Hi from Scotland

Hi Maisie - glad you have found us here.

I am also not a fan of general social media platforms - I think you may find that feeling echoed by many of our members here too.

Have you done anything recently which you found fun - interests / hobbies etc.?

Hello, and thank you. Also thanks for replying to my music discussion.

Life has been a bit crazy but I've finally got back in to my painting and that's been a lot of fun. Painting is a bit of a hobby for me. I'm not great at it but I do enjoy it and I guess that's what's most important.

What about you? Have you done anything exciting lately?

Maisie said:

I'm not great at it but I do enjoy it

Same here.

I recently joined a local art group to give me some motivation.

  It isn't a "class" or "course" - we just get together for a couple of hours painting etc , twice a month. 

As a teenager, I used to use a lot of poster colour paint (little glass jars by a Japanese firm). 

I really like chalk pastels too.  (Not so keen on oil pastels).

More recently, I have been rediscovering water colours (I have a mini travel tin which is a 12 pan set with an inbuilt metal finger ring - which helps prevent me keep dropping the thing - particularly when using it out and about (www.amazon.co.uk/.../B0CXJJ6XZR ).

Water colour pencils arc great too (I like to doodle with the pencils when out and about and then later (at home) I use a brush and water to convert the doodle impressions into more of an image.

I haven't much experience with tubes of watercolour paints.  However, I am keen to try that as I have found a mini tin 12 (empty half trays) palette - where you fill the pans with your choice of colours, let it dry, and take it with you as a lightweight travel option.  The mini tin looks like the sort in which you get tiny mints.

I haven't tried acrylic paints much yet - I am trying to find a low odour brand (my little beginner set has a most distracting unpleasant odour!).

Also, I recently discovered double-ended felt tip pens (fine nib one end and brush-like at the other end).

I have also just got myself a set of fine nib acrylic pens which you can use on glass, stone etc.  I believe that once dry they are waterproof (Mitoymia).

If I need to really travel extra light; I use an old Staedtler Mars draughtsman's mechanical / clutch pencil - with a small number of different coloured pencil cores.  They used to be readily available - now I find a specialist art supplies shop may be a more likely source.  It is easy to get the graphite leads - not so easy the coloured versions.  (I might need to experiment with the Pentel AIN Stein equivalent ones instead).  My pencil has a metal finely knurled grip - which I find really comfortable. 

I have never tried oil paints - I wonder if the odour for those paints also may require some careful market research (maybe the middle ground of Gouache may better suit me?  I don't yet know - as I have yet to try that type).

The pads of A6 watercolour postcards 300 gsm, an A6 clipboard and a roll of masking tape often form part of my travel kit.  My travel easel solution is an A5 plastic folding multi-use plastic book stand / textbook holder / music manuscript stand 

My greatest art-friendly find:

The Japanese-style denim aprons - nothing tied around your neck and nothing tied around your waist - but long enough to protect your clothes (and not so hot as coveralls and less arm movement restriction too).  Two deep pockets on either side (instead of in the centre like a cooking apron).  Machine washable.  One size fits most people - so you can vary your layers of clothing underneath.  They have a cross of fabric straps over your shoulder blades (www.amazon.co.uk/.../B09ZNZNQ39 )

Maisie said:

I'm not great at it but I do enjoy it

Same here.

I recently joined a local art group to give me some motivation.

  It isn't a "class" or "course" - we just get together for a couple of hours painting etc , twice a month. 

As a teenager, I used to use a lot of poster colour paint (little glass jars by a Japanese firm). 

I really like chalk pastels too.  (Not so keen on oil pastels).

More recently, I have been rediscovering water colours (I have a mini travel tin which is a 12 pan set with an inbuilt metal finger ring - which helps prevent me keep dropping the thing - particularly when using it out and about (www.amazon.co.uk/.../B0CXJJ6XZR ).

Water colour pencils arc great too (I like to doodle with the pencils when out and about and then later (at home) I use a brush and water to convert the doodle impressions into more of an image.

I haven't much experience with tubes of watercolour paints.  However, I am keen to try that as I have found a mini tin 12 (empty half trays) palette - where you fill the pans with your choice of colours, let it dry, and take it with you as a lightweight travel option.  The mini tin looks like the sort in which you get tiny mints.

I haven't tried acrylic paints much yet - I am trying to find a low odour brand (my little beginner set has a most distracting unpleasant odour!).

Also, I recently discovered double-ended felt tip pens (fine nib one end and brush-like at the other end).

I have also just got myself a set of fine nib acrylic pens which you can use on glass, stone etc.  I believe that once dry they are waterproof (Mitoymia).

If I need to really travel extra light; I use an old Staedtler Mars draughtsman's mechanical / clutch pencil - with a small number of different coloured pencil cores.  They used to be readily available - now I find a specialist art supplies shop may be a more likely source.  It is easy to get the graphite leads - not so easy the coloured versions.  (I might need to experiment with the Pentel AIN Stein equivalent ones instead).  My pencil has a metal finely knurled grip - which I find really comfortable. 

I have never tried oil paints - I wonder if the odour for those paints also may require some careful market research (maybe the middle ground of Gouache may better suit me?  I don't yet know - as I have yet to try that type).

The pads of A6 watercolour postcards 300 gsm, an A6 clipboard and a roll of masking tape often form part of my travel kit.  My travel easel solution is an A5 plastic folding multi-use plastic book stand / textbook holder / music manuscript stand 

My greatest art-friendly find:

The Japanese-style denim aprons - nothing tied around your neck and nothing tied around your waist - but long enough to protect your clothes (and not so hot as coveralls and less arm movement restriction too).  Two deep pockets on either side (instead of in the centre like a cooking apron).  Machine washable.  One size fits most people - so you can vary your layers of clothing underneath.  They have a cross of fabric straps over your shoulder blades (www.amazon.co.uk/.../B09ZNZNQ39 )

Thank you - some good new hints and tips there - I will have an explore.

Nice find with the apron! I bought that yesterday as I'm always getting paint over my clothes (I'm such a messy painter!). I had been meaning to get one for a long time and with Amazon Prime it will come today. Yay!

Your different painting styles sound fab. I love the sound of your travel tins as well, they sound adorable. I might invest in some for myself as well but I don't really do much travelling, now I'm finishing with school (thank God!) I don't go out much at all. I do all my painting at home in this mock up art studio I made. When I do go out I take my sketch book and pencils with me, so I can draw something if I suddenly get the impulse to start drawing. 

I don't know if you've seen the videos but there's a real chill painting series with a man called Bob Ross. His videos are inspiring and hearing him talk and watching him paint is just really relaxing lol. 

Let me know if you find any paint which have a gentle scent or no scent. Because of my hyper sensitivity I get really affected by smells of all kinds and paints give off such a strong scent. My mum says she can't smell anything but I definitely can and I have to wear a mask lmao just so I can continue painting.

I also follow an artist on YouTube called Jazza. He paints and draws and his videos can be quite inspiring and fun to watch. 

I love painting because it's relaxing and I love to see the colours blend and almost come to life, as the picture goes from blank canvas to messy to a piece of art.... 

Art quality varies though