Knowledge

100% Cotton Watercolor Paper: When It Matters and When It Does Not
Complete buyer's guide to Paul Rubens watercolor paper: 100% cotton artist-grade quality since 1998, lab-tested against Arches/Fabriano/Strathmore, cold-press vs hot-press, sizes guide, beginner recommendations, and matched paint pairings. Read more...
Best Acrylic Paint Set For Beginners
A beginner-friendly guide to choosing an acrylic paint set, including color count, pigment strength, tubes vs bottles, surfaces, brushes, and what to buy first. Read more...
Watercolor Paper Weight: Which GSM Should You Choose? (2026)
A practical guide to watercolor paper weight, from 90lb practice sheets to 140lb/300gsm cotton paper and heavier 300lb sheets for wet washes. Read more...
Acrylic Painting for Beginners: Your Complete Start-Here Guide (2026)
Beginner roadmap to acrylic painting — supplies, 8 techniques, first project, and common mistakes. Read more...
Watercolor Pans vs Tubes: The Real Difference (Explained by a Paint Factory)
Watercolor pans or tubes — compare cost, convenience, color range, and dried-out risk with honest recommendations. Read more...
Oil Pastel vs Soft Pastel: Which Should You Choose? (2026)
Compare oil pastels and soft pastels by texture, blending, paper, fixative, cost, and use case so you can choose the right pastel medium first. Read more...
Gouache vs Watercolor: Which Medium Is Right for You
The honest comparison between gouache and watercolor — covering opacity, techniques, cost, paper requirements, and when to use each. Read more...
Watercolor Painting For Beginners
The complete beginner roadmap to watercolor painting — from choosing your first supplies to completing your first painting. Covers wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, glazing, and 5 more techniques. Read more...
Soft Pastels For Beginners
Everything a beginner needs to know about soft pastels — from choosing your first set to mastering fundamental techniques. Includes supply checklist, technique breakdown, and honest comparison with oil pastels. Read more...