Watercolor 101

I want to start watercolor. What supplies should I get?

A question I’ve heard many times: I want to start watercolor. What supplies should I get?

Here’s what I’ve learned- sometimes through mistakes, sometimes through the helpful advice of others. I hope it helps you!

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When people think of watercolor, they think of the Crayola sets they had as children and remember painting on regular printing paper. 

Think of that like a bicycle. It’ll get a result. But if you actually want to GO somewhere in watercolor, you’ve got to drop the $ to spend on a car!

The medium of watercolor is about using water to disperse pigment in a pleasing design on paper. To make this happen, you use all kinds of tricks and science to manipulate the water and pigments. The paper- and what it’s made out of- makes a difference. The paint- and what it’s made out of- makes a difference. The brushes- and what they’re made out of- makes a difference. Budget materials get budget results. Top of the line prices get top of the line results. That’s not to say you can’t find sales, etc. but be prepared for sticker shock.

Also, don’t buy anything from Hobby Lobby. And there’s maybe one or two things you can buy from Michaels but avoid everything else. You’re going to be buying supplies online. Amazon will probably be the cheapest day to day but every now and then you can find better sales at other online suppliers. Online stores to shop at: Blick Art Supplies, Jerry’s Artarama, Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies, and Plaza Art Supplies. The closest of these stores to Huntsville is Jerry’s and Plaza. They have locations in Nashville. 

In order of priority, what to spend the most amount on:

PAPER

Paint

Brushes

I’m going to give you a list of brands to avoid, a budget, a middle of the road, high performance/top of the line list.

PAPER:

Paper is the most important thing to spend money on. There are two kinds of watercolor paper: cellulose (made out of trees) or 100% cotton. BUY THE COTTON PAPER. Louder for the people in the back: BUY THE COTTON PAPER!!!

Cellulose paper performs subpar when compared to cotton. Cotton is considered the correct medium for watercolor. That said, in a pinch there are some cellulose papers that are *okayish*. 

You’ll also want to look at the weight of the paper. Watercolor paper is mostly made in four weights- 90lb, 140lb, 200lb and 300lb. Basically, the weight of the paper correlates to how thick it is. 90lb is very thin in comparison to 300lb which is similar in thickness to card. Most paper you’ll find is in the 140lb range. That’s fine. I only use the 300lb when working on large (like over 9 x 12) size paintings. 

There are finishes to watercolor paper: hot press, cold press, and rough.

Hot press is for fine illustration, like botanicals, etc. It does not handle large amounts of water well.

Cold press is what you’ll use 99% of the time. It’s great for a broad range of watercolor methods.

Rough is for specialty projects where you want to see the texture of the paper.

There’s two styles of paper- pads and blocks. Pads are the paper pads you’re used to seeing in the stores. Blocks are glued down on all sides with a small unglued part at the top. This helps keep your paper flat, especially if you are working with wet on wet techniques. Blocks are WAY more expensive. Sometimes double the price of pads. But they make up for that price with effectiveness, especially if you’re going to be using a lot of water.

I’m going to give you the price per sheet for a 9 x 12 because some papers look not too pricey, until you compare that it’s a 12 sheet pad vs a 30 sheet pad! For the online stores I’ll use Blick’s MSRP as a baseline. But don’t forget to shop sales!!! You can find these for much cheaper. 

These are all 140lb cold press papers. I’ll list them in my order of preference.

Papers to avoid: pretty much anything you’ll see in Hobby Lobby or Michaels*. Strathmore, Canson, GenCrafts, Master’s Touch, etc.

Budget papers that are okay: This is where you *CAN* find a good cellulose paper at Michaels. Their Artist Loft paper is actually pretty okay. I still buy it for bookmarks, doodling, etc.  I also like Fabriano’s 1264 paper, but you have to get that online and I’m not convinced it’s better than Artist’s Loft.

Artists Loft price per sheet: 24 sheets for $9.99 = $0.41 Sheet

Fabriano 1264: 30 sheets for $10.79 = $0.36

Middle of the road paper:

This paper is 100% cotton and really great training paper. I prefer to get this in block format. The paper itself is really heavy, so when it’s in a block it works GREAT for wet on wet techniques. Maybe even better than some of the pricey options!!! You can find these on Amazon and other websites but the very best deals are on Temu or AliExpress. These prices come from Temu.

