Strathmore – Raw Materials Art Supplies

Strathmore Online Workshop Series 3: Intro to Painting with Gouache

Posted on August 3, 2019January 21, 2019 by Celia

Strathmore’s last 2019 FREE Online Workshop will be starting up again soon and we are so excited for this virtual classroom! Get ready for Intro to Painting with Gouache, with artist/instructor Myriam Tillson, which starts September 3, 2019!

This gouache workshop will explore the use of gouache as a painting medium in its own right. Students will learn about the particular properties of the medium, how it compares to other similar paints such as watercolor and acrylic, what materials work best with it, and how to use it to make the most of it and its specific qualities.

Viewers will be introduced to the paint in some detail, and will be shown which papers, brushes and tools can help enhance their experience with the medium. You’ll learn key tips and tricks to get more familiar with gouache, how to use gouache in an opaque manner, how to achieve the ideal consistency, and alternative applications.

Here is some basic information about how Strathmore Online Workshops work:

Workshops are self-paced. You participate when you want.
If you registered for the Online Workshops, you will receive an email at the start of each Workshop. Note that you will not be receiving an email each week a workshop lesson is published (only at the start of the workshop).
Each Workshop has 4 weekly lessons. Once a workshop begins, a lesson is published on the Workshop page each week for four weeks. Once the lessons are published, they will stay active on the site until December 31.
In addition to the lessons, students can participate in conversations on our discussion boards or share work in the classroom photo gallery.
Each weekly lesson includes a video lesson and downloadable instruction sheet. You will complete assignments on your own, at your own pace. Due to the size of the classes, there is no formal instructor review of your assignments.
Instructors will actively participate at the start of each workshop through the first 4 weeks. Instructors will post tips and comments during this time. However, due to the size of the classes, they may not be able to respond to all of students’ questions or comments. Strathmore will be helping out our instructors during this time. After the 4 weeks, Strathmore will continue to monitor classroom discussions and answer questions, with the help of the instructor as needed.

Realistic Watercolor Painting w/Kelly Eddington

Posted on July 17, 2019July 8, 2019 by Celia

What do you love to paint the most? You’ll never know until you explore a wide variety of subject matter. This online workshop presents a sampler of popular watercolor subjects: landscapes, still life, and portraits. Kelly Eddington will show you how watercolor’s unique properties can do the heavy lifting in each painting. Watch watercolor create a serene blue sky, a soft shadow defining a cheekbone, and reflected light on a shiny surface—all in seconds. Watercolor is challenging and can take decades to master, but this medium’s special quirks are so seductive you might find yourself under its spell for the rest of your life.

The Mind of Watercolor w/Steve Mitchell

Posted on July 10, 2019July 6, 2019 by Celia

Watercolor can be one of the simplest mediums to use, but it does seem to have a mind of its own at times, giving it the reputation of being fussy and unforgiving to work with. In this four part workshop Steve Mitchell gets into the mind of watercolor and see what makes it tick. Success with watercolor depends greatly on discovering and anticipating how it reacts in real painting situations.

Celebrate World Watercolor Month: Sketching & Journaling w/Gay Kraeger

Posted on July 1, 2019June 26, 2019 by Celia

Capturing your world through art in a journal is a low-tech, highly rewarding experience, but you don’t need us to tell you that. In her friendly and conversational video workshop, Gay Kraeger guides you through learning watercolor one step at a time: the basics, quick sketches, page design, lettering, and watercolor techniques needed to create illustrations of your life in the form of an art journal.

Moving Sale!

Posted on June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 by Celia

We’re having a MOVING SALE! All in-stock paper pads, rolls, and sheets from Bee Paper, Bienfang, Borden & Riley, Canson, and Strathmore are ON SALE at 30% OFF!!!

That’s right, we said it – ALL IN-STOCK PAPER PADS, ROLLS, AND SHEETS from your favorite paper brands are ON SALE. Bristol Pads, Mi-Teintes, Tracing Paper, Foundation Sketch Rolls, XL Mix Media Pads, Montval Watercolor Pads, Toned Mix Media Pads, Canvas Pads, Charcoal Paper Pads, Visual Journals, Gray Scale Pads, Manga Paper, Marker Paper, Field Sketch Watercolor, Printmaking Paper – it’s all ON SALE! We really don’t want to move this stuff to our new location.

Strathmore 2019 Online Workshop Series 2: Urban Sketching Basics

Posted on April 6, 2019January 21, 2019 by Celia

Strathmore’s next FREE Online Workshop will be starting up again next month and we are so excited for this virtual classroom! Next up, Urban Sketching Essentials with artist/instructor Alphonso Dunn, starting May 6, 2019!

