Because Why Not?
Let’s try all the things!
This won't come as a surprise to anyone, but I have a lot of art supplies. I've been collecting them for a long time. I also have a lot of yarn and roving (the fluff that, when spun, becomes yarn).
As any hobbyist knows, buying, researching, and planning for the supplies for one's hobby, passion project, or recreational pastime is a hobby in itself.
A sub-hobby.
A line of work with it's own W2 tax forms.
I had some downtime this last weekend, and while I had set out to tidy up my studio space, I didn't.
Instead, I did an art supply/audit/experiment.
I drew/painted the same little plant pot with four different mediums. I wanted to know why I repeatedly worked with the same few, skipping over some of the more expensive and unique supplies I have in my collection.
(Calling it a collection makes me sound fancy vs. a dragon holed up in a cave hoarding pigments and paintbrushes.)
The short answer is mixability.
I go for the tools in which I can mix the colors I want with ease.
The next and obvious answer is experience. I reach for the tools I have the most experience with and am most comfortable with.
Gouache (pronounced like squash or Goowash) was my first attempt and my best. Gouache really is a lot of fun!
#2 Caran d’Ache Neocolor II a water-soluble crayon.
These crayons are expensive, and the color profiles are delightful, but I don’t have a good handle on them. They are a little clunky for this type of project, imho.
I do love the Neocolor crayons for abstract pieces. They lend wonderful texture and lay down an intense but workable opaque layer of brilliant color. And there is something to be said for working with crayons - it’s very playful and scratching that itch to be free and childlike.
***
Back to my experiment.
#3 Inktense Watercolor Pencil by Derwent.
I like the idea of watercolor pencils much more than I enjoy their functionality. The mixing is clunky and the colors don’t blend well - meh.
#4 Ahhh, my comfort zone! Traditional watercolor.
I am currently taking a Skillshare class in oil pastels, just for fun, so I might have to add an oil pastel plant pot to this mix at the end of the Skillshare class.
Is there an art supply or technical gear thing that you like the idea of more than the thing itself? I’d be super curious to know how this phenomenon plays out in other hobbies/interests.