Baohong: 20 sheet block for $24.98 = $1.24

Meeden: 20 sheet block for $19.48 = $0.97

Academy: 20 sheet block for $17.48 = $0.87

Top of the line paper:

Arches is a 100% cotton paper that is considered the gold standard of watercolor paper. It’s pretty much all I use now. You *CAN* find it at Michaels! I’m showing the MSRP from Blick here but I have never paid this much. I can usually find the pads at around $17.63 if I shop around.

Arches: 12 sheets for $32.05 = $2.67

(if you find a sale, 12 sheets for $17.63 = $1.46)
Hahnemühle: 12 sheets for $25.00 = $2.08

Once you get your paper, you’re going to want to tape it down to a non-permeable surface called a board. I use masking tape, some use painter’s tape, others use scotch tape, some prefer washi, and some use professional watercolor tape made by the big brand names. This is one place where $ doesn’t matter (at least to me). Try a few out and see if you have a preference. For your surface, you can also save $! Several of the pros recommend Gatorfoam Board, but it’s pricey. Some people use a large plastic cutting board. Others found some kind of surface at Home Depot. I took one of Alex’s old science project boards (you know the large foam trifold boards) and chopped it into pieces of varying sizes, then covered it with contact paper. Voila! You have a board.

PAINT:

Oh my goodness. I have SO many opinions on paint!

When it comes to paint, you’re going to want to look at a few things. What are the lightfastness ratings, pigments, toxicity, and binders? Here’s why:

Lightfastness: All watercolor fades. That’s just a fact. It’s why you don’t see watercolors from 100+ years ago in museums. You want to aim for the paint with the highest lightfastness rating. Those will usually last 50-100 years. A lot of the bright neon colors are NOT lightfast at all and will fade soooo quickly. I usually avoid anything neon. In the watercolor world these colors called “Opera”, for example, “Opera Pink”. I have an Opera Pink I used on bookmarks in May that has already faded (in October) even when I kept it in a drawer away from sunlight. 

BTW- Keep your paintings away from sunlight. Watercolors are like vampires, they hate the sun and will fade so fast!

If you do want neons, I recommend Paul Rubens Opera collection on Temu. Just take pictures/digitize it as quickly as possible.

Each brand has its own lightfastness rating system. You can look up the color charts on their website for more info. I keep a watercolor swatch notebook with this information.

Pigment: Get to know your pigments! Many of the non-primary color options are made up of multiple pigments. For example, a green watercolor may have a yellow and blue pigment in it. You want to find the paints that have the least amount of pigments in them. Why? Because if you have paints with hidden pigments in them and you try mixing them together it creates mud (a browny grey yuck color). Say you have a pink made out of several reds and a yellow or two. Or maybe you have a blue with some yellow in it. In theory, pink and blue should make a nice purple right? If you have any yellow in that mix, you’ll get mud. Look for the purest pigments you can. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and you just want a convenience color (a paint that has already mixed the pigments for you, like most greens) and you just have to know what you’ve got on your brush.

A note about quinacridones: Quinacridone pigment is a family of red shades that was created by the automobile industry and is used in many warm watercolor paints. It’s great because it’s cheap to make and has great lightfast ratings. However, the automobile industry has moved on to other pigments. And I don’t know that the watercolor industry has enough business to keep the quin market afloat. So if you see a paint called something like “Quinacridone Rose” know that it might disappear from the market in the next 10 years or so.

Toxicity: There are several pigments in watercolor that are considered toxic. For the most part if you aren’t licking your paint you don’t need to worry ;) Just be careful not to smear it on your skin and wash your hands afterwards. I do worry about it because I use paper towels as my blotting surface and I have a dog that LOVES to eat paper towels. As a result I try to keep all toxic pigments out of my studio in case she eats the blotting paper. Avoid Cadmiums and Cobalts if you can. They’re beautiful but I don’t risk it.

