Wet Paint’s 8th Annual Summer Postcard Project

Draw, paint, or mix up your media on a postcard-sized paper and mail it to Wet Paint! We’re putting together an exhibition of mail art from our friends and fans wherever they may be. As postcards arrive, we will photograph them to share on our social media pages and then display them in our storefront windows.

There’s no limit to how many postcards you can send, but in order to participate, postcards have to arrive at Wet Paint via our friendly postal carrier – – no dropping them off at the store! Don’t forget to sign your postcard(s) and let us know how to reach you. We want to make sure we’re crediting you when we post the work online.

We’ll also have a closing celebration event August 27th from 3-5pm!

General Guidelines:
-We are a family-friendly shop, so please tailor your images & words to be suitable for viewers of all ages.
-We reserve the right to not display postcards that we feel are inappropriate for this activity.
-All artwork must be original.
-In order to have your postcard displayed in our windows, you’ll need to have it postmarked by August 20th, 2021.
-All participating mail art must arrive at Wet Paint via US Mail.
-Keep in mind that postcards will “wear” a bit depending on how far they travel- which is part of the fun of mail art!
-Contact your local post office for shipping and postage information.
-Send one or send one every week! We’ve got big windows!

This year we’ve also put together a Custom Postcard Supply Kit with blank postcards from Hahnemühle and the popular Museum Watercolor Pencils from Caran d’Ache! Check out the list of supplies below, or click here for more information!

See all the postcards in our Facebook Albums here, and this year’s album here!

Kit includes:

• 5 Caran d’Ache Museum Pencils – Genuine Cobalt Blue (662), Light Cadmium Red (560), Dark Olive (249), Yellow (010), and Sepia 50% (906)
• 5 Hahnemühle Cold Press 230gsm Watercolor Postcards
• 1 Sakura Pigma Micron 05 Pen in Black
• 1 Sakura Koi Waterbrush in Small
• 5 USPS Forever Postcard postage stamps
• BONUS pre-addressed stamped postcard to send to Wet Paint! 

Wet Paint Address:

Wet Paint
Summer Postcard Project
1684 Grand Ave
St. Paul, MN 55105

Top 18 Art Supplies of 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, we thought it would be fun to look back on some of our favorites of the year. Not all of these were new products this year, but nearly all of them were new to Wet Paint. Read on to see what made our list!

1.Schmincke Horadam Gouache 10 Tube Set

2. Liquitex Acrylic Gouache

We’ve always been a fan of gouache paint, but there seemed to be a new excitement around it this past year. Gouache (pronounced like “ɡwäSH”) is the fancy name for opaque watercolor paint. Wet Paint stocks Schmincke gouache in open stock, but the 10 color tube set is a great introduction to the traditional paint. New in 2018, Liquitex Acrylic Gouache has the opaque, matte finish of classic gouache with the water permanence of acrylic. Both are worth checking out!

Schmincke Horadam Gouache Tin

Liquitex Acrylic Gouache

3. Schmincke Horadam 24 1/2 Pan Watercolor Set

Schmincke Horadam 1/2 Pan Set of 24

2018 was another big year for ½ pan watercolors at Wet Paint.  The Schmincke custom set we partnered with Jennifer McLean on has sold out, but we still have limited quantities of the 24 ½ pan set, as well as options from QOR, Daniel Smith, Yarka, and more!

4. Super 5 Fountain Pens and Fountain Pen ink

5. Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Ink

Handwriting is also making a comeback! And what better to get on-trend than with than a new refillable fountain pen?!? Wet Paint stocks all of your favorite brands of pens (and inks, too, to personalize your penmanship). A few of our favorites: everyone on staff owns a Super 5 fountain pen…durable construction and free flowing ink make it a dependable choice for everyday writing; we have been charmed by the beautiful Pilot Iroshizuku inks…lovely selection of colors in gorgeous glass bottles!

