Basic Materials For Watercolor Painting
These Will Get You Started And Work Well For Even The Most Advanced Watercolor ArtistSupplies and Materials List
Our Basic Supplies and Materials Page will help you get only what you need to get started and how to get set up to paint. The list includes only what is necessary, including a basic, limited set of “primary” colors to help minimize cost. Although it seems minimalist, this set of supplies will serve you well for a long time.
It includes a checklist of materials to use when shopping online or in your local art supply store.
The Essentials: Paint, Palette, Brushes, Paper
Watercolor Paint
Keep It Simple!. Especially if you are just starting out. Working with a limited number of colors from the start will help you develop a sensitive eye for color and lead to exceptional color mixing skills.
The best advice is to start with professonal grade paint. The way it looks and works is more than worth the cost.
CIGN Codes: Every manufacturer attaches a name to the colors they sell. These names are descriptive but they are not necessarily comparative. The only way to know exactly what color you are getting is by knowing the CIGN Code. Download Basic Materials List for more info on CIGN Codes.
Palette For Your Watercolor Paint
You’ll need something to hold and mix your colors. Any large – at least 10” x 12”- sturdy, white plastic palette with a cover will do. Make sure it has large wells for the paint and a large mixing area in the middle. There are many manufacturers that produce good, low-cost plastic palettes that will perform well for many years.
Brushes
A handful quality synthetic or synthetic/natural blend brushes are really all that are needed to do the trick. The most important characteristics are ability to hold lots of paint and water, and to have a responsive “touch”.
Brushes can be made of either synthetic materials or natural hair. Natural hair brushes are generally quite expensive. They are great, but you can get along just fine with a set of quality nylon brushes. The bristles of nylon brushes can be either white or golden brown in color. Modern synthetics are also quite soft, mimicking the feel and responsiveness of natural-hair brushes.
Watercolor Paper
Do not skimp on watercolor paper – there are great differences in quality and working characteristics between professional grade and everything else.
The recommended paper for everyone, especially Beginners is Arches 140lb Cold Press paper. It is durable and will help you manage those very fluid washes that bring out the best in watercolor.
Support For Paper When Painting
Watercolor paper needs to be supported while painting. A recommended product is known as “Gatorboard”. It is thicker version of foam-core board made from plastic materials to prevent warping. It is light, sturdy and durable. Paper can be taped, clamped or stretched to Gatorboard.
If you have a piece of scrap masonite, plywood or luan laying around, you can use that. Just remember that any wooden board needs to be sealed with several coats of varnish to prevent warping
A Few More Painting Supplies You’ll Need
You’ll also need some rags for blotting and cleanup. Paper towels are popular and absorbent but old T-shirts, sheets or bath towels cut into rectangles is the more environmentally friendly way to go! You can use one or two water containers With two containers, it is easier to keep one relatively clean so as not to sully the colors on your palette. Don’t buy anything specially for this, just re-use old plastic containers.
Hi Tony,
i just finished the 3 color wheel lessons, but had to sub some of the colors with what I had. I did pretty well with them & your explanations make it easy to grasp the concepts. You mentioned lemon yellow in the videos, but the materials list which I had printed prior to watching the lesson in order to prepare, listed your cool yellow as DaVinci Aureolin, & I only had Holbein Aureolin PYs 154, 150, & 175, which did not match at all so I chose my DS Hansa Yell. Lt. PY 3. Watching the videos, I see the DS Lemon Yellow you were using has a definite green tone to it. Mine did produce a nice bright yellow green mix W/ Fr. Ultra Blue & w/Phthalo Blue (gr. shade), but I wonder if I should get the Lemon. I do have Hol. Lemon Yell. PY 37 & that does look a bit greener. I also substituted Hol. New Gamboge for Cad Yell Med. I have older WN Cad yellows, but prefer not to use the Cad colors. I will also use up my Cobalt Blue, then probably try a Cobalt Blue Hue & may try the newer cad hues. For my warm red, I chose DS Quin Coral. I also have DaV. Quin Red PR 209 & Hol. Scarlet Lake PO 73, PR 254, PV19, if you think either would be a better red. I no longer buy Winsor & Newton pigments because they contain ox gall, as I am a vegetarian, which also means no Arches or paper brands using animal sizing. I was able to find several cotton papers to suit my needs. I do have some old Arches & some others purchased long ago before I knew about sizing issue, so when they’re gone that will be it. i am looking forward to more projects, especially the bird series. I hope to do the Chikadee this wk! Thank you!
