The artful field journal: painting lichens with watercolor and gouache

materials list

• Any type of sketchbook or journal. It is recommended to use a journal that opens flat, with pages thick enough to handle watercolors. Having a clip or rubber band to hold journal pages open is helpful. It also works well to use single sheets of watercolor paper.

• No. 2 or HB pencil

• Light yellow or cream and light green colored pencils.

• Watercolor brushes. A No. 8 or 10 round and a No. 4 round (or “water brush”) are recommended. A “rigger,” “liner,” or “script” brush is also fun to have.

• Any type of paint. Tube watercolors listed on Andie’s list link on the main AFJ page are recommended, but any type of watercolors, tempera, acrylics, or colored inks will also work.

• Tube of white gouache paint (not watercolor)

• Optional: Yellow gouache (not watercolor)

• Palette. This can be a plastic lettuce bin lid, a paper plate covered with saran wrap, a china plate, or a traditional paint palette.

• Spray bottle for water, if you have one.

• Collected lichens and/or mosses for observation. You may also use photographs as a reference.