Quick Tips for No-Mess Painting

Do you wish you could paint more but dread the thought of cleaning up afterwards? Well here are some quick tips on all you'll ever need to have a great painting experience without creating ANY mess. 

Read on..

Tip #1: Invest in a Water Brush Pen

My #1 tip for anyone who would like a no-mess painting situation, is to invest in a water brush pen. This is a neat little device that costs between $5 to $10 and has a tiny squeezable barrel feeding the brush and can hold up about 50 ml of water. I use Pentel's Aquash brush. It's refillable and capped, so there are no leaks or spills. The good thing about this water brush pen is that the brush is made of synthetic fibres which, unlike a regular brush, never wears out! I have had mine for over 2 years and it's still gong strong. 

Tip #2: Invest in Water Soluble Crayons

My absolute favourite is the Neo Pastel II by Caran d'Ache. These can be a little pricey but boy, do they last! Remember, for water color painting, you need Neo Pastel II (not I). I accidentally purchased the wax crayons first (which are not bad but not my favourite for my kind of painting.) Neo Pastel II have a creamy, smooth application and you only need to pick up a little with your water brush pen. After you are done with one color, just wipe off the brush on a dry or wet tissue.

Tip #3: Invest in Water Soluble Color Pencils

The reason why you would need Water Soluble Color Pencils in addition to the Water Soluble Crayons is because it helps to color is small spaces plus sometime you just want to go for the pencil effect. If budget is an issue, skip this purchase entirely for now (and maybe treat yourself to it one day).

I really can't decide between the Mitsubishi UNI selection or the Dervent Inktense ones. I love them both equally! They produce vivid colors and are easy to apply. If you can afford it go for 24 colors.

This is what the inside of my Mitsubishi UNI water color pencil set looks like. I have used this set for over 6 months and as you can see, it looks almost unused. But the reality is far from it. These pigments are so intense that you only need to pick up a little color on your water brush.

My handy-dandy painting pouch typically contains only the following six items:
1. My 4 x 7 inch moleskin water color journal
2. A pencil
3. An eraser
4. My 10 color Neo Pastel II set
5. My Water Brush Pen
6. A sharpie

And the best thing is that there is no clean-up required!

See how compact it all is..

Hope you found these tip useful. If you liked my tips please leave a comment. And don't forget to subscribe for more tips for the artsy-craftsy person in you here! 

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