We’re big fans of Urban Sketching, it’s one of the most fun, fulfilling, and adventurous artistic endeavors you can experience. There is no doubt drawing on location can be a bit intimidating. In this compact and beginner-friendly workshop you will learn the essentials you need to get going in this incredibly liberating art form. Topics include, starting supplies, drawing mechanics, watercolor basics, compositional elements, simplifying scenes, and tips and techniques for handling pen and ink. These and more will be covered. Join in to learn invaluable tips, tricks, and techniques that will inspire you to explore your world with confidence!

Here is basic information about Strathmore Online Workshops:

Workshops are self-paced. You participate when you want.
If you registered for the Online Workshops, you will receive an email at the start of each Workshop. Note that you will not be receiving an email each week a workshop lesson is published (only at the start of the workshop).
Each Workshop has 4 weekly lessons. Once a workshop begins, a lesson is published on the Workshop page each week for four weeks. Once the lessons are published, they will stay active on the site until December 31.
In addition to the lessons, students can participate in conversations on our discussion boards or share work in the classroom photo gallery.
Each weekly lesson includes a video lesson and downloadable instruction sheet. You will complete assignments on your own, at your own pace. Due to the size of the classes, there is no formal instructor review of your assignments.
Instructors will actively participate at the start of each workshop through the first 4 weeks. Instructors will post tips and comments during this time. However, due to the size of the classes, they may not be able to respond to all of students’ questions or comments. Strathmore will be helping out our instructors during this time. After the 4 weeks, Strathmore will continue to monitor classroom discussions and answer questions, with the help of the instructor as needed.

How-To Video: Getting Started with Water-Soluble Colored Pencils

Posted on March 3, 2019February 27, 2019 by Celia

Strathmore’s Artist Educator Sarah Becktel shares her tips for using watercolor pencils.

Check out this video where Strathmore’s Artist Educator Sarah Becktel shares her tips for using watercolor pencils. This video has become the top video on Strathmore’s YouTube Channel because of Sarah’s straightforward method of teaching both classic and unique ways to get the most from watercolor pencils.

Raw Materials carries a carefully-curated selection of water-soluble or watercolor pencils, but below are three we love, including the artist-grade watercolor pencil that Sarah uses in the video, Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils.

Supracolor Soft Aquarelle Pencils by Caran d’Ache

Superior-quality water-soluble color pencils for the most exacting requirements by artists, illustrators, and graphic artists. Perfect for mixed media applications, and can be used with Pablo permanent colored pencils, watercolor, gouache, and Neocolor pastels. Available in 120 colors, the soft water-soluble lead is 3.7mm, with a high breaking-strength. Encased in premium-quality, FSC-certified cedar, the colors are bright and have excellent lightfastness. Throughout the month of March, all Supracolor Soft Aquarelle Pencils and Pencil Sets are on sale for 20% off!

Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils by Faber-Castell

The fully water-soluble lead of the Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils have vibrant colors, optimum opacity and good lightfastness. High-quality materials and innovative production technology provide high tip-breakage resistance with SV bonding along the 3.3mm lead. Using a wet paintbrush drawings can be transformed into stunning watercolor paintings. Dry drawing techniques of colored pencils can also be used with these watercolor pencils. These hexagonal pencils are easily sharpened with all common sharpeners.

Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils by Faber-Castell contain the highest quality pigments for unsurpassed lightfastness. They feature a buttery smooth color laydown and are easily blended and layered without waxy build up. The thick 3.8mm break-resistant and fully water-soluble leads can be easily blended when wet for rich watercolor effects and become permanent when dry. The lead is housed in premium California cedar wood casing with SV bonding to strengthen lead and resist breakage, while providing sharp fine lines and excellent point retention. Available by Special Order.

Every Artist Needs A Playground

Posted on February 24, 2019February 21, 2019 by Celia

Notebooks and sketch pads have been the place where artists let their ideas run free for years. Solid notebook/pad construction and quality papers are ideal for daily play and experimentation with dry media. A wide range of paper for different skill levels and a variety of formats means we have the right notebook and/or sketch pad for you. Here are a few of our favorites:

This Urban Sketch Book by Sennelier offers a highly functional design for the on-location artist. The 340g weighted paper and 6″ x 4″ dimensions provide a great surface for panoramic proportions, or enough space for several small sketches. On sale for $8.98 (list $17.95) while supplies last!!!

These 3feet Memo Pads by Maruman are designed to always be at hand — never more than three feet away. The cover is pre-creased so the top folds over easily, and a small cut-out in the back of the pads holds the cover in place. Pages are perforated for easy removal. These pads are one sale for 10% off every day.

