Creating Your Perfect Watercolour Studio: A State of Mind
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you buy something we may possibly get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
One thing that's close to every artist's heart is The Studio.
Now, don't worry if you're picturing some grand, sunlit space with easels aplenty and thinking, "chance would be a fine thing!"
Because here's the beautiful truth - your perfect studio is much more than just a physical space.
Studio is a state of mind, a way of being.
Let's explore the possibilities of creating your ideal studio, no matter your circumstances.
The Physical Studio Space: From Grand to Cozy
Sure, having a bespoke art room is lovely (and if you do, that's wonderful!), but it's absolutely not necessary. Your studio could be:
- A designated room (lucky you!)
- A desk tucked away in a quiet corner
- Even just a basket filled with your beloved supplies
The key is to make it work for you. Remember, it's not about the size or grandeur of the space, but how it nurtures your creativity.
The smaller the space available to you, the more important it is to find the supplies that you enjoy using the most. And something we probably don’t talk about enough - limitations are a boon to creativity. The less diversity in supplies available to you, the more creative and adept you will become at using them.
Minimal Supplies for Watercolour Painters
Watercolour painters are lucky. We don’t need too much in the way of supplies.
Paper
We work on paper so all you need is pad block or sketchbook so this is easy to adapt to your studio size requirements. Don’t think only of your physical space though. Try to accommodate your preferences by choosing the size you feel most excited about working in.
Sometimes a tiny sketchbook is exactly what is going to motivate you to actually do some painting or drawing.
Paint
If you have the space go all out and collect all the colours your heart desires. But if you don’t have much space, fear not!
Limited palettes are a valid choice regardless. You might find you prefer the simplicity of a tiny palette box with a small range of colours.
Brushes
Brushes tend to be something we painters collect. But the reality is, one large round brush that comes to a lovely point is likely all you really need. Or even just a waterbrush if you find you are wanting to put together a small mobile studio!
These are the only essentials. Of course we all have our favourite additional things but don’t let a perceived lack of supplies stop you from creating.
If you want to know more about supplies I have a whole class about that. Its completely free and you can sign up here.
Quick Tip: Organize for Easy Access
Here's a simple tip to keeping your creative juices flowing: make your supplies easily accessible. Don't let packaging be a barrier to your art!
If that box of pencils is a hassle to open and close, why not pop them in a pretty cup or a handy pencil case?
The easier it is to start (and clean up), the more likely you are to actually enjoy the relaxation of creating your art regularly.
Storage Options for Art Studios of All Sizes
If you have a little space that you can reserve as your painting studio then try to make your supplies as visible and easily accessible as possible. I like to use old coffee mugs, recycled jars or small inexpensive stationery cups to hold my supplies.
The mugs have the added benefit of that handle making it easy to move them around if you decide to relocate to the sofa for the afternoon, for instance. You can group by suppllies, ie a mug for brushes, a mug for pencils, a mug for markers. Or, if you have say a large collection of coloured pencils you could group them by colour family, a mug for warm colours and a mug for cool colours.
The other thing I use those recycled jars for is painting water. I like to have at least 2 to hand because I always like to paint with a jar of clean water and a jar that I can use to clean my brush off.
Mobile Art Storage
I really like the idea of having easily mobile storage… like those mugs. You could store the mug collection of all your supplies on one of those ubiquitous IKEA trolleys or something similar. They have multiple shelves so you could have a shelf for paper and sketchbooks, one for paints and kitchen towels/old rags and one for the containers with brushes and drawing tools for example. Then those trolleys roll away as you see fit. You have everything you need simultaneously accessible and neatly stored.
Quite honestly, a watercolour painter can make do with even less space than the trolley requires. Instead of a trolley you could have an art basket. Find a wicker basket or small hamper of some kind and you can store your paints, paper block and brushes in that and be ready to paint anywhere, anytime.
Instead of the mugs/jars to store your brushes and pencils, you might want to consider a pencil case or a pencil roll (something like this, perhaps). I have a lovely fabric roll that I use for my inktense pencils, but you can obviously use this for brushes and markers too. When you unroll them, you have everything spread out but still contained and not rolling away - wonderful solution! Just seeing all your supplies laid out like that can be very inspiring.
Smallest Ever Art Studio
If you are just starting out on your painting journey, or if you like to paint when you are out and about you can pare things down to what I call the Smallest-Ever-Art-Studio.
