coffee painting of a women by Meital Regev

Meital Recommends

My top 10 are marked by a⭐

⭐What brushes do you recommend for fine details?

I love these fine-tip brushes! They have comfortable grip handles and they are so useful when I paint my detailed coffee paintings!

What higher quality brushes for watercolor painting is recommended?

These synthetic squirrel watercolor paint brushes are a bit more expensive and they are great for watercolors. They absorb a lot of color in them, so make sure you clean them very well after use.

What watercolor paper is best?
Baohong watercolor paper 8.3x5.9” / 10.2x10.2" cold press

I recommend Baohong watercolor paper, cold press, Which comes in several sizes.

This paper is 100% cotton and it absorbs a lot of water in it. Compared to the Canson it has a ruff texture surface hence provides strong scrub resistance, allowing for a variety of watercolor techniques.

It is glued on four edges to eliminate the need for stretching and avoids curving.

⭐What brushes do you recommend for painting with watercolor?

These are my recommended watercolor synthetic brushes. They have all sizes I need in one set, they are affordable and comfortable to use.

⭐What is your favorite paper for coffee painting?

My favorite paper for coffee painting is:

Canson XL Series Watercolor Textured Paper 300 gsm , 9x12 Inch cold press

Why?

Its texture is not too ruff, so it's great for fine details. It absorb water well, and it's affordable.

What is your preferred method to wet your paper when using wet on wet technique?

There are 3 methods (use 100% cotton paper):

1. Run it under the faucet

2. Dunking it in a tub

3. Brush it with sheep hair Hake Brush on both sides. The sheep soft hair won't harm or damage your paper when brushing it.

After wetting the paper, lay it on your acrylic board, and start painting right away. (no tape needed)

What other 100% cotton paper is recommended for watercolor use?

I recommend this Canson Heritage Rough Watercolor Pad,

9. 1" x 12. 2", 12 sheets per pad

Made from 100% cotton, 140 lb/300 gsm

⭐What tape should I use to place my paper on the table, that won't tear my paper when I remove it?

I use Scotch ScotchBlue Delicate Surfaces Painters Tape, 0.94" Width x 60 yd. This Purple tape is my favorite!

How to create highlights on my watercolor painting?

One way to create highlights on a painting is using an acrylic paint, with a fine tip brush.

I love this White Titanium acrylic 250ml (8.5-oz) tube.

⭐What palate is recommended for watercolor mixing and coffee painting?

For coffee you can use an espresso cup or this ceramic palate. This 9-Well Ceramic Paint Palette is great for mixing colors and seeing the right color mix as it shown on the paper.

For coffee use, you can mix different densities in each well, for easy painting

What eraser is recommended for lightening my pencil's sketch?

This Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser is ideal for graphite and colored pencils. It is the perfect drawing eraser choice for artists and sketch pencils. It can correct and lighten Charcoal, pencil and pastel work.
It comes with a case and enables easy storage after use. The case will prevent any dust from settling on the eraser, and help keep it clean ready for its next use.

⭐What is the best way to take my painting when I paint outside? How can I paint with watercolor without taping my paper to my board/table?

The best way to take you watercolor painting when you paint outside, is to tape your paper to an acrylic board with a tape. I cover mine with a cellophane sleeve, so it won't get dirty.

If you want to use wet on wet technique, you can wet your paper heavily(100% cotton) from both sides with water, then it will stick to the acrylic board without any tape.

What pen should I use for highlight my painting?

I love this White Posca pen fine tip 0.7mm for highlights on my paintings

⭐What brand of masking fluid should I use and why?

Masking fluid is used mainly for leaving white areas on your painting (so you can easily paint on it with your watercolors). After your painting is dry, you can easily scrap it off with your nails, and reveal the white paper below it. I love this brand, It dries very fast, peel off easily from the the paper, and it's color is grey, so you can see it clearly.

How can I create thin lines for eye lashes painting with a brush?

I use fine tip brushes for creating thin and narrow eye lashes, fur or hair. If it's too complicated for you, I recommend using this brown color pencil

What gold leaf to use on a watercolor paper?

I use this brand of gold leaf 24K for touches of gold on my coffee paintings

Is there a special glue for gold leaf?

Yes! This metal leaf adhesive dries in 30 minutes so you can begin applying your leaf fast. You will be able to easily clean the adhesive off of your hands, brush and workspace with soap and water.

My watercolor painting is getting dry so fast, during my work. What should I do?

When the air is dry, It's hard to work with watercolors. I recommend using a Humidor hygrometer, to see how much humidity you have in your room. It is recommended to have 70% humidity while painting with watercolors.

If you are struggling with dry air I recommend purchasing a diffuser

What a diffuser / humidifier is used for?

I use this diffuser to add humidity to my room while painting with watercolors and coffee. This way the painting won't get dry too fast, and I can paint without wetting my paper all the time. I also add essential oils so it will have a great scent too :)

⭐I'm looking for a good quality of watercolor set, what is recommended?

I recommend two sets of watercolors. The first is a basic set of 24 pans of Water Color Paint, great for beginners, good quality watercolor set by Van Gogh

The second set is full set of 48 colors of Schminke, which has the highest quality demands of artists and hobby painters. The colors are very easy to dissolve and are suitable for all watercolor painting techniques. It's a matter of budget, they are both great!

How to create different textures with watercolors ?

I use a piece of this pop up sponge to create different textures on my paper

How do you seal your watercolor and coffee paintings?

When it comes to using this Spray, here's my go-to method:

I start by spraying four layers of the product in both horizontal and vertical motions. I make sure to spray evenly, keeping a distance of about 1 foot away from my painting. After that, I leave the artwork outside for about 30 minutes to let the Spray work its magic.

Just a friendly reminder, safety first! Make sure to wear a mask during the spraying process, and it's always best to do it outside or in a well-ventilated area. Let's protect ourselves while creating amazing art!

⭐ What sketchbook do you recommend for traveling?

Oh, how I adore my sketchbook! The spiral binding is just so cozy and easy to handle. Whenever I take out my trusty pencils to draw or sketch, it's the first thing I grab.

And you know what? I'm not just limited to pencils! I even use it for watercolor painting too! Okay, okay, not too much water though. Gotta be careful with that.

All in all, my sketchbook is my go-to for whenever I'm feeling artistic or just need to jot something down. It's always there for me, ready to help me bring my ideas to life.

⭐How to protect watercolor and coffee art from moisture?

After sealing my coffee art with four coats of the trusty sealer spray, I add a layer of wax. It's like a protective armor that says no to moisture and gives your art that smooth, matte finish.

⭐ What sketching tools do you recommend?

This sketching kit includes everything you need to start sketching:

Includes 6 pencils (2H, HB, H, B, 2B, 3B), 3 charcoal pencils (soft, medium, hard), and 4 compressed sketch sticks (2 charcoal, 2 conté)
Also includes 1 standard eraser, 1 kneaded eraser, 1 blender/smudge stick, and 1 dual-barrel sharpener

⭐How can I prevent watercolor paper from buckling?

For large watercolor paper, after finishing painting on it, I glue it to a rigid gatorboard with this Extra heavy gel by Golden brand