Binders: Various paint companies use different binders. This can change the way the paint acts on the paper. The most popular binders are ox gall and honey. This can be an issue if you have concerns about animal products, etc. There are some brands that use synthetic binders. For example, QOR uses a patented binder called Aquazol. This makes the paints act differently - you put a QOR paint down on a wet surface and it literally explodes! I love it but it does take some getting used to! I prefer to use brands that use honey as a binder. I think some of the ox gall brands have a smell and I don’t like it. The honey makes the paint super creamy and they paint like a dream! You do have to get used to it though, especially in the humid south because the paint doesn’t harden in pans. It’s always a little sticky. But again, it’s my preference.

Pans vs Tubes:

Ah, this is an area of debate in the watercolor world. Some people swear they only use paint straight out of the tube. Others prefer pans. It’s really up to you as the artist. Half pans are the typical standard and are usually cheaper upfront, but they contain about 2ml of paint so it’s a really tiny amount and more expensive in the long run. I prefer pans because that’s what I started using and I still like it. I feel like I can see all my colors at once. But it is hard to judge the consistency of the paint. Sometimes you want your paint thick like cream. Other times you want it as runny as skim milk. I use a blank ceramic palette for this. I load my brush with paint from the pans, then rub it on the palette and add water (or more paint) till I get the consistency I like. I buy my paint in tubes, then squeeze those into empty pans (from Amazon). Then I let them dry for a week or two. After that, they’re ready to use!

Specialty paints (like glitter!): 

I usually buy my glitters and shimmery paints from handmade artisans on Etsy. I’ve tried a couple of shimmers from the big names (Winsor and Newton, Daniel Smith) and was completely underwhelmed. I get my favorite glitter and shimmers from an Etsy shop called TpotDesign: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TpotDesign  I especially like her golds! I’ve heard good things about a brand called Iuile, but I haven’t tried them.

If you really want to nerd out on paint and paint colors, https://otokano.com/ is an artist that delves deeply into the science of watercolor paint and covers basically everything you ever wanted to know (and way more) about paint. 

If you are just starting out, instead of buying a large set of the Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolors (like I did) I would recommend buying a starting kit of one of the higher quality brands and learning to mix. It will teach you color theory while you get used to using a higher quality material. An example would be this Daniel Smith Essentials Set (currently $35 on Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/DANIEL-SMITH-285610005-Essentials-Introductory/dp/B00WT5VRF6?th=1

As you learn watercolor, you’ll make lots of mistakes. It’s a given. One of the best ways to fix these mistakes is with Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White. I keep it by my desk for every painting!  https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Ph-Martins-400032-XXX-Bleedproof/dp/B008CRS1CM/  Paint over the mistake, let it dry and you can keep going. Professional watercolorists use the paper for the color white. I’m not that good, I make mistakes and accidentally cover things up. This Bleed Proof white helps with that too.

All that said, here’s my list of paints I recommend (and avoid). I’ll give you the MSRP for the smallest mil tubes of Sap Green. However know that while the larger tubes are pricey, the price per mil drops drastically the larger you go! Brands listed in order of preference.

Paints to avoid:

Anything you can find at Hobby Lobby or the palettes on Temu. The Master’s Touch from Hobby Lobby especially is a hot mess. It separates from the binder and comes out super goopy. And I’d even say avoid WN Cotman. It’s just not good quality.

Budget Paints:

These are usually called “student” or “academy” paints. They’re okay, they just fade quickly and have dubious pigment issues. Many times you have to use more paint than you would a professional brand so it’s not really that cost effective. You can actually find some of these at Michaels, specifically the Academy. And they just started carrying Van Gogh which is considered a borderline professional paint!

Van Gogh: $5.95 for 10ml = $0.60 per mil

Grumbacher Academy: $5.85 for 7.5ml = $0.78 per mil

Middle of the road paints:

These are actually really good and I use several of these brands regularly. Keep in mind that I’m listing MSRP but you can find these easily for half price.

QOR (be prepared for a learning curve due to the Aquazol binder, then it’s awesome): $14.99 for 11ml = $1.36 per mil

Mijello Mission Gold (can be hard to find): $19.27 for 15ml = $1.28 per mil

Holbein: $20.75 for 15ml = $1.38 per mil

Top of the Line:

Daniel Smith is by far my preferred brand. I use them whenever I can. You can’t beat the brightness of the pigments and the lightfastness ratings. 

