The Beginner’s Watercolor Supply List (Everything You Actually Need)
Welcome to my first lesson in watercolor painting. How to begin… Anyone can be an artist. Just go for it. All it takes is the first step. Groan, never mind. Those are the least helpful group of phrases I can come up with.
How’s this? I am a self-taught watercolorist. I don’t know everything and I am not an expert. But I love painting with watercolor. It relaxes me. It surprises me. It enhances my day. If you’re looking for a hobby that can do that in your life, read on.
Supplies
I highly recommend using student- and even artist-grade tools. A good brush can cost $25, a set of 12 watercolors can cost $50, and a pad of watercolor paper might set you back $30. A well-cared for brush can last for years, the watercolors can last at least a year (longer depending on how often you paint) and the paper… well, yes the paper adds up. The paper is so important though. For watercolor to “do its thing” with beautiful washes and layered pigments, one needs the good stuff. Below is my list of supplies that I use every time I paint:
Brushes: Princeton Heritage round brush no 6 or no 8. For the styles I will be demonstrating later on in this series, these are the best sizes to start with. You can get into finer details with the angled tip of the brush or apply pressure for a wider stroke.
Paints: I use paint tubes and dried paint pans. I tend to use paint tubes and add them to my pallette as needed. I recommend Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors or Winsor & Newton. These brands guarantee that your watercolor paints will do cool things on the paper.
Paper: 140lb “cold press” paper. Canson is a good starter brand. Now I use Arches watercolor pads. Don’t use “hot press” paper with the techniques I will be demonstrating (it just won’t work).
Other recommended tools:
Pencil and kneaded eraser
Watercolor paint palette (a non-porous—ceramic or metal—plate works just fine)
Water jar (I repurpose old jam jars)
Paper towel or cloth towel to dab your brush
Small spay bottle to wet and activate your dry palette
Recommended stores:
Support your local art supply store whenever possible. Otherwise, I shop at Blick for brushes and paints. For paper, I “subscribe & save” on Amazon.
In my next post, I will demonstrate what my pallet looks like and how I get my paints ready to paint.
~K