These classic, soft-bound Leather Journals by Lamali are handmade in Nepal, tailored with a sturdy leather strap closure and filled with sheets of handmade, deckled Lokta paper. The espresso brown leather cover has a black stitched binding which enables the journal to lie flat when opened. These are perfect for recording your thoughts and memories. These Journals are 20% off, every day.

EcoQua Notebooks by Fabriano have wonderfully colorful covers and are ideal for writing and drafting in pen, pencil and marker. Made in Italy, they contain environmentally-friendly FSC certified 57 lb. (85gsm) paper that is chlorine-free, acid-free, and completely recyclable. Available with lined, blank or standard grid sheets, and on sale for 20% off, every day.

Small in size, big in scope, and on sale for 30% off every day. The ten panels in the accordion-fold Dream Catcher Journals by Pentalic allow you to create individual sketches or one long panoramic one. Expands from 4″ × 6″ to 6″ × 40″. The watercolor version has acid-free 140 lb. cold press surface for watercolor as well as pen and ink. The drawing version has acid-free 104 lb. paper that is perfect for all dry media as well as pen and ink.

Dot Grid Traveler Pocket Journals by Pentalic

Traveler Pocket Journals by Pentalic are on sale for 25% off, every day! Available in Blank Sketch, Midnight Sketch, Ruled, Grid, and Dot Grid formats. Wherever you go, capture life as it happens with this art journal designed to fit anywhere. We dig the Dot Grid Traveler Journal – 160 pages of acid-free, slightly toothy, recycled 74 lb. (120 gsm) bright white sketch paper with a 5mm dot interval pattern – perfect for sketching, bullet journaling, notes, and field work. Includes an elastic closure, ribbon marker, back page pocket and flexible, water-resistant Italian made cover.

All Vision Pads by Strathmore, including these Vision Mixed Media Pads are on sale for 40% off through Feb. 28th!!! These pads are our favorite bc they feature a versatile, medium weight, all-purpose paper in a sketching format – a good choice for dry and light wet media sketching. All sizes feature 70 sheets per pad, sturdy chipboard backing, and tear-off top sheets with customizable, steel blue mixed media covers below.

Strathmore 2019 Online Workshop Series 1: Realistic Drawing with Charcoal

Posted on February 4, 2019January 21, 2019 by Celia

Strathmore’s FREE Online Workshops will be starting up again and we are so excited for their virtual classroom! First up, Realistic Drawing with Charcoal, taught by Kirsty Partridge, which starts on March 4, 2019.

Follow along with Kirsty Partridge in this four-part online workshop series that focuses on how to create photo-realistic drawings with charcoal. Kirsty’s YouTube art channel has amassed over 21 million views because of her incredibly helpful, insightful, and creative videos on a how to draw, paint, and improve your art.

Now Kirsty has put together a special series just for Strathmore on how to create realistic drawings using charcoal. Here’s what you’ll learn:

Lesson 1: Materials and how to use them for charcoal drawings

Lesson 2: Still life drawing to learn basic techniques such as contrast, shading, blending, and layering

Lesson 3: Drawing realistic animals in charcoal

Lesson 4: Drawing a realistic portrait in charcoal

Not sure if you want to commit until you learn more about how these online workshops work? Workshops are self-paced. You participate when you want. A month prior to the start of each workshop (there are 3), you can visit the workshop page for a supply list. Registering is optional, but if you create an account you can get an email reminder, participate in the forums (where participants and the instructor can answer your questions), and share your artwork. Then, simply visit the workshop page for links to video lessons and instructions. The video lessons and instruction sheets will remain on the site for viewing throughout the entire year so you can follow along at your own pace, and reference the class all year long! If you’d like, you can read more about the Online Workshops. Hope to see you in class!

Video: Oil Painting Tutorial with Robert Burridge

Posted on February 1, 2019January 23, 2019 by Celia

If you missed Robert Burridge’s fantastic oil painting tutorials from the 2018 Strathmore Online Workshops, we’ll be re-playing them here, starting with Setting Up Your Studio & the 4 C’s. What are the 4 C’s? Concept, Composition, Color Combination, and Commit & Continue. If you’ve always wanted to try oil painting but didn’t know where to start, or if you’re looking for inspiration and painting techniques, then let’s get started!

If you’re in need of supplies, the Back To Whatever Super Sale: Winter Edition ends February 8th, so take advantage of our sale on Gamblin Artists’ Oil Colors, Gamblin 1980 Oil Colors, M. Graham Oil Colors, and Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors — all at 40% off until February 8th!!!

Not only are M. Graham Oil Colors 40% off until February 8th, but you can also get a FREE tube of Alizarin Crimson or Manganese Blue Hue when you buy three (3) or more tubes. It’s a great time to try this high-quality oil paint ground in walnut oil.