Sennelier: $13.95 for 10ml = $1.40 

M. Graham: $19.65 for 15 ml = $1.31

Daniel Smith (some of the paints are stinky!): $11.91 for 5 ml = $2.32

BRUSHES:

There’s a reason these are last. You can get a fairly decent painting with a cheap brush as long as you’re using quality paper and paint. That said, as soon as you can upgrade DO IT! You’ll find the higher grade brushes will carry more paint and water. Which means more time painting and less time swishing your brush in water and paint. Brushes come with varying bristles. Most of the lower cost brushes are going to be synthetic hair. Those are great! But they don’t hold the water as long as some of the actual hair brushes. 

Snap: This is the stiffness of the brush. If you bend the bristles to the side, does it “snap” back into place quickly? Brushes with higher snap are better for beginners because they allow you a certain measure of control. Once you feel more confident, finding brushes with less snap will allow you to make different shapes and give you a better range of strokes.

Brush shape:
Brush heads come in different shapes. These allow you to make different kinds of strokes. 99% of the time I use round brushes.You’ll notice that round brushes actually come to a little point at the end. That allows you to make larger round strokes as you press down, but tiny detail strokes as you pull up and apply less pressure. There’s only a few situations where you would need a brush with a different shape. One of those is when you are doing washes- large swatches of water. For those I recommend getting a good large oval wash brush. 

Size:
Brushes range in size from 00 to 20 (maybe higher?) 

For beginners I’d recommend starting out with a round size 2, size 6, and size 10. This will allow you to get a wide range of lines.

If you really want to get super fine lines, you could go to a 00. However, I’ve found I have better control and straight lines when I use a type of brush called a rigger. It’s usually used for lettering, but I like it for detail.

Brushes to avoid:

Eh, none really? You could even buy some from Hobby Lobby, ha ha! Just know that the cheaper brushes are likely to shed hair in your paint so watch out for that.

Budget brushes:

Princeton is a GREAT brush brand for all levels. They have brushes that start out under $5 and go all the way up to $300. I’ve used Princeton a lot. For those on a budget, I recommend starting out with the Princeton Snap brush set. It contains 4 brushes for $8.75 on Amazon. You can find various Princeton lines at both Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

Middle of the road brushes:

Again, Princeton is your friend. Once you’re comfortable using the snap brushes, I’d recommend moving up to either the VelvetTouch brushes (round size 6 $12.55 ) or Neptune (round size 6 $15.95 ) depending on how much snap you like. The VelvetTouch brushes don’t hold as much water but they are stiffer. The Neptunes will hold a good bit but they are much less stiff, allowing you to begin working on different strokes. 

Both are synthetic brushes.

Top of the line brushes:

Silver Black Velvet Brushes.

How do I love these brushes??? Let me count the ways! I use these almost exclusively now. They are a mix of synthetic bristles and squirrel hair. I do care about animals so I just pretend they pluck a few hairs out of a squirrel's tail and then let it go on its merry way :/ 

You can get these in sets or a brush at a time. I find that the sizes run smaller than the Princeton brushes, so take that into account. A round size 6 costs about $25.45. But I started out with the detail set (sizes 0, 2, and 4) from Amazon for ~$30. And then the addiction started…

Now I have one in every size up to 10!

There are other even MORE top of the line brushes out there. Escoda is a brand many prefer.  Their squirrel hair round size 6 is $36.78. If you want to get really pricey, Kolinsky Sable is the top TOP of the price table. Winsor and Newton’s Kolinsky Sable round size 6 is $59.99. I haven’t tried any of these because I love my Black Velvet’s so much. But I did want to mention they’re out there.

YOUTUBE:
Youtube is your friend. There are many artists out there that have reviewed these materials and can show you comparisons. 

Dr. Oto Kano is a favorite of mine for paints. She LOVES the science behind the pigments and she does a good job of showing comparisons of brands. 

I also really enjoy The Mind of Watercolor. He does a great job of explaining what he uses and why.

For beginners I like to recommend Emma Jane LeFebvre, Ellen Crimini-Trent, De Winton Paper Co and Nianiani. If you’re super intimidated, Let’s Make Art is a good friendly way to get started.

As you get more advanced, Anna Buccerelli, Maria Racynska, Emily Olsen, and Paul Clark are all good to follow.