Paints, Papers & Brushes for Islamic Illumination

If you are considering learning Islamic Illumination online or if you are following one of the free tutorials and want to have a go at this beautiful art yourself then you would need to get some basic tools and equipments starting with paper, brushes, paints and so on.

Below are my suggestions based on the brands I have used and loved, but don’t be afraid of experimenting with whatever you get your hands on or with other brands too.

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Paper for Islamic Illumination

I use a heavy weight watercolour paper (hot press) that starts from 240 gsm and above. I use this heavy weight because I layer my paintings with a lot of paint, so if you are not doing a lot of layers then you can use lighter weights.

I also avoid cold press/rough paper because it has a lot of texture that can impact the fine outlining that I do with ink.

Budget Hot Press Paper

I really like the Cass Art Hot Press 300 gsm paper. If you get the 50 sheets it becomes very reasonable and it’s great if you are just starting out and for smaller size paintings.

There is also these two, but I haven’t used them a lot:

BOCKINGFORD : GLUED PAD : 9X12IN : 300GSM : 12 SHEETS : HOT PRESSED

DALER ROWNEY : AQUAFINE WATERCOLOUR PAD : LANDSCAPE : 300G : A4 : SMOOTH

Mid Range Hot Press Paper

ARCHES : AQUARELLE : GUMMED WATERCOLOUR PAD : HOT PRESSED

SAUNDERS WATERFORD : WATERCOLOUR PAPER SPIRAL FAT PADS

High Budget Press Paper

You might be surprised by this, but amazing quality paper costs a lot of money and you can send a big budget just on paper and the quality of your work could affected by the paper choice you make. Plus it’s good to learn on good paper from the beginning to avoid colour bleed issues and paper curling.

I would suggest buying big sheets of paper if you have money to invest and then you can cut them into smaller sizes based on what you want to paint. They generally more expensive, but you can get heavier weight with these options:

FABRIANO, Hot press, 300 gsm

SAUNDERS WATERFORD, Hot press, 425 gsm

I have also been obsessed with cotton paper from the Khadi brand and it’s just so pretty like the two examples below that I painted on that type of paper:

I usually prepare the paper and tea stain it and size it as the video below shows you. Please note the online course has an extra exclusive method.

Brushes for Islamic Illumination

There are so many brushes that you could use and I wrote a dedicated post about if the size of brush matters along with some recommendations, but here are some more specific recommendations based on the brads I personally use/used. If you are happy with your brushes that are from different brands then that’s all good too.

I generally use a range of brushes that start with size 1 as the largest and it gets smaller up to 0/10, but that depends on the scale of you work.

Budget Brushes

Pro Arte Series 101: KOLINSKY SABLE

Pro Arte Series 202: SYNTHETIC

Mid Range Brushes

Winsor and Newton Series 7: KOLINSKY SABLE

Higher Range Brushes

Rosemary and Co Brushes series 33: PURE KOLINSKY POINTED

Rosemary and Co Brushes series 99: POINTED PURE SABLE

Cloud and Rock Brushes from artist Vaishali

You can also watch this video that shows you how I use fine brushes to outline:

You can also buy some other tools related to brush like the paint palette, brush holder, brush rest and of course a brush box or a brush fabric case. This is really how artists spend all their money, but you can get two things and build your collection slowly.

Paints for Islamic Illumination

The main type of colours I use is gouache with genuine pigments. If you are not familiar with gouache then this post will help you: Gouache Paint Explained.

I have never used acrylic and no idea how it will work with this. If for some reason you can’t find gouache then I would advice using watercolour from a tube and not diluting it very much.

Budget Gouache

Reeves Gouache Paint (UK link)

These are good cheap option to practice with especially at the start, but they are not very reliable long term and mixing shades with them gives some randomly bright colours. It is great if you want to involve your kids in painting too and you can get them a set too.

Amazon US link for Reeves Gouache Paint

There are also two useful budget brands that will do the job nicer for a little more money, but they are usually still within the budget:

Daler Rowney 12ml Simply Gouache Set UK Link | US Link

Talens - Extra Fine Gouache Paint - 6x16ml Jars of Assorted Primary Colours UK Link

Mid-High Range Gouache

Winsor Newton gouache (Uk Link) are my absolute favourite brand and they are my go-to brand for professional work. They are not cheap, but they will last you for YEARS if you close them properly and store them correctly so they don’t dry up. You can start with primary colours and mix up the hues or just buy the colours secretly every few months. | Amazon US link for Winsor Newton gouache

When I have more money, I always like to invest in the German brand Schmincke. They have a range of gorgeous colours and they are so well made and they also last for so many years! They do an Academic/student range, but if you are a long practicing artist then get the professional one.

Amazon US link for Schmincke professional range

If you are interested in making your own paint from pigment then this blog post will be a good starting point: Natural Painting Pigments

Gold for Islamic Illumination

The only budget solution for gold is to use imitation gold such as the gouache paints and my favourite is the Winsor Newton Gouache Gold, but you can try some of the other brands as well.

If you are ready to invest using real shell gold then you can buy the shell gold leaves that come as a little booklet of 24 loose leave and there are a few people who sell it such as Cornelissen or Wrights of Lymm. The prices range from £20-40 depending on the quality of gold and the trading price, which changes based on world events. If you see it below £20 then buy more!

I have never used imitation gold leaf and I am not sure how it is prepared, so you can either experiment or avoid it.

If you want to get ready made gold then it is even more expensive in the £40-65 mark and I usually get it from Karin Sanat in Istanbul and it has been reliable and good quality. Shipping and customs might be really high though!

You can also prepare your own gold, but that's a long process that takes two days to be completed. Learn how to make your own gold with this free video below. The online course has two extra new ways of gold making as well.

Other useful tools for Islamic illumination:

Mechanical Pencils

You can use any type of pencil and the regular HB is usually fine for most things, but if you want extra clean and tidy lines then I would recommend the rotating mechanical pencil. The lead thickness is usually for my drawings and designs is 0.5, but you can go down to 0.3 if you are very skilled. For that specific thickness, you can also get hard, H, or soft, B, pencil lead. I would recommend getting HB and 2B to start with and then you can extend your range based on your needs.

• UK Link

• US Link

Tracing Paper

Tracing paper is a MUST for any design I do and it is always starting point. I don’t really have any specific must-buy brands, any would do and it seems like most of the ones I tried are good quality. You can either get them as A4 or A3 sheets or as a roll. I use both depending on the size I am working with.

I always advice you to use what you have especially if you are on a tight budget. You also don’t have to spend a lot at the beginning and you can only choose very basic or limited things. The most important thing is to paint and keep painting, so don’t let the lack of supplies stop you.

Please note, some of the links used are affiliate, which means that I get very small commission if you purchase using that link with no extra costs to you.

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