I’ve been painting for several years and sold art as well. These are some of my favorite supplies for working with watercolors. 🖼️
Sections
7
🖼️ Accessories 🖼️
📚 Books 📚
🖌️ Brushes🖌️
🎨Beginner Paints🎨
🎨 Advanced Paints 🎨
🔖 Paper 🔖
🖼️ Accessories 🖼️
Little extras that aren’t necessary but make things even more enjoyable.
This is my favorite tape for taping down a painting to get a crisp edge. It never tears the watercolor paper even after getting wet.
Holbein Soft Tape - 1/2" x 60'
Love this creator's ceramic palettes - the moon is so dreamy and looks pretty when it's got color on it.
Mini Moon Palette No 2 — Sylvan Clayworks
Love this one for its simplicity & it's small and quite portable.
Mini Moon Palette No 1 — Sylvan Clayworks
📚 Books 📚
My favorite watercolor education books. 📚
This book gave me the confidence to get started with watercolor.
Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 Days
Kolbie Blume has such a gentle instruction style. The paintings you will create with this book are STUNNING.
Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes: 30 Eye-Catching Scenes Anyone Can Master
Water seems intimidating until you read through Kolbie's instructions. She breaks it down and makes it incredibly easy!
Stunning Watercolor Seascapes: Master the Art of Painting Oceans, Rivers, Lakes and More
This book is made of watercolor paper, and you can paint right in it!! Amazing, easy tutorials that make watercolor approachable.
Watercolor With Me in the Forest
This book is AMAZING at breaking down color theory into digestible pieces - really helps with the composition of your paintings.
A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook
I LOVE these cards - they help get me out of decision paralysis and help me get paint on the page!
The Color Meditation Deck: 500+ Prompts to Explore Watercolor and Spark Your Creativity
Kolbie has a knack for light IMO - this book is fantastic, and both easy and challenging!
Mastering Light in Watercolor: 25 Stunning Projects That Explore Painting Sunsets, Nighttime Scenes, Sunny Landscapes, and More
This has pieces that you can trace so you don't have to worry about artistic ability. It also goes through color theory a bit.
Modern Watercolor Botanicals: A Creative Workshop in Watercolor, Gouache, & Ink
These are the tips and tricks that an artist has collected over years of painting - it's fascinating!
The Complete Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: A treasury of watercolor secrets discovered through decades of painting and experimentation
Fantastic for if you're leaning into art as a daily practice - it's got a lot of juicy info in it!
Thinking in Watercolor: A Daily Practice to Unlock Your Creativity & Discover Your Inner Artist
Love Mako's tutorials, and she's great at breaking down the basics of watercolor! A great beginner read & lots of good projects inside.
No-Fail Watercolor: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Painting with Confidence
I love the way the author breaks down getting a good galaxy. It's approachable but still can be challenging & fun!
Galaxy Watercolor: Paint the Universe with 30 Awe-Inspiring Projects
🖌️ Brushes🖌️
Brushes, both beginner and advanced.
These are great beginner brushes for watercolor, gouache, and acrylic.
Blick Essentials Value Brush Set - Assorted Brushes, Brown Nylon, Set of 12
Fantastic beginner brush with a squishy soft grip. Great for long painting sessions.
Royal & Langnickel Crafter's Choice White Taklon Brushes - Super Value Pack of 15
A great step-up from a beginner brush. Love a set with round brushes, especially 2, 4 and 6 size.
Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Brushes and Sets
More advanced brushes that hold a little more water. Love these in all sizes and shapes.
Princeton Velvetouch Synthetic Brushes and Sets
Some of my FAVORITES. Any shape/size. These hold water like WHOA and perform very well.
Princeton Neptune Series 4750 Synthetic Squirrel Brushes and Sets
These really are elite. Hold a lot of water and perform beautifully.
Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brushes and Sets
🎨Beginner Paints🎨
Paints that are great for students and those just starting their watercolor journey. These paints have a lighter pigment load - great for learning the medium without