62 Watercolor artist | APRIL 2020
Bright Ideas
Tanabe’s plein air
palette and brushes;
a pair of watercolor
sketches she created
while in Venice, Italy.K
eiko Tanabe and Th omas W
Schaller are two of today’s
leading watercolorists.
Th eir paintings are held in
notable private and public
collections, they exhibit
globally and, as instructors,
they have followers world-
wide. Here, Tanabe and
Schaller share their experi-
ences with and under-
standing of watercolor’s
essential materials.PAINTS
“I expect pigments to be
pure and vibrant on paper
and to contain no fi llers,”
says Tanabe. “Permanence
and lightfastness are equally
important so that pigments don’t
fade over time or when exposed
to light.” She advises painters to
look for paints that are of a profes-
sional grade and from a reputable
manufacturer, and that have excel-
lent reviews.The Four
Elements of
Watercolor
KEIKO TANABE and
THOMAS W SCHALLER
discuss four all-important
watercolor materials: paper,
pigment, brush and pencil.By Courtney Jordan
Tanabe is a self-taught watercolorist who
travels the world painting, exhibiting her
work and teaching workshops.