Beginner watercolor supplies

When I first started painting, I was overwhelmed with the amount of watercolor supplies out there! So, I turned to my favorite artists on YouTube for their recommendations. By scouring through answers from the Internet people I trusted most, I was able to easily choose watercolor supplies I now love. I am thankful to those that have already done the research.

Today I want to share with you some of my favorite beginner-friendly watercolor supplies. Before I start, I just want to say that it’s important to not get hung up on getting the perfect art supplies. But what I say is use what you have! Practice is valuable, no matter what your supplies are. If you have a budget, it can feel intimidating to spend money on expensive supplies that you’re afraid to waste. With that being said, quality supplies do improve your painting experience and your end result. If money is a concern, you can invest slowly in one quality item at a time. And if you also struggle with the need to create perfect art despite your supplies, check out this post next!

Watercolor supplies: Paint

When it comes to student-grade paints, there are so many options. Personally, I started out with those chalky paints from Ross. Even Crayola paint for kids is better than that, not that there’s anything wrong with Crayola. But if you are ready to upgrade a bit from craft paint to a student grade, I recommend Mei Liang by Paul Rubens.

The palette I purchased has 36 vibrant colors and the palette has ample mixing space, which is very important to me. I also recently started using Meeden Art supplies as they generously reached out and offered to send me some of their products. Their watercolor tube paints are vibrant, have good quality, spread nicely, and are a good place to start. Oh and by the way, their super cute ceramic flower-shaped palette has 12 wells and a large one in the center for easy mixing!

Next on the list is the Winsor and Newton paints, which are professional-grade. I hand-selected the colors after a lot of careful research. Because I paint mostly watercolor florals, I wanted a large variety of pinks, purples, and reds on my palette. I also wanted to make sure I had some lesser-used colors, such as aqua and turquoise. There’s no doubt that this brand stands on its own two feet in quality and vibrancy. If you want a higher-quality paint, try these out. In fact, I love pretty much all their watercolor supplies.

Watercolor Paper

First of all, I think that paper is what makes one of the biggest differences in how your painting turns out. Using a higher-quality paper will help you get results with your watercolor that you cannot achieve with a cheaper one. Whether you use student or professional papers, it MUST be for watercolor. This paper has a special lining that will keep the paint sitting on the surface, rather than being completely absorbed.

When it comes to less expensive papers, I really love the Tumuarta journals that come in a variety of sizes. The ones that I use are the 5 x 5 and the 3 x 5 journals. They are perfect for sketching outdoors and I love the elastic band to keep everything together. They are about 25% cotton, enough to increase the absorbency of this paper.

Next up, the Handbook Journal Co Artist, which created a lovely cloth-covered journal with an elastic band. It is also about 25% cotton and the size I use is 5 x 8. I love using this journal when I create my reels for Instagram. It would also be a great sketchbook for outdoors and I do paint on both sides.

When it comes to professional cotton paper, I am loving the Meeden Art paper block, which I currently have in the 7 x 10 block. It has a lot of rough texture, is cold-pressed, and has a similar feel to Arches 100% cotton paper, but more affordable! I’ve also been using the Saunders Waterford 100% cotton paper in the 9 x 12 block size. It is slightly off-white but is hardly noticeable except next to a white page. It has good texture and the convenient block makes having to tape your paper down obsolete.

Watercolor Paintbrushes

When it comes to paintbrushes, I’m usually a round paintbrush kind of gal but there are so many shapes out there. I also enjoy a good dagger brush for leaves and I recently started using flat brushes for landscapes. Let’s start with the Meeden Art watercolor brush set. You get 10 brushes in a variety of sizes, including some flat wash brushes and even a fan brush. The tips of the round brushes are very pointy, although I’ll say the smaller ones I received are more blunt. But I just use the larger brushes for the thin and thick marks and that works just great. They hold a good amount of water and the paint and is a great beginner set.

Next, I want to mention the Princeton Heritage brushes, which I have been painting with for several years. The #16 round holds a ton of water and is really good for loose watercolor florals. The #8 round is so versatile, with a very pointy tip for thin details and a large belly for thicker lines. And the #2 round detail brush is perfect for really tiny details. I also love that these brushes have wooden handles vs plastic. If you are looking for a larger flat wash brush, the 3/4 inch Princeton Heritage is a joy to paint with. It is springy and holds a good amount of paint and water.

Finally, let’s talk about the Kristy Rice #6 round travel brush, which has a gorgeous rose gold-colored handle that detaches in the middle and becomes the cover for your brush. The brush hairs have a snap to them and it is quite durable. It has a wonderful pointed tip and it’s perfect for most all of the paintings I do.

Watercolor Floral Reference Books

Last but not least, we must talk about my reference books, some of my favorite watercolor supplies! I usually like to have a book, a photo, or a physical object in front of me from which to paint. It gives me inspiration and helps me out with overall composition. I love flipping through these books, often marking pages that I will paint from in the future.

The Flower Book has large, gorgeous florals on every page and is a favorite! I tend to paint smaller blooms and this really helps with increasing the size of my compositions. The Flower Color Guide is my go-to reference book and florals are organized by color groupings. You will find each arrangement contains just one type of flower, giving you good practice on one flower at a time. The authors of this book created a sequel called Flower Color Theory and features floral bouquets. Use these books as inspiration and as guidance on your creative watercolor journey.

Final notes

I hope that this guide helps you and your selection of watercolor supplies to jumpstart your watercolor journey! Feel free to let me know in the comments which ones are your favorite or add to the list so that others can learn from you as well. Happy painting and happy mental health!

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