Super5 Fountain Pens and Inks

Pilot Iroshizuku inks

6. Cigar Boxes

7. Xiem Art Bag

Storage and transportation of art supplies can sometimes be a nuisance when many items are odd sizes or easily damaged. But then came the Xiem Art Bag with its many pockets, wooden handle, reinforced bottom and 25 lbs carrying capacity! Swoon! We also love the classic, and always useful, cigar boxes- not new this year, but still a fave.

Cigar Boxes

Xiem Tools Art Bag

8. Sienna Plein Air 

9. New Wave u.go 

10. Etchr Bags

2018 was also the year for new & different plein air painting supplies- specifically rethinking the classic french easel or pochade box. Whether it was upgrading to something sleeker and easier to carry (u.go), separating the support from the box (Sienna), or using the supply bag as the easel itself (Etchr), this was a great year for finding new ways to get out and paint!

Sienna Plein Air

u.go by New Wave

Etchr Bag

11. Leuchtturm 1917 

12. Koala Tools Gridded Notebooks

So many dots it’s like we’re contagious!  Unlike the measles, though, dot grid notebooks are showing no signs of being wiped out…and we like it that way!

Leuchtturm 1917

Koala Tools Notebooks

13. Golden Acrylic – New 2018 Colors

Golden Artist Acrylic Paint is not new, but Golden did come out with some beautiful new colors for 2018. Plus, they’ve just revamped their online color mixer, which is a great resource for finding that perfect color or matching a color from an image!

Golden Acrylic 2018 New Colors

POSCA Acrylic Paint Markers

14. POSCA Acrylic Paint Markers

The paint markers that everybody had been asking for finally arrived at Wet Paint in 2018…and they’ve been a huge hit.  Lots of sizes, lots of colors and suitable for almost any surface…let’s go write on stuff!

15. DaVinci Casaneo Travel Brushes

Quite possibly the most beloved watercolor brush at Wet Paint since Silver’s Black Velvet…and the Casaneo is all synthetic.  If you didn’t try it in 2018, you’d better make a resolution for 2019!

Da Vinci Casaneo Travel Brushes

Gamblin Custom Color Knew Black

16. Gamblin Custom Oil Paint Knew Black 

We partnered with our pals at Pygmalion’s Art Supplies in Bloomington, Indiana and Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors in Portland, Oregon to bring local artist, Ta-Coumba Aiken’s, custom oil color, Knew Black, to life. Read all about it here.

17. Stillman & Birn Nova Toned Sketchbooks

Featuring double-sized, 150gsm toned paper in either beige, black or gray Nova Series sketchbooks are the perfect “go to” for mixed media applications. Can’t decide which tone is right for you?  The new Nova Trio has all three of ‘em in one book!  (And, the answer is: they’re all right for you!).

18. Caran d’ Ache Technalo RGB Tinted Water-soluble Graphite

Super subtle hint of color in brand new pencils or sticks…barely red, barely green and barely blue never looked so good!

Stillman & Birn Nova Toned Sketchbooks

Caran d’Ache Technalo RGB Tinted Graphite

It’s been fun reminiscing about all of our favorite creative supplies from the past year…it’s making us excited to see what 2019 will bring!  What made the top of your list for 2018?

Happy New Year, everybody!

If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be write

The holidays are the perfect time to give the gift of fine writing…at the very least you can expect a hand written thank you from your friend, colleague or loved one!  We’ve been emphasizing both classic and contemporary pens & pencils at Wet Paint all this year…Scott and I have searched the world over to provide a fun, comprehensive selection for you.  We brought that emphasis to our Holiday Catalog, where we’re featuring a bunch of our favorite utensils…let’s turn the spotlight on a few of them:

It hardly gets more classic than Manuscript’s “1856” resin barreled fountain pens.  The translucent resin almost seems to glow from inside, with pattern and light ebbing & flowing as the pen moves.  The medium-sized, steel handwriting nib glides smoothly over the page, applying ink from either a universal cartridge or a converter (both included).  We brought in our three favorite colors: “Northern Lights” – a deep pearlescent blue with yellow marbled stripes…it reminded us of the Wet Paint colors; “Red Storm” – a fiery red with swirling white patterns; and “Oyster Mist” – a handsome ivory colored pen with striations that look like a museum-quality geological discovery.  The person that gets one of these is gonna smile every time they use their pen!  Each 1856 comes packaged in a gift box.  And – did I mention they’re on sale?