You can fit everything you need for a quick painting into one of those plastic zip lock pouches (like this) that you can get at the stationery stores or dollar stores (or Amazon, obvs!). They come in a larger sizes too but even in one of those roughly A4 (US Letter size) pouches you can fit
a small block of watercolour paper (or watercolour sketchbook),
your small pencil roll/box with pencils, pens and brushes
your palette box of watercolours
a small spray bottle of water
an old rag or a few paper napkins
That’s all you need! You can even get little collapsible travel cups for your water, and there is also a very clever palette box that has the water wells built in - they are actually the cover of the palette box. (People are so smart!)
Don’t forget that you can even get waterbrushes which means your water and brush are all in one. I do find these are good for sketchbook pages and quick illustration style paintings rather than the loose expressive splashy watercolour paintings I like to do with my regular paintbrushes and a jar of water. But everything has its place and its all just a matter of finding what works for you, your painting style preferences and the space available to you.
You really don’t need a light airy studio - that painting pouch is good enough, I promise! Because studio, in my opinion, is so much more than a physical space. Studio is a state of mind… I’ll come back to that idea in a minute… but first a safety announcement or two…
Sit Well in Your Studio
Whether your studio is a purpose built room or the kitchen table, an important aspect of studio comfort is your chair.
It’s all too easy to get carried away with your painting only to find you have been perched awkwardly for longer than you realised. Take care of your back and your neck by choosing a comfortable and supportive seat no matter what kind of studio you choose.
Be Mindful of Lighting
Some painters will tell you that you have to have daylight bulbs in your studio so that you have proper light by which to accurately judge your paint colours, and so as not to be disappointed when you move the painting out of the studio and find the colours are not what you expected.
I am not that sort of painter.
I am not painting commissions, I am painting for fun and relaxation.
What they say about judging colour is true enough perhaps, but those daylight bulbs can also be quite a strain on your eyes if you are working under them for long periods.
If you paint for pleasure like I do, then it is comfort that is the top priority.
You need good enough light so that you are not straining eyes and that painting is enjoyable. I don’t think you need to rush off and find specific light bulbs, but I do think it is worth checking that you are sitting in a good position. You don’t want a shadow falling over your page making it hard to see what you are doing. Nor do you want glaring sunlight making you squint if you chose to relocate to the patio for a spot of afternoon painting.
Be comfortable and sensible when you are setting up to paint so that you get the most out of your studio time.
The Mental Studio Space: A State of Being
I really believe the studio isn't just a physical place - it's a state of mind you can slip into anytime, anywhere. Rather wonderful, don’t you think?
I used to sometimes feel like I was not giving my art practice enough of my time. I have come to realise that my art practice is so much more than just the time I spend with a brush in hand. These days I recognise that I am ‘in the studio’ so much more often that I used to think.
Seeing the World Through an Artist's Eyes
There is a magical thing that happens when you start drawing and painting. It’s like you get new eyes. Painting and drawing teaches you to really see all the glorious details in the every day world that other people might miss.
For instance, when you are out for a walk you can’t help but marvel over:
- The perfect way light dapples through leaves
- Unexpected and glorious color combinations in nature
- Fascinating shapes formed by shadows and clouds
This heightened awareness is a crucial part of your studio time. It's like collecting inspiration wherever you go!
Finding Inspiration in Memories
Here's another lovely way to spend some studio time: flip through your photo albums. Your own snapshots are treasure troves of painting ideas! As you browse, you might:
- Choose specific photos to recreate in watercolor
- Let the images spark new, creative ideas
- Relive memories that could translate beautifully to paper
This quiet reflection time is just as valuable as the moments you spend with brush in hand.
Bringing It All Together
When you finally sit down with your supplies - whether at a fancy easel, the kitchen table, or curled up on the sofa - you're bringing together all these moments of inspiration and observation. This is where the magic happens!
Remember, your studio is wherever you make it. It's in the way you see the world, in the memories you cherish, and in the joy you feel when you pick up that brush. It's a beautiful state of mind accessible to you always.
Embrace your unique studio setup.
Whether it's grand or humble, permanent or portable, it's perfect because it's yours.
Happy painting!
Are you on your own painting journey?
One of these might be useful…
Keep on reading…
