Watercolor Paper  

If you have a favorite brand of watercolor paper, by all means, use it. Hot pressed paper is NOT recommended. Choose 100% cotton 140 pound Rough (Grain Torchon) paper—Saunders or Arches, size from 11×15 to 15×22 inches, depending on your preference.

Instructor recommendation: Saunders Waterford Rough 300 gsm 

Brushes

• Round paintbrush (or mop) squirrel, goat, or equivalent (approximately #12)
• Round sharp paintbrush (or rigger, liner) (approximately #4)
• Flat strong brush for watercolor, approximately 1 1/2 inch width (3.5 cm) or bigger

If you have any favorite brush set, feel free to use it. Asian calligraphy brushes are very welcome (goat, rat, etc.) 

Instructor recommendation: Michael Soloyev’s Signature Brush Set or Michael Soloyev’s Esconda Signature Set

Paint

The instructor highly recommends Daniel Smith watercolor in tubes. In case of impossibility, you can use any other professional brand. Small sets for travel are NOT recommended.

You will need a basic color set. It is highly recommended to have the following set (we will use it a lot):

• Quinacridone Sienna
• Quinacridone Deep Gold
• Alizarin Crimson
• Perylene Violet
• Indigo
• Cobalt Blue
• Phthalo Green BS
• Phthalo Blue GS

MASTER SET

You can get the Michael Soloyev 10 color Daniel Smith Master Set in art stores around the world or order it online: Blick Store (USA) or Deserres (Canada) or Jackson’s (Europe)

Other Supplies:

• Masking tape
• Any board to stretch paper on
• Pencil
• Eraser
• A simple hairdryer
• Paper towels

Michael is often called a “sunny watercolorist” – his airy, transparent artworks look as though they emit the sunlight. His traditional academic art education, extensive experience as a head theater stage designer, and oil painter career now inform his priority as a watercolor artist – light. His main belief is that sometimes even a pile of rubbish with beautiful lighting can become an artwork. Michael is a watercolor artist of great renown, with exhibitions and workshops all over the world, from Bolivia to France to Australia.

Michael sees his work as an artist as exploration and observation of the world and its presentation in such way the others can see the things he saw. He considers being an artist as one of the most interesting jobs in the world. Since theater is his background, it is all done through the prism of theatrical art.

First and foremost, Michael is a head theater stage designer, where he started his career and made more than 50 plays before his move to Canada. The idea of theater art is still with him – that is where his understanding of visual arts originates from. In theater, everything is different – the main part is the light and how subjects present in it, and not the subjects in themselves. He was responsible for light, sets, furniture, costumes, props, and makeup – all the visual aspects, from A to Z, that the audience can see when they go to the theater.