If the “1856” is a little too formal, may I suggest Caran d’Ache’s “849 Series” metal barreled fountain pens?  The bold, rounded-edge hexagonal barrels are made of aluminum…they look heavier than they actually are.  Both the barrel and the stainless steel nib are super durable; the pens boast a lifetime warranty for a reason!  The calling card of the “849,” though, is the barrel colors: a range of “can’t miss ‘em” fluorescents; sleek, glossy, contemporary white; and matte, industrial-looking black or blue.  The decision to get one is easy, deciding which one to get is the hard part.  To make it easier, they’re on sale – so you can get more than one.

Blackwing Pencils continue to be hugely popular at Wet Paint.  The smooth, dark graphite lines…the distinctive square ferrule that holds the distinctive (and refillable!) square eraser…the unique, “blink & you’ll miss them” limited edition themed pencils…dreamy!  With this in mind, we brought in two great gift ideas for the Blackwing enthusiast: the Pencil Roll and the Desk Set.  The former is a durable, waxed canvas roll that comes with five pencils and has space for a pad and a sharpener (not included).  (Speaking of pads…we just received some brand new blank and dot grid books from Blackwing…just sayin’.)  The Desk Set comes with eight of each “standard style” Blackwing pencil – 24 pencils in all – plus a coveted long-point sharpener.  This bounty is packaged in the most handsome pear wood box that you’ve ever seen.  Wow, would that box look nice on somebody’s desk.

 

Lamy Gift Sets aren’t in the catalog…but they’re a super good deal, so I will tell you about them.  These sets pair a dashing Filofax notebook with a Lamy fountain pen: choose a red notebook with White Safari (extra fine nib); a magenta notebook with a Black Purple Safari (fine nib); or a lime green notebook with a super rare Charged Green Al Star (extra fine nib).  They’re already in a box appropriate for gifting…your work is done!

Also not in our catalog, but really new and really cool, is the William Mitchell Mapping & Drawing pen with reversible nib.  The short, plastic quill-style nib holder conceals a hidden super-fine metal nib…flip it around when you’re ready to write or draw; flip it back when you’re done.  No more broken nibs or poked fingers!  Now you just need a bottle of ink to dip the pen in…

Oh, look at that: it’s Herbin’s new “1798” Amethyste De L’Oural ink…right on cue!  This deep, rich purple ink has an appealing silvery lustre…perfect for shimmery, hand-lettered highlights or penning your Minnesota Vikings dream season remembrances.  “Amethyste” is the first in a series of new ink colors that will make up the Jacques Herbin 1798 Collection…get in at the beginning!  The jars themselves are as beautiful as the ink.

Is That a Pencil in Your Pocket?

There’s been a lot of attention paid in the media to the pushback against digital tablets in favor of, well, tablets.  It seems that more and more folks are discovering (or rediscovering) the appeal of making marks on paper.  And while you hear a lot about all the different kinds of notebooks out there, the tools that are doing the actual writing and drawing are sometimes less recognized.  What better way to “fix” that (pun intended and explained below) than to cast a discerning and appreciative eye on our old friend, the humble pencil?

