It all began in a Michael's aisle.
My husband asked me what I wanted for Valentine’s Day—probably expecting chocolate, flowers, or at most, a candle that smells like "mystical mountain sage" (you know the one). Instead, I pointed to a watercolor kit with a sunflower on the box and said, “That.”
He blinked. “But… you don’t paint.”
“I can learn,” I said, channeling the chaotic confidence of someone who had just learned to bake sourdough two weeks prior.
What followed was an obsession—YouTube tutorials, late-night painting sessions, and an alarming number of brush rinsing jars slowly taking over our kitchen counter. Along the way, I learned two truths the hard way:
- Artist-grade vs. student-grade supplies is not a scam. I ran experiments like a caffeinated art goblin, and the difference in pigment, flow, and blendability is wild. Your paintbrush shouldn’t feel like a broom and your colors shouldn't fade like your New Year’s resolutions.
- Everyone has their own technique. Seriously. You could give five artists the same prompt and palette and get five very different results—and they’d all be valid. But there are shared fundamentals, and once you get those down, magic happens.
Brushes I’d Probably Save in a Fire
I began investing in better tools (read: treating myself to “necessary” art supplies like a feral Victorian with a credit card). My absolute favorites?
- Princeton Aqua Elite – My go-to for control and general greatness. It’s the Swiss army knife of brushes.
- Princeton Neptune – Softer, looser, and great for dreamy, watery blends.
- Princeton Velvet Touch – The middle child who actually gets stuff done.
- Princeton Snap #12 – So beloved I bought three. Yes, it’s extra. No, I’m not sorry.
Paints & Paper (AKA my art pantry staples)
Once I realized paint could sing when it wasn’t watered down and sulking, I got myself a full set of Sennelier professional watercolor tubes (French-made and as romantic as they sound). And because paint is nothing without the right canvas, I tested a lot of watercolor papers. My current rotation:
- Arches Cold Press – My everyday favorite. Holds everything from splashy chaos to tiny detail.
- Arches Rough Press – Ideal for landscapes and texture.
- Baohong Artist (green cover)– Budget-friendly, water-loving, and takes forever to dry—perfect for atmospheric textures.
- Lanaquarelle – Soft, elegant, buttery... and priced like it knows it.
- Hahnemühle: The Collection– Gentle, heavy, luxurious. Worth it when I want my paper to feel like a spa treatment.
For shopping, I alternate between Jerry’s Artarama and Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies—because once you start painting, you start needing very specific things that no local store has unless you live inside a curated Pinterest board.
From Brush to Bookmarks (or Tumblers… or Stickers… or Hoodies…)
When I’m not writing about selkies, time magic, or morally ambiguous witches, I take watercolor breaks to recharge my creative batteries. Over time, painting landscapes turned into sketching characters from my books. Then that turned into this:
- I paint or sketch the piece by hand.
- I scan or photograph it, then clean and upscale it in Photoshop to 300dpi.
- The lovely folks at Splash and Render Studios give it a final polish—adjusting color balance and prepping it for print perfection.
- And voilà! You have the finished image ready to become a bookmark, mug, sticker, or wearable art.
Yes, it’s time-consuming. Yes, my computer is now a digital scrapbook of character concepts and watercolor layers. But it’s a labor of love. A messy, paint-under-my-fingernails, “oops that was supposed to be a shadow” kind of love.
Watercolor lets me travel to worlds I haven’t written yet—and sometimes, it helps me figure out how to write them. So if you see a selkie sticker, a moody seaside bookmark, or a tumbler featuring a brooding warlock, know this: it started in an aisle at Michaels, with a sunflower and a very patient husband.