Watercolor Recommendations 2024
Sharing Watercolor Supply Recommendations
These products are meant for someone that has advanced beyond the Crayola or Prang sets (which serve a wonderful purpose as well) and is looking to start experiment mixing rich color on their own. I linked all the pics to Amazon because honestly, ever since my local art shop left town it's the easiest place to order from. However I would always price compare to Blick - or even Walmart and Target that sometimes carry art supplies. As with most things art, you can really get caught up in the excitement of new materials and those things add up fast (at least that's what happens to me!)
Watercolor Paint is most commonly purchased in cakes or tubes. Generally, artists use cakes (or pan watercolors) when making small paintings and tubes for larger watercolors. However, it just depends on personal preference. In either case, tubes or cakes, you will need water to achieve the right consistency in order to paint. There are many brands of watercolor paint and most can be grouped into children grade, student grade, and professional grade. The difference between the tiers of paint, besides price, is the amount and quality of pigment within the paint. In watercolors pigment is suspended in gum arabic, a non toxic, water soluble solution. It is common to learn with a quality student grade watercolor brand and then purchase professional grade watercolors when you make the leap to sell your work. When starting out, I recommend a higher quality pan set like the kuratake watercolor set (a Japanese brand in the beautiful green box below) or the Winsor & Newton Cotman travel watercolor set (below in the blue box)
When you’re ready to branch out and explore colors and brands on a more broad level, you can purchase individual tubes. I enjoy painting with:
Winsor & Newton Professional Water Colour: Different than the product above with Cotman attached to it, Winsor & Newton have been around since the 1830’s, this is an old brand that has aand have aquired other watercolor businesses along the way. Their professional watercolour line remains a highly recommended one that is extremely consistant. I typically purchase my tried and true basic colors from them like Paynes Gray, Cadmium Yellow, Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Sap Green, Cadmium Red, etc. as well as their Cobalt Turquoise Light
Daniel Smith: Another well known brand, I tend to purchase a lot of my shades of brown from them - including this Sepia shade
Sennelier -They famously mix honey with their paints as a preservative and I really enjoy the consistency. I have a real love affair with their Opera Rose color, which is wonderful for sunsets and mixes beautifully. I also make sure to have their Phthalo Turquoise on hand as well
Mission Gold Watercolor: Another highly recommended high end brand, I just ordered their Compose Blue color, to see how it compared to the Cobalt Turquoise Light
Holbein - I like their brand for pastel shades of color that are difficult to mix up like Shell Pink and Lavender.
Water color paper is very different than the paper that spits out of your printer. It is meant to not only absorb loads of water, but also keep the paint on the surface for a period of time so artists have the chance to manipulate it. Watercolor paper comes in three different surfaces; rough, cold press, and hot press. It is also offered in a variety of thicknesses, referred to as weight. The weight refers to how much the ream of paper weighs as a whole. Most artists work in 140 pound or above for finished paintings, only working on 90 pound for quick exercises or sketches.
There are an overwhelming amount of watercolor brushes to choose from. Generally speaking, I suggest that beginning watercolorists rely on a variety of round brushes for the bulk of their painting needs and a large mop brush for washes. Arguably, the very best watercolor brush you can buy is a Kolinsky Sable brush, made from the hair of a weasel that lives in Siberia ... who would have guessed, but they are expensive. Squirrel, goat, and boar hair all hold their shape well and soak up a lot of water, making them great brushes as well. Synthetic bristles are a great alternative at a much more affordable price. Quality varies greatly so I recommend that you try them out beforehand or read up on other artists opinions before making a purchase.
The synthetic brushes pictured on the left below hold up well and keep their shape nicely. The black handled brushes come with an angled end, which is nice to have on hand in watercolors, but not necessary.
The other brushes will hold more water and keep their point firmer for a longer period of time. That being said, I didn't make the leap to invest in these until a few years in.. There are plenty of artists that do beautiful work with synthetic brushes .... however, I find these a real treat and have used them with love.
They make a great item to put on a wish list!
Other products that might be fun and helpful as you get going in watercolor are
MISKIT, a rubber cement like solution that is used to mask off areas of your painting
WATERCOLOR PENS, a synthetic brush that has a handle that you're able to fill with colored ink, liquid watercolor, or plain water. Great to use on the go or if you venture down the hand lettering lane of life
WATERCOLOR PENCILS OR CRAYONS, a great tool to help you add textures or just work you out of a painting slump.
Every product that I link to is one that I have purchased myself ,use, and love.