manager at a charity where I learnt about running a business with a very tight budget.
3. I was able to build my own website and I never had the need to hire a designer.
4. When I decided to become a full-time artist I was able to retain some previous clients until I did not need that extra income.