For many people, a pencil has a wooden, yellow barrel with a pink eraser on top.  That describes Dixon’s Ticonderoga, amongst others, and we’ve got ‘em at Wet Paint.  We’ve also got lots of pencils specifically made for drawing.  Artist-grade pencils are like the fancy cousins of the “yellow pencil”…they’re related, in that they have lead encased in a wooden barrel.  The big difference is the very high quality lead they contain and the fact that this lead comes in a bunch of different hardnesses (see the guide below), allowing the artist to make a range of marks from smudgy dark to scratchy light.  Caran d’Ache produces a remarkable artists’ graphite pencil called Grafwood – 15 hardnesses of the nicest graphite you’ve ever used.  Czech company Koh-I-Noor is credited with the creation of the graphite pencil we know today…Wet Paint stocks their Toison D’or line of artists’ pencils.  We also carry high quality pencils from German Faber Castell, Austrian Cretacolor and English Derwent.

Sometimes a pencil is that thing that clicks when you push down on the eraser and lead comes out.  Those are known as mechanical pencils and we’ve got tons of those, too.  Modern mechanical pencils are available in four standard lead sizes – .3mm, .5mm, .7mm and .9mm – and a variety of lead hardnesses (though not as many as artists’ pencils).  Pentel’s new Orenz actually comes in a teeny tiny .2mm, but it’s the exception!  One of our favorite new mechanical pencils is the OHTO SHARP .5mm wooden mechanical pencil.  It looks like a small, regular pencil, but it clicks!  Available in three appealing colors…I think everybody on staff owns at least one of them!

The architects and engineers reading this may have their hands in the air at this point, because there are also mechanical style pencils that hold larger lead sizes than the four I mentioned above.  Lead holders, as these are called, accept lead sizes from 2mm to 5.6mm.  This heartier lead is perfect for the demands placed on it by makers…of buildings and art.  One of our most popular lead holders is the Fixpencil (remember my pun?) from Caran d’Ache.  Available in several lead sizes, color accents, and surfaces, the Fixpencil combines workman-like durability with sleek Swiss design…they are very handsome tools.

Back to the basic yellow pencil.  Some of our favorite writing tools are essentially “regular” pencils, just more stylish.  The Blackwing pencil, for instance, only comes in a few different hardnesses, but in a multitude of limited edition finishes and colored barrels.  The unique square ferrules and replaceable erasers make them stand out from the crowd.  Speaking of standing out, my favorite #2 pencils of all time have to be the Viarco Vintage series pencils.  Both pencils and packaging are faithful reproductions of Viarco products from the 1940s to the 1970s. These boxes are so authentic, a slip of paper had to be added to accommodate a bar code! These six unique 12-pencil boxes are designed in Portugal using long-established production methods, and the quality you’ve come to expect from Viarco.  They are almost too fantastic to use.

Oh, and we’ve got notebooks, too….

Water Soluble Drawing Materials…Like Watercolor Without the Commitment!

Drawing is fun.  If you’re reading this, you’ve probably done it all your life!  I liked to draw as a kid, like many kids do.  On a trip to the Ben Franklin, I begged my mom for a set of crayons that the package told me could be activated with a wet brush…just like paint.  What could be better than watercolor you can draw with, I thought.  The world is a wonderful place!  Imagine my crushing disappointment when I got home and my new crayons did not perform as advertised…they weren’t even a little water soluble!  It obviously still haunts me.  I’m happy to report that Wet Paint has a bunch of top notch drawing materials that play nicely with water…we’re not gonna wreck a little kid’s day (or a big kid’s, either!).

Painting with watercolor is hard.  It’s very immediate – like drawing – but there’s no backsies.  It’s transparent and – mostly – not removable.  The beauty of working with water soluble drawing materials is that they’re easier to “fix”…you have the option to use water, but you don’t have to.  Draw dry and leave it be if you want.  But – if you want to activate part (or all) of your drawing with a painterly flourish – go for it.  You can move & blend  as much or as little as you want, in a very controlled way.  It truly is like watercolor without the commitment (thanks to my friend Megan Vossler for this line which I’ve used hundreds of times since she first coined it!).

