Koi Watercolor Travel Sets from Sakura

The affordable, lightweight and travel-friendly Koi Field Sketch sets are a longtime favorite of watercolor enthusiasts.  Each set comes with assorted half pan colors and a refillable water brush so you can start painting right away. The 24 color set features a removable mixing palette and the snap lid doubles as an easel to support a 4x6” paper

Koi Field Sketch sets are perfect for all ages, the paint is specially formulated to blend easily and is 100% non-toxic.  Check out our 12, 18 and 24 sets just in time for World Watercolor Month next month!

 A cup of water is a staple of watercolor painting from home.  But what happens when you want to travel and paint on-the-go?  The Koi Water Brush is designed specially for plein-air artists and painting away from home.  Unlike most water brushes, the Koi Water Brush includes a water plug that allows the two halves to travel separately — a truly compact design!  The fine, flexible tip produces the brushstrokes of a natural hair brush with the durability of nylon material.  Beyond water, the easy-to-fill body can hold a wide range of media including ink and high flow acrylic.  Koi Water Brushes are available in three round brush sizes — small, medium, large — and two barrel sizes — small (4ml) and large (9ml).

Great Travel Journals from Pentalic

A simple, all-purpose and durable sketchbook is often the key to bringing your best ideas forward. If you’re an artist, a writer or just a creative mind, you will find the Pentalic Traveler sketchbook an inspiring book to keep by your side.

Packed with 80 sheets (160 pages) of white, 74lb recycled paper, the Traveler takes pencil, ink, fountain pen and even watercolor washes. We’ve added a new rack of Traveler books that features three different sizes in a variety of bold colors. Each book comes equipped with a ribbon page marker, back pocket, and an elastic closure that makes the Traveler the ideal sketchbook to take everywhere you go.

The Pentalic Aqua Journal features thick sturdy paper that gives confidence that one can deal heavy watercolor washes. The smaller sizes are great for traveling and with the hard cover it will hold up easily to the everyday stress of travel and handling. The binding also allows it to lay flat when working. These are available in four sizes (including a 5x5 square!).

We suggest pairing the Aqua Journal with these great Art Advantage Water Brushes. Makes a great gift for a friend, a father or yourself!

Schmincke Horadam Limited Edition 12 Half-Pan Watercolor Tin

SOLD OUT! - Sign up for our email list to be notified when we re-stock!

We are excited to announce receipt of the Schmincke Horadam Limited Edition 12 Half-Pan Watercolor Tin: 12 super moist Horadam colors chosen by artist, Marilyn Garber, founder of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art and past President & Vice President of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Marilyn's palette contains four of the brand new colors, introduced just this year in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the invention of Schmincke's Horadam Watercolors.

This exclusive Horadam 1/2 pan watercolor set has been produced by Schmincke in collaboration with iAMart, a national organization whose membership of independent art materials dealers is dedicated to the support of artists in their local business community.

Armando brought in his set to show us the richness of the colors

By supporting iAMart member stores, such as ARCH, you are ensuring continued vitality of your local art community, and investing in the health of your local economy.

Pairs nicely with a Black Velvet Silver Brush (not included with set)

We have very limited stock on these and once they sell out we won't be able to restock. Hurry in and get yours today!

Traveling With Your Supplies

Summertime is travel time. Visiting a new place is a great time to get inspired. We always recommend have a sketchbook and some of your favorites tools at the ready, but we recognize the need to pack lightly.

I asked Caryn for some her thoughts on packing economically while traveling. Check out some of her ideas below.

On your next trip take along a compact watercolor travel palette. Sakura Koi Watercolor sets are a great place to start.

Only 4x6" - Perfect for Travel

The set of 12 pans is small enough to fit in a pocket with mixing space built into the lid - Ideal when space is at a premium.

Mixing palette, paints, rinse sponges, water brush and a Fluid Watercolor Block. The additional travel brush is loaded with Walnut ink.

The set of 24 pans can be paired with a 4x6 Fluid Watercolor block or Strathmore Postcard Watercolor pad which fits right into the lid that can double as an easel. In addition, there is a detachable palette that provides extra mixing space.

