To get started in watercolor painting, we’ll keep it simple – just a few supplies are needed until you decide that you would like to delve deeper into watercolor painting.

All you need for these tutorials is …

1. Palette: Something to put the paint on - all you need is a plate or any white surface that repels water.
2. Some watercolor paints (any colors that you prefer)
3. A round brush with a pointed tip
4. Watercolor paper (any type of paper is fine)
5. A container for water, and a towel and paper towel

If you already have some items on hand, I encourage you to experiment with them. If you would like to start out fresh, click the links contained in the information below to explore or purchase.

Palette to mix your paints

If you don't have a palette for your paints, no problem! You could use a plate, plastic trays, trays - anything that the watercolor paints will not soak into.

Presently, I use a mijello Airtight Watercolor 18-well palette.

Paints:

When getting started, you will only need three or four colors. You can create all different kinds of grays, browns, and blacks with mixes of Burnt Umber (or Burnt Sienna) and Ultramarine Blue, and Burnt Sienna or Burnt Umber with Yellow Ochre work together to create different kinds of brown and orange fur. The small, 5 ml tubes will provide plenty of paint.

These are the colors I use most often when painting realistic animals in watercolor. We will use these colors in our lessons and in the "Dog's Eye" tutorial.

• French Ultramarine Blue
• Burnt Sienna or Burnt Umber
• Yellow Ochre

In these courses, and in the online school, we use Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor paints. If you are just getting started, Winsor & Newton Cotman are student grade paints that are less expensive than professional paints, but of good quality.

If you would like to get started right away, I encourage you to use any type of watercolor paint that you have on hand. When ready to delve deeper into watercolor painting, go for the professional paints.

Should I use Tubes or Pans

• Tubes contain a smooth paste of paint, like toothpaste. Squeeze a bit of paint on to your palette and add water.
• Pans contain dry, solid paint. Add water to "wake up" the color.
• Both tubes and pans will be fine. Use what works best for you.

Brushes

In our tutorials, we use a pointed round brush. A pointed round brush has a narrow, pointed tip for creating details and thin, fine hairs and fur. I encourage you to experiment with any pointed round brush that you have on hand.

In these lessons, you will see three brushes:

• An old, cheap brush for mixing colors
• A small brush - details and fur
• A medium-sized brush for larger areas

Feel free to use any brush that you have on hand! 

Small Brush: Details and Fur - This is the type of brush used most often in these lessons and in our online school.

In our style of painting, we use a small pointed round brush to create meticulous detail and realistic fur. I’ve found two synthetic brushes that are sturdy enough to handle the roughness of Cold Press paper while retaining a nice, fine point. They are affordable, so I don’t mind purchasing another when the point does wear down. Feel free to experiment with either, both, or any brush that you prefer.

• Michael Klein Synthetic Pointed Round Brush, size 2, by Rosemary & Co. This brush is made in the U.K. You will see it in the more recent courses in our watercolor school. These brushes are available for purchase in the United States at Wind River Arts!
• Raphael Golden Kaerell Synthetic Pointed Round Brush, size 0 This brush is used in many courses in the school, and in some of these tutorials. It's a tough little brush, with a fine, pointed tip for creating details and fur, and can be purchased in the U.S.
• Many members of the school use and love these pointed round brushes, but others have their own favorites. I encourage you to experiment with any pointed round brush that you have on hand.
• Scroll to the bottom of this page, under "Frequently Asked Questions" to see additional brushes recommended by members of the school.

Optional Medium-sized brush for covering larger areas with color or water

In these lessons, we will often use a Princeton Velvetouch Long Round Brush, series 3950 size 6. A general-purpose round watercolor brush will be fine - any that you have on hand.

Optional Inexpensive Brush for Mixing Colors: It’s a good idea to use a different brush - one that is cheap and/or old - for mixing paints so you can save your good brushes for painting. I’ve used same old synthetic round brush for years, simply because it came as a free gift with another order of art supplies, and is tough enough to mix the paints. Feel free to use what you have on hand.

Watercolor Paper

To create realistic, detailed paintings, it's important to use good quality watercolor paper. That being said, if you are just starting out, you might not want to spend a lot of money on paper, so go ahead and start out with less expensive paper. The results might not be quite the same, but you will have something to use as you get started. Then, when you decide that you like this style of painting, purchase the good paper.

If you would like to get started with quality paper, here is what we will use in these tutorials: Arches 140 lb. Natural White Cold Press Paper

• Arches is the brand name.
• 140 lb. is the weight of the paper. There is also 90 lb., 300 lb., and 400 lb. Make sure you purchase 140 lb.
• Natural White is the color of the paper.
• Cold press refers to the texture of the paper. This type of paper has a slightly rough surface and is popular among watercolor artists of all levels. This is the kind of paper used most often in the school, although some courses use Hot Press paper, which is very smooth.
• You can purchase the paper in single sheets which you can cut to size, or in blocks of different sizes. Blocks contain 10 or 20 sheets. Feel free to use what best fits your needs.

When getting started in watercolor painting, my teacher recommended purchasing a block of 8x10 or 9x12-inch paper. Note: I made the mistake of purchasing Hot Press instead of Cold Press. You want to get Cold Press. It says it on the cover.

Additional Materials

• Container for water - Any container is fine. I use a plastic container. Many artists use sturdy glasses.
• Towel for wiping brushes and clean up - paper or material
• Device to view reference photo - I use my phone and computer; others use their tablets; I've even seen people use their television

Here is what my setup looks like. I'm right-handed, and keep all of these items to my right.

This is all you need to get started! Do you have any questions? Feel free to email Rebecca ([email protected]) or comment below.

As you go through these lessons, allow yourself to move slowly, learn from mistakes, and have fun! As you experiment, learn, and develop your own unique style, you will gradually build your cache of supplies and encyclopedia of techniques. And remember: The joy is in the process as well as the finished painting!

Links

Blick Art Materials - I am an affiliate of Dick Blick and receive a small commission for purchases. Thank you!

Additional Resources for purchasing materials - This link will take you to a list of resources for purchasing materials, recommended by members of our online school. If you would like to recommend a resource, please insert the name and website in the comments below, and thank you!