A few years ago, one of our favorite importers started bringing in Artgraf products from Viarco, fine art drawing materials manufacturers in Portugal.  Their “Tailor Shape” carbon disc quickly became my most favorite art supply.  It had almost everything: – Dense, dark marks?  Check.  The Carbon Disc is basically a black crayon, but what a black crayon!  The line is reminiscent of a finer litho crayon or China marker, but it’s more versatile than either (see below). – Easy to use, easy to hold?  Check.  The unique “Tailor Shape” (it’s like the little tablet the tailor uses to make marks on your clothes for alterations) fits comfortably in your hand and allows you to use the edge for fine lines, the sides for broad strokes. – Blendable dry or wet?  Check. Sure, you can smudge it like any old crayon, but its water solubility is its magic.  Pass a wet brush over a line and watch it move.  Touch a wet brush to your Carbon Disc and brush it on paper…you would swear it’s India ink!  Deep, dark passages, or subtle, barely there washes…they are all available to you.

ArtGraf Monochromatic Set

Remember I said the Carbon Disc had almost everything?  Well, it was only black.  Hardly a problem, but I had dreams of a white to go with the black.  Instead I got six fantastic Earth Color Carbon Discs, then – later – three Primary Color Carbon Discs (same shape, same properties, lotsa colors that mix beautifully), but no white.  Until this past November, when the Monochromatic Set arrived.  My favorite black Carbon Disc was joined by Graphite Grey and long-awaited White!  Now you can draw with an entire range of tones, tints and colors…take that childhood disappointment!

Speaking of childhood, the watersoluble crayons I should have gotten as a youngster – if I had Wet Paint there to help me – are Caran d’Ache’s Neocolor II.  84 colors of water-blendable goodness that are perfect for coloring and drawing.  Many people are familiar with these crayons as face paint.  Though that is not their intended use, it does give you a sense of their creaminess and water solubility.  Neocolor II’s are a staple at Wet Paint…we’ve got all 84 colors individually as well as in sets.

Caran d’Ache also produces the most highly regarded water soluble colored pencil, the Museum Aquarelle.  Marks made with Museum pencils that have been blended with water are indistinguishable from traditional tube or pan watercolor.  The 76 colors are remarkably lightfast, just like an artists’ grade paint.  These are the best of the best.

Derwent XL Charcoal Blocks

English pencil manufacturer Derwent has been producing pencils since 1832.  Their Inktense extra vibrant, “ink like” watercolor pencils are still one of the most asked for products at Wet Paint, years after their introduction captivated artists worldwide.  More recently, Derwent launched a short range of traditional graphite and charcoal blocks, but with a few twists: the blocks are BIG, the blocks have color, and the blocks are water soluble.  They are: Derwent’s XL Blocks!  The XL Graphite range contains four super subtle shades, plus traditional graphite tones in soft and extra soft.  Imagine a big, squared 4B pencil without the wood!  Similarly, Derwent’s XL Charcoal Blocks come in four rich, natural colors, plus black and white.  They handle just like the less hearty compressed charcoals you’ve used in the past…they’re just bigger and stronger!  XL Blocks are available individually, or in handsome metal tin sets of six Graphite or Charcoal Blocks.

And this just scratches the surface.  I could fill a whole other post talking about watercolor pencils from Faber Castell (Durer & Durer Magnus), Koh-I-Noor (Mondeluz), Bruynzeel and Prismacolor, as well as water soluble graphite from Faber Castell, General’s, Cretacolor, Viarco (kneadable graphite…wow!), and Lyra.  But you get the idea.  We’ve got the water soluble drawing supplies to make every artists’ dream come true!

Only at Wet Paint: Caran d’Ache Wood Box Sets

These Caran d’Ache Wood Box sets are the crème de la crème! Choose from three different drawing media, each the pinnacle of quality and performance, each in a sumptuous wooden box: the 80 piece Luminance box contains the most lightfast, velvety-smooth colored pencils available; the 80 piece Museum box has one each of the most paint-like watercolor pencils you’ve ever seen; the 84 piece Neocolor II set collects everyone’s favorite watersoluble crayons, all in one big box.  Just get a big bow or two and put ‘em right under the tree!