TIP: Pre-stamp postcards or buy interesting stamps abroad and mail friends or family scenes from your trip. Snail Mail is still a great way to stay in touch!!

All sets come with a water brush which eliminates the need for a separate water container. Just fill the brush reservoir with water and squeeze to wet the brush tip. When you need to clean the brush, squeeze more water into the tip and dab on the provided cleaning sponge. My preferred method is to bring along a single paper towel or napkin to clean up. Either way, you're good to go.

You can buy additional travel brushes, with various tip sizes as well.

TIP: Fill some of your additional brushes with a permanent india ink to use as a base for your painting or fill it with a water-soluble ink to create interesting washes. I like the Walnut Ink by Tom Norton. It's a rich, light shade of brown that you can layer to increase tone. 

These ideas also translate well if your studio happens to be your home. We know how pressed for space we all are in the Bay Area. Don't let that stifle your creativity! 

Follow Caryn on Instagram

New To Stock: M. Graham Watercolor and Gouache

We are pleased to announce that we now carry the full lines of watercolor and gouache paints from M. Graham. Using honey cultivated in the Pacific Northwest as a binder, M.Graham paints have a rich palette that wets easily and disperses exceptional amounts of pigment.

We asked Armando to try them out and he fell in love. Read his rave review below:

Graham is an artist quality paint with great color intensity and saturation. Because of the honey content, it reactivates easily when dried on your travel or permanent palette.

Because graham focuses strongly on single pigment, with the exception of a few premix colors. Color theory mixing is seamless and colors stay intense and rich when working from light to dark values. Their colors also have a incredible tinting strength, making it the ideal paint for those wanting rich luminous color through glazing.

Because of the pigment load in these paints, a little goes a long way, especially for wet on wet painters. The colors bleed smoothly, making gradients a pleasurable experience with these paints.

Overall I strongly recommend M. Graham for those wanting rich smooth colors that deliver a pinch of saturation. But, can also be diluted with out diminishing return in color strength.

M. Graham gouache and water color are 40% Off List price everyday. Through the month of May, if you buy any three M. Graham gouache colors you will get a FREE 5oz Naphthol Red M. Graham Gouache tube. Want to stock up on the water colors? Buy any three M. Graham Watercolors and receive a FREE 5oz Phthalocyanine Blue Graham Watercolor tube.

The FREE tubes are only good while supplies last and/or through 05/31/2017. So hurry in and try these out today!

New To Stock - Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Concentrated Watercolors

We are testing out 6 colors from Dr. Martin's Radiant Concentrated Watercolors. These inks are produced in an extremely concentrated form to achieve the greatest possible brilliance. Each liquid color comes in an iconic 0.5 oz (15 ml) glass bottle package with its own eyedropper.

Currently we are stocking Lemon Yellow, Scarlet, True Blue, Slate Blue, Tobacco Brown and Black. If we sense the demand is there, we hope to bring in the full line. We have them set up for you to give them a try in-store.

Dr. Ph. Martin's colors are primarily formulated for use in graphic arts work on paper surfaces intended for reproduction (e.g. cartooning, illustration, and other graphic arts), and are especially popular for airbrushing. Like all aniline dye base colors, they are fugitive when exposed to direct sunlight over time.

Here is a quick video for you to see these in action.
Come in and try out these watercolor inks today!

A video posted by archsupplies (@archsupplies) on Jan 5, 2017 at 2:57pm PST

Traveling This Summer? Take Watercolor With You!

• Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks - 10% OFF the 25% OFF ARCH Price
• QoR Watercolors - 10% OFF the 25% OFF ARCH Price
• Winsor Newton Sketcher's Pocket Box -10% OFF the 15% OFF ARCH Price

Traveling this summer? We have everything you need to take your art with you! Watercolors make a great travel-friendly medium for making art on the go. Come by ARCH and check out our summer deals on QoR Watercolors, Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks, watercolor sketchbooks and more.

Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks make traveling with a full spectrum of watercolors easy. Just break off small slices of the sticks and arrange on a palette to create a full set of pan watercolors. These high-quality vibrant colors store easily and lessen the mess of traditional tube watercolors. Daniel Smith watercolor sticks, normally 25% OFF list price are now an extra 10% OFF for a limited time.

