If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or confused about where to start with watercolor painting, you’re not alone. Many watercolor beginners share the same struggles, but I'm here to help you overcome them, one by one. Watercolor painting is a beautiful, relaxing, and fulfilling creative outlet that allows you to express yourself.
Essential Watercolor Supplies for Beginners
Choosing the Right Watercolor Paints: Quality Over Quantity When it comes to watercolor paints, more is not always better. Large sets with hundreds of colors can be overwhelming and often include low-quality paints. Instead, invest in a few high-quality paints. The primary colors you’ll need are cool and warm versions of red, blue, and yellow. These essential watercolor paints can be mixed to create a wide variety of hues, from vibrant to natural tones. Good quality starter sets usually include these colors plus a few extras to make your life easier. For more details on color mixing, download my free watercolor mixing guide and cheat sheet here.
The Best Watercolor Brushes for Beginners: Less is More Next on our list of essential watercolor supplies are brushes. Rather than purchasing a large set of cheap brushes that shed and don’t hold water well, invest in one or two versatile, high-quality brushes. A medium-sized round brush with soft bristles and a fine tip is perfect for painting both thin and thick strokes. This investment will make all the difference in your painting experience. Check out my recommended brushes here.
Choosing the Right Watercolor Paper: The Foundation of Your Art Paper is not just paper when it comes to watercolor painting. The type of paper you use is crucial for achieving the best results. While it’s okay to practice on student-grade paper, investing in 100% cotton watercolor paper will drastically improve your paintings. Cotton paper blocks can be pricey, but you can buy large sheets and cut them to size to save money. This way, you’ll have high-quality watercolor paper without breaking the bank. Learn more about the best watercolor papers for beginners here.
Preparing Your Workspace: Additional Watercolor Supplies Before you start painting, it’s important to prepare your workspace with a few additional supplies. You’ll need two jars of clean water: one for rinsing your brushes and one for clean water to use in your painting. If you use watercolor tubes, a porcelain mixing palette or a white plate works great for mixing colors. A paper towel is essential for controlling excess water, and if you’re using loose sheets of paper, washi tape is perfect for taping down your paper to prevent warping and create a nice white frame around your painting. For a complete list of additional supplies, download my free guide here.