February Q&A

Welcome to our monthly Q&A! Submit your questions and/or requests for in depth posts on Discord or by email any time and I'll round them up here. This month we're talking about peeling tape without tearing the paper, honey based paints, how to dispose of paint water, sketchbooks that lie open flat, and more. Enjoy!

Q: I don't think I have a concise question, but basically I'm wondering if I am rushing into a new hobby with too many impulse purchases? I think there's a voice that says "I shouldn't need this" and I'm working on that in therapy I guess. (excerpt from longer question about wondering which colors to buy)

It has helped me to think of supplies as experience purchases rather than "investment" or collection purchases. Meaning, I think about buying paint more like buying ice cream or a ticket to an event than buying a closet staple or a kitchen appliance - it’s meant to be used, tried out, even if I don’t know exactly how it will go or whether I will like it. It's ok if I don't have anything to show for the money I spent on a concert, and art supplies are like that. This helps me to use the supplies freely and be willing to try things out, within whatever my budget is.

Q: I really like the idea of just using white ceramic tiles to swatch - can you buy a single tile in a hardware store?

They’re the best little palettes! I get mine at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in my area. I’ve lived in other cities with other second hand / recycled building supply stores. They’re usually about 10c each and I like to get a variety of shapes and surface textures to try out.

Q: When I’ve taped my watercolour paper to a board to keep it stable, I always end up taking off some of the surface of the paper when I peel away the tape no matter how long I let it dry or how careful I am. Is there a special kind of masking tape for “artists” (I’m just using generic masking tape) or a special trick to not tearing the paper?