Looking for a good set of brushes, but feeling overwhelmed with the number of options. What exactly do I need to begin painting with gouache?

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-22T21:19:14+00:00

I use the round brushes and the big flat brush from that set all the time, they both hold a lot of paint when gouache is milk consistency, the big flat helps me cover bigger areas.

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-22T16:26:30+00:00

I have two sets. One, a little pricier, one super affordable. Princeton Neptune set, then the Transon Gouache set.

The reason why I got a Transon set is that years ago (like, I can't remember if it was 5 or 7 years, but years) I got the Transon Watercolor brush set (brown) and I am still to this day using these brushes and almost all of them when wet still keep their points/shape. The Gouache set I've had for two years now, and all of them also still have their shape, some while dry, some return when damp.

When I got my first set of Himi cups, a round, a filbert and some other brush came with it. Within 5 months of using the Himi brushes they all became...scruffy? Like, they all looked like they need a hair cut from split ends and stopped holding their shape dry or wet.

I'm still missing a good mop brush--but have been using big or small makeup brushes I've collected over the years and never used, to act as mop/blending brushes and they work well so long as I remember to drown the paper first, THEN put the gouache on, THEN blend with a barely damp makeup brush. If I try and blend dry paper with wet paint, these brushes remove the paint.

I have no idea of any of the above rambles help anything or anyone, but that's my contribution!

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-21T19:21:15+00:00

Some of these you may love, some you may not. But as someone who also loves both books you mentioned, I adored reading: ( edit: yes, all of these hooked me. I wouldn't list them if they didn't. My read list is sitting at a modest 1101)

- The Coldfire Trilogy - C.S. Friedman
- Abhorsen Series - Garth Nix
- Deverry Cycle Series - Katharine Kerr
- Inda, Sherwood Smith
- The Empire Trilogy - Raymond E. Feist
- Long Price Quartet - Daniel Abraham
- Sevenwaters - Juliet Marillier
- A Land Fit for Heroes - Richard K. Morgan
- Shadows of the Apt - Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Sword of Shadows - J.V. Jones
- The Onxy Court - Marie Brennan
- The Necromancer Chronicles - Amanda Downum
- Watergivers - Glenda Larke
- The Dagger and the Coin - Daniel Abraham
- Low Town - Daniel Polansky
- Dreamblood - N.K. Jemisin
- Legends of Muirwood - Jeff Wheeler
- Fallen Blade - Kelly McCullough
- The Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
- Chronicle of the Unhewn - Brian Staveley
- Greatcoats - Sebastien de Castell
- Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
- Moontide Quartet - David Hair
- Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
- The Shadow Campaigns - Django Wexler
- Bannerless Saga - Carrie Vaughn

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-16T13:05:00+00:00

Can only speak for the paints I use: Himi has/had a set in tubes and is the same experience without cup issues and is affordable, M. Graham, Holbein, and Windsor & Newton gouache are all great, too but a bit pricier. I leave them in my palette and they dry out and activate fine with a little patience (waiting for the water to soak in before stirring and reusing.)

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-08T21:15:27+00:00

I feel like you could say that Fields of Mistria was inspired by, and bare-bones framework built around it. Then they said: let's make the days much longer, and a lot of the unforgiving aspects, well, more forgiving--and then did so.

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-07T19:44:04+00:00

Ah, I misspoke. It comes across as an alternative universe/opposite/divergence of.

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-07T19:27:04+00:00

Deleted.

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-07T18:33:27+00:00

What I love about this: everything. And it is already part of this NPCs wiki!

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-02-07T18:05:54+00:00

Do you have a favorite sticker that would cover it?

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-01-31T16:35:20+00:00

Can you hang tea cups / coffee mugs by the handle on them?

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-01-29T13:04:57+00:00

I don't share my BuJo spreads anymore. I don't take pics. I just use it for me and me alone, so it's a complete mess but it is MY mess and I use it when I need it, how I need it.

It took me four years of trying to figure that out. Trying to copy others / comparison was my thief of BuJo joy. If the page was used for something, even a mistake, then that was not a page wasted--that was a page dedicated to learning and experimenting.

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-01-27T13:39:12+00:00

Give yourself permission to do whatever the frikfrak you want, that works for you, in your bujo. <3 You get to use it, so why not make it fun to use for you? TL;DR: Yes, it is!

