Watercolour in Taos

For more than a month I have been trying my hand at watercolour--straight from the lofty tubes of D&R, DS, MG and a small number of W&N and one tube of Schmincke-rose madder. These are all new, and available at Artisan, and hopefully not too much duplication from among those watercolour tubes sitting in my storage unit back East.

I also have a small number of pads, blocks and sheets of watercolour and drawing paper--again not the generous lot in storage, but a sufficient number to test and touch.

I found the MG and W&N the most reliable. DS comes in third place as their tubes continue to run out faster than I can top off a plastic palette with their juicy watercolour. Also living in a very dry climate, totally different than the humid one I lived in for 10 years, I found that the DS dried on the palette faster than the honeyed MG, and the standard W&N. This has been my first time with D&R, and I rank them last. I found their pigment load insufficient or at least radically lower than the others.

But, it is paper that really gave me a full course of instruction and the start of a degree in art materials. I am contrary, and find Arches pads at the lower end of satisfactory. I just tested some water and colour on my Robert Bateman (cover series, recycled, 110lb) and it curled not at all while the Arches, 140lb. seems to want to arabesque.