ARCH has just introduced QoR (pronounced CORE) Watercolors from GOLDEN Paints. ARCH carries the full line including several mediums and grounds. QoR Watercolors, normally 25% OFF list price are now an extra 10% OFF for a limited time.

"The unique formulation of QoR Watercolors accentuates the luminosity and brilliance of pigments even after drying. QoR provides the subtlety, transparency and flow of a great watercolor, with colors that have as much vibrancy and fire as the best acrylic or oil paint."

Looking for a Travel Watercolor set? The Cotman Sketcher's Pocket Box from Winsor Newton is now an additional 10% OFF the regular 15% OFF price of $19.98. This compact set comes with a travel brush and 12 vibrant colors from the Cotman Watercolor line and literally fits in your pocket! ARCH also carries a large selection of watercolor brushes, papers, and paints including Daniel Smith, QoR, and Winsor Newton Artist Watercolor.

NEW Product: GOLDEN High Flow Acrylics

ARCH now carries the full 49 color line of GOLDEN High Flow Acrylics including 4oz bottles and sets. High Flow acrylics come in a wide range of high-intensity colors including transparent, iridescent and fluorescent varieties. They are thin enough to be added to refillable markers, technical pens and airbrushes or can be painted and used to stain or pour onto most painting surfaces. High Flow produce beautiful stains and washes, but can also be used to create intricate detail with small brushes or technical pens.

High Flow Acrylics have an ink-like consistency and a high pigment load, consistent with the rest of GOLDEN's acrylic products. They maintain their brilliancy even when diluted, resembling a glaze when thinned out. Used at their full strength, they are similar to an ink, but tend to be more brilliant in color and maintain a crisper edge than some inks.

Black Velvet Brushes Have Arrived at ARCH

ARCH now stocks Silver Brush Black Velvet watercolor brushes. This amazingly versatile line of brushes has brush shapes of all kinds including striper liners and amazingly absorbent mop rounds and oval mops. These brushes hold their shape beautifully and offer a precisely controlled stroke.

The bristles are a mix of synthetic fiber and squirrel hair, which provide a springy feel with watercolor, inks, acrylic and gouache. Come into the store and try them out. ARCH offers these and other great brushes at 40% OFF the list price everyday.

Gamblin Dry Pigments

ARCH now carries Gamblin Dry Pigments in our store! Dry pigments have been used for thousands of years to create paints for fine art, scenic painting, and more. These versatile ground pigments can be mixed with a variety of binders and mediums to create your own high quality paints and inks. Mix with an alcohol and water solution to create vivid ink colors or mix with a blend of linseed oil, stand oil, and turpentine to create high quality oil colors. Try mixing them into white gesso to create colored grounds for painting.

Some artists prefer to grind the pigments even further with a mortar and pestle to create an extra fine texture. This not only provides stronger stability of color over time, but actually makes the colors more vibrant. ARCH carries a selection of 22 different pigments, providing a diverse palette for all artists. Come in and try your hand at making paints the way the Old Masters did.

There are some safety precautions that must be taken when working with Gamblin Dry Pigments. Gloves should be worn and you should always wear a face mask to prevent inhalation of these pigments, which are often made from hazardous metals. When safety precautions are taken, the process can be extraordinarily gratifying and fun.

Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks and Watercolor Ground!

Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks are here at ARCH! These watercolor sticks can be dipped in water and drawn with, or watered down like a pan watercolor and painted on with a brush. This convenient new product allows you to take watercolors with you easily and relatively mess-free. The color strength and clarity from Daniel Smith Watercolors is terrific and allows you to create a beautiful palette! ARCH carries Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks in 20 colors and they sell for $10.15 each!

Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground can be applied to both porous and non-porous surfaces to create a "watercolor paper" surface to produce beautiful paintings. The uses and possibilities are endless! Try applying it to wine bottles to create your own custom labels, apply to traditionally gessoed canvas to make a watercolor canvas, or apply to interior walls to create watercolor murals! ARCH carries the Watercolor Ground in white, but it is also available in Black and Buff Titanium. A pint jar sells for $19.17. Look below for some great projects made by using the Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground and Daniel Smith Watercolors!