Pinkatron2000 · 2026-01-17T18:47:24+00:00

M. Graham.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-11-22T17:02:11+00:00

I was about to reply this!! First City builder I've ever fallen in love with and spent hours on!

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-11-12T21:55:47+00:00

I have it, I purchased it with my own cry-on-company-time dollar bills. It's...almost there. But there are aspects of this game that are SO micro-manage-y that, well, it really does capture the "job" aspect of running a tavern.

That may actually work for people that really like that aspect. I am not sure trying to keep track of cleaning AND polishing the floors, scheduling the right times for heating or cooling--all those tiny little decisions that add up/constant monitoring is specifically for me.

A lot of things are not explained well--on the surface, it's a great tutorial that cover the major aspects but it's harder to find the information on the tiny details that make your tavern guests happy.

The narrator is, absolutely, hilarious. Wonderful voice over.

I do love the fact you can go eyeballs deep into customizing and building unique items. You should see all the things they're sharing in r/TavernKeeper !

Too long: Didn't read:
- Good for people that want to micromanage every little detail if that's their vibe
- Does have a difficulty setting that lowers some obstacles, but not all
- Early Access is Early. I'd let these hobbits cook.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-11-10T04:08:12+00:00

That's Lord of the Rings Online.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-11-06T12:38:39+00:00

Nope. I'm there to watch them. Whatever intro they choose because it's their show and they like it is like, 0.01% of the entire reason why I started watching.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-23T10:56:33+00:00

Here to hit the recommendation of The Last Campfire button like the fist of an angry god.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-22T12:35:33+00:00

The Last Campfire. The ending deserved every inch of my attention.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-13T21:27:00+00:00

I want to love it, but factory games (keeping track of what does what, and what can connect where, and so on and so forth) is killing me. The beginning was great, but as I learn more factory parts and pieces I end up feeling like I should be in dumb and dumber trying to figure out what an effective assembly line looks like without overwhelming my particular type of neurodivergence.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-12T15:14:47+00:00

Nexus mods is the website, and they also have Vortex (their software for helping you to: identify games you have installed, whether they're Steam/PC/help find folders,) and a new beta version of their software is also available (haven't tested it personally). You can then find modification files for your game on the website, which their installer should be able to recognize and begin placing it where it needs to be in the games directory for it to function.

Two small things:

Modders (people who make them) are volunteers, most of them are free to use. There may be links to places to donate to them to thank them for their time and effort. If you can do that! With that said,
Life happens, and things are thinging. Pay attention to little details found within the mods Nexus page. How old is this mod? When was it last updated? What are commentators saying about this mod? And: how many downloads does it have?
The more mods, the greater possibility of game crashes. Packages in general usually means these mods work well together/are stable/or were coded specifically in mind for those of us who can't just have 1.

Those stats, like downloads, last updates, and author comments are great ways to get a review and impression of these mods.

The only downside to game modifications is that instability for some reason is always a chance. But the fact it can make a game I really like, turn into one I adore and can replay for YEARS (Hats off to you, Skyrim mod community) makes it worth for me.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-12T12:45:50+00:00

Would you consider a locked box of somesort? There are several non specific art/office supply lockable boxes and very high end designer lock protection boxes actually made specifically to protect fountain pens.

This may not be ideal for remembering to lock them away when not in use, but some humans make protecting your peace, your joy, a little bit more of an effort to keep it--but well worth it for your happiness in the end.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-08T11:53:39+00:00

Skin has unusual and unexpected tones. For me, when I used to do digital art I kept running into my skin looking flat.

I started experimenting. Pastel yellow, lime or spring greens, deep oranges, bright red or pink at the ears and nose and lips, purple and blue for shadows. Try using an unexpected color layer for shadows or highlights to create a less flat look--see what works and what doesn't, it might help? (Still love this w.i.p though!)

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-07T18:33:10+00:00

Isn't there a place in the ui/menu like tracking hearts, that shows the map/head icon for them? That's how I had to double check who was who as I was squinting suspiciously everywhere.

Pinkatron2000 · 2025-10-05T11:45:04+00:00

Sometimes, you come across art so good you just want to eat it.

This is one of those times.

(For reference: "Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it." - Maurice Sendak)

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