Hi Peggy – I’m glad you are enjoying and finding the videos helpful. And thanks for pointing out the difference between the the basic materials list and what I’ve been using in the recent videos. DaVinci Aureolin is indeed on the basic list, while I’ve lately been using Daniel Smith Lemon Yellow. Hansa Yellow is a good substitute – and is kind of a traditional color as well. There’ really no need to run out and get the exact paint I’m using if you are getting good results with what you already have. BTW, I started using Lemon Yellow on the advice of a friend, but find that I like the DaVinci Aureolin better, and will be switching back to that when my supply of DS Lemon is gone.
New Gamboge is usually a good substitute for Cadmium Yellow. The difficulty, not only with yellows but with most of the “warmer” colors is that most versions are actually cool – meaning they have some blue in them. I’m also trying to move away from the Cadmiums (and Cobalts). I’ve picked up DaVinci Indian Yellow which is a transparent warm yellow and a pretty good substitute for Cad Yellow Medium. It doesn’t have the opacity and tinting strength, but still works pretty well. Both Daniel Smith and Holbein make a Permanent Yellow Deep, which are similar.
Don’t bother with Cobalt Blue Hue – it will be PB29, which is Ultramarine Blue. The unfortunate reality with both Cadmium and Cobalt based colors is that there is really no good substitute that really provides the same color with the same unique characteristics of each.
With the reds – I’m not familiar with Quin Coral or Quin Red. But, in general, Quin colors tend to be cool rather than warm. PR209 is a red pigment that is definetly cool – it is the single pigment used in WN Permanent Alizarin Crimson and in Daniel Smith Quin Burnt Scarlet – both are cool reds. The word Scarlet is also usually a tip off that it is a cool red, although I’m not familiar with Holbein Scarlet Lake so can’t say for sure. Also the word “lake” usually means that the color has a staining quality.
One the things on my to do list is to create a chart of recommended colors as well as a list of good substitutes. I think it will be a download rather than a video. Either way, I’ve reached out to manufacturers asking for samples. Hopefully, I’ll get a good response.
That I know of, Holbein is the only manufacturer that does not use ox gall in its paint. Perhaps others have switched as well, but Holbein is free of it for sure.
I’m not familiar with the different types of sizing for papers. I’ll look into that.
If you are not using animal products, obviously stay away from sable, ox and squirrel hair brushes.
The next Winter Bird is the Cardinal – in fact I’m filming it, or at least part of it, today.
I’m glad you are enjoying the videos. Keep painting. TC
Hi Tony, Just read your reply with all the info – thanks so much! I had been checking the comments on the color wheel videos, but not the set up one!
I was at Arlene’s, my local (Albany) art supply store yesterday and had staff open up the DS Cobalt Blue and the Cobalt hue tubes so I could see the how close they were, and boy, what a BIG difference! The hue version was very dark- not even close!
I do have a few old animal-derived brushes from my (oil and acrylic) decorative painting days (1980s-early 2000s) and I occasionally use the hog bristle ones, but I now only buy synthetics. Also, sepia and pigments containing the black from charred animal bones are a no-no for me. I think it’s PBk6 that is the non-animal one.
I’ve done quite a bit of online research since getting into WC about 3 yrs ago & have contacted several paint and paper manufacturers about animal components in their products. I would be happy to compile it or at least forward the relevant emails to you for your reference. I look forward to your colors list! In the meantime, I am finishing up all the color wheels, and have done the two graded wash (sky) practices, which I want to turn into little landscapes. Thanks, Peggy