Watercolor Painting Supplies

Watercolor Painting Supplies

You don't need to buy everything at once.
I recommend starting with a few good-quality supplies and adding to your collection as your skills and interests grow.

🎨 START HERE — Beginner Essentials

PAPER
Arches 140 lb. Cold Press watercolor paper
I prefer loose sheets rather than pads.
300 lb. Arches paper is also excellent.

BASIC PAINT COLORS — Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor, 5 ml tubes

Alizarin Crimson
Winsor Blue (Red Shade)
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Yellow

🖌️ BEGINNER BRUSHES

My preferred brushes are Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold II.

Series 101 Round — #4
Series 101 Round — #8
Series 606 Wash — 1/4"
Sceptre Gold II Wash — 1"
Sceptre Gold II Wash — 2"
Series 860 Rigger — #3

You do not need every brush to begin. We can identify which brushes are needed for a particular class.

🎨 COLORS TO ADD AS YOU PROGRESS

As you become more confident, gradually expand your palette:

Cobalt Blue
Aureolin
Permanent Rose or Rose Madder
Cerulean Blue
French Ultramarine
Burnt Sienna
Winsor Green (Blue Shade)
Viridian

Later additions:

Quinacridone Gold
Payne's Gray
Indigo
Cadmium Orange

As you gain experience, experiment with different brands and choose the paints you enjoy most. I use Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, Steve Quiller, and M. Graham. M. Graham paints contain honey, which helps keep them moist.

🖌️ BRUSHES TO ADD LATER

Winsor & Newton Artisan Bright — #2
Winsor & Newton Artisan Bright — #4
Cheap Joe's Fritch Scrubber Brush Set
Fan brush for wetting paper

🎨 PALETTE

John Pike Palette — my choice
or another watercolor palette with a lid.

📐 SUPPORT BOARD

I usually work flat on a table and rarely clip my watercolor paper to a board.

Masonite, tile board, Plexiglas, foam core, or Gatorboard can all be used. The board should be slightly larger than your watercolor paper.

For a quarter sheet of watercolor paper, approximately 16 × 12 inches works well.

🧰 OTHER USEFUL SUPPLIES

Masking tape • paper towels • sandpaper • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser • old toothbrush • salt • spray bottle • 2B, 4B and 6B drawing pencils • eraser • 9 × 12 journal • water container • graphite transfer paper • utility knife • tissues • hair dryer • mat for viewing work • large elephant-ear sponge • palette knives • Crafter's Toolkit Glue & Residue Eraser.

For masking: I recommend Pebeo Drawing Gum Liquid Frisket. You'll also want an inexpensive disposable craft brush and dish soap.