My Favorite Watercolor Supplies

I’ve been sharing a lot of work-in-progress watercolor paintings over on Instagram lately (follow along here!) and I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite supplies and resources, in case I inspire any of you to give watercolor painting a try! 

I broke up the list by category, and for each category I’m giving you a few options - the higher end/professional products that I use now, and lower price options if you just want to test the waters. 

You can find all of this at most art supply stores, but I am also including Amazon links for easy ordering (these are affiliate links, so I’ll get a small commission if you click though and buy anything!) 

PAPER

The paper you use can have a big impact on the way your paint behaves, and how much water it can take. I always use Cold Press paper, because I like the texture best. When I’m painting, I use Arches Watercolor Blocks. The Arches paper is thick, and has a nice rough surface that can take a lot of water. “Block” means all the sheets are bound together around the edges, this is great because it keeps your sheet from warping when you add water without having to tape down the page. 

When I started out, I used Canson Coldpress paper, it’s lighter weight and smoother than the Arches paper, but still gets the job done! 

I do almost all of my painting with round brushes. They have a nice fine tip as well as a full base, making them perfect for painting petals and leaves! My favorites are Princeton Heritage 4050 series, and Sliver Brush, Black Velvet. I’ve listed all the various sizes I use below, but if you want to start small, I recommend a size 12, 8, 4 and 0 (I use those the most!) 

Princeton heritage 4050 watercolor brushes:
Size 16 https://amzn.to/2vXUwzW 
Size 12 https://amzn.to/3dwT2wO
Size 6 https://amzn.to/2YNGuN5
Size 4 https://amzn.to/33T0kXK 
Size 2 https://amzn.to/2WNoaTn 
Size 0 https://amzn.to/2Jxqmqx 

Silver Brush, Black Velvet set: https://amzn.to/3duhKi5 

Paul Rubens Mop Brush: https://amzn.to/3cif1Y0

If you’re not ready to invest in bushes yet, here’s a set of round brushes in various sizes: https://amzn.to/2YKSDCx

PAINT 

The watercolor paints that I use aren’t what you used in elementary school art class! I use paints that come in tubes, not trays! You squeeze a small amount of the pigment out of the tube, mix it with water and start painting! There are 3 main brands that I use - Winsor Newton, Daniel Smith and Holbein. There are SO MANY color options for each, but here is a good list of basics to get you started: 

-Winsor Newton Opera Rose 

-Winsor Newton Lemon Yellow Deep 

-Winsor Newton Scarlet Lake 

-Winsor Newton Permanent Sap Green 

-Winsor Newton Sepia 

-Winsor Newton Mars Black 

-Winsor Newton Raw Umber

-Winsor Newton Burnt Sienna 

-Winsor Newton Winsor Blue (red shade)

I buy the 5ml size, and they last a long, long time! You only have to use a very small amount of paint to get a good color. 

TOOLS 

OK! So, now we have paper, brushes and paint! Just a few more things you’ll need to get going. 

A Pallette - something to mix your paint on! You don’t have to buy anything fancy, you can just use a plate of tray. I use a few different palettes, listed below!   

You’ll also want to have paper towels and a couple jars or cups for water (I use 3 - one for cool colors, one for warm colors and one with clean water). 

And, if you really want to get into it! Here are a few books that I have used while learning to paint: