Watercolour tips - arranging your workspace

This tip is really about being comfortable when you paint. It's very important to have somewhere to set out your equipment in a manner that allows you to work freely and easily.

Water: For watercolour painting I feel it's essential to have an area with a waterproof surface, and preferably one which will contain any spills. A floor covering that will not be damaged by either water or staining pigments is also important. Lastly, a constant source of clean water, to easily replenish your water pots or rinse out any large brushes.

If you have a purpose built studio to achieve all this then you are lucky indeed. I find the ideal working area is the kitchen. I set out my palette, paintbox and water pots on top of the washing machine, which is conveniently next to the kitchen sink, as you can see below.

Easel: If I want, I can set up my easel in the kitchen, but most of the time I have my watercolour paper on a board which I either place on the worktop, or rest on the edge of the sink. This gives me constant control over the angle of the board, and if I need I can even rinse off a wash under the kitchen tap.

Vinyl: The kitchen floor is vinyl, so I don't have to worry about spills. This is essential, because I use a lot of water for wet into wet skies etc. The lip round the top of the washing machine contains any spillage in this area, and stops my brushes rolling away.

Why not take a few minutes to think about your own watercolour working area. If you can't work freely without worrying about mess and spills, your work will not be free either.

Once your paper and paints are set out, you're ready to design your painting.

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