WATERCOLOR TIPSTHEY WON'T SHOW ... If you do preliminary sketches with a drawing pencil, and then worry about the lines showing through, there's a solution: Sketch with watercolor pencils, instead. Once your watercolor goes down, the pencils lines will dissolve and blend into the watercolor itself.
THE LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER THAT RESISTS BUCKLING ... If non-buckling heavyweight papers won't fit your budget, give Aquarius II (from Strathmore) a try. It's only 80-pound weight, but because it's a blend of paper and synthetic filiments it's almost totally resistant to buckling. A bonus: It costs less than even 140-pound papers.
KEEP YOUR WATERCOLORS DRY ... Not a contradiction in terms, but advice from Winsor & Newton to artists who use pan watercolors in preference to tubes. They recommend leaving the colors uncovered for several hours after a painting session to allow the paint to dry to its original consistency, and add the warning that the procedure is especially important in damp, humid climates.
NO STAIN, NO PAIN ... Beginning watercolorists are sometimes advised to avoid "staining" colors in favor of colors which can be lifted out (or at least lightened) in the event of a mistake. A list of these colors would take too much space here, but we'll be happy to give you one anytime you're in the store. (But check out Winsor & Newton's Lifting Medium as an alternative to forgoing these colors.)
LIQUID FRISKET DOS AND DON'TS
(We are indebted to the book Using Liquid Frisket by Jerry Griffith for some of the following. You'll find many more tips in the book, which is available in our reference library.)
If the frisket needs mixing, follow the James Bond Martini formula: Stir, don't shake. Shaking causes bubbles which can leave pinholes. Do apply it in one direction only. Don't brush back and forth. Don't use a good brush to apply frisket. Don't even put one in frisket rinse water. Do use a rubber cement pickup to remove frisket, but don't try to do it until both the frisket and the paper underneath are thoroughly dry. Finally, don't leave the frisket on for more than 24 hours. After that, removal becomes more difficult.
MORE ABOUT FRISKET ... Don't use it straight from the bottle. Pour some out in another container, then recap the bottle promptly. Store the bottle cap down.