Luminance

Neocolor II

Museum Aquarelle

 

This holiday season we are featuring some of the unique, creative supplies that are regionally, or nationally, exclusive to Wet Paint. These items are great gift ideas that you will not find anywhere else.

Week 9: Getting Neighborly with Alice Neel

Alice Neel is a famous portrait artist and, although her deserved recognition didn’t come until late in her life, throughout her career she painted everyone.  Find a neighbor, friend, partner, niece, child- anyone besides yourself- and draw from life.  Take note of Neel’s beautiful blue outlines and their illustrative quality.  Start by drawing the framework of the face and features, then continue by filling in with bold painted color.  The perfect medium for this assignment is the Neocolor II by Caran d’Ache, because it is a crayon that you can paint with!  Don’t focus too much on detail, keep the portraits loose and if you want the challenge, set a 20 minute time limit (your subject may thank you for that, too).

This week at Wet Paint all Neocolor II crayons will be 15% off our everyday price.  This is a great tool to add to your mixed media work and is perfect for travel.  They are available in sets and open stock of over 120 colors!

These Weekly Workouts will be posted as Events in our Facebook Group, click here to join!
We will also post our exercises here on our blog
Click here to see our list of suggested art supplies

Summer Session Art Date 2: Outdoor Observations

Paul Cezanne “Chestnut Trees at Jas de Bouffan”

It’s springing into summer rather quickly here in MN and that means we all need to get outside and see some green! For this Art Date, take yourself (and your journal) on a nature walk. Any time of day, check out a nature preservation, take a simple stroll around a lake or just walk over to your neighborhood park. Take some time to observe the details, the scenery, and just enjoy the presence of being in nature. Document what is growing around you. Is there a unique leaf, pattern, or texture? Is there a new nest of birds nearby? Share your natural observations with the group. We suggest using watercolor pencils because they are convenient to carry, colorful, and can be used wet or dry. If adding water, don’t forget your water brush!

For the next two weeks (6/4 thru 6/17) Wet Paint will have all Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle Pencils in open stock and sets at 15% off MSRP!  These are available in a beautiful range of colors, are lightfast, and permanent.

These Weekly Workouts will be posted as Events in our Facebook Group, click here to join!
If you are not on Facebook, share your photos in our Flickr group
We will also post our exercises here on our blog
 Click here to see our list of suggested art supplies

WP Weekly Workout- Week 12: Petal Painting with Paul (Cezanne)

Dip, draw or paint your favorite blooms or the whole bouquet! Looking at this Paul Cezanne painting for inspiration, notice the focus on color and form.   Don’t get caught up in the details, try to concentrate on the larger shapes and the interplay between outlines and blocked-in color.  Need some inspiration?  Swing by your local florist or, if you’re lucky enough, maybe you have something growing in your flower beds already. Set them where natural light will enhance their splendor and sit back and paint the view. Caran d’Ache Neo-color II crayons are the happy medium between drawing and painting! Just add water!  Have some fun with these crayons and really see all that they can do.

This week at Wet Paint Caran d’Ache Neo-color II crayons are 15% off our everyday price, in both open stock and sets! They are a great addition to any travel kit, plein air set up or every day tool box! Also great for mixed media and art journaling!

A note on our last workout:

Hey Weekly Workouters!

Stay tuned for info about the upcoming WP Weekly Workout: Summer Session!  These workouts will be every other week for 12 weeks (6 total workouts) and will encourage you to take yourself and your workbook on  “Art Dates.” We also have put together a special package of travel supplies to keep with you for your summer outings. Details coming next Wednesday, May 14th!

These Weekly Workouts will be posted as Events in our Facebook Group, click here to join!
If you are not on Facebook, share your photos in our Flickr group
We will also post our exercises here on our blog
 Click here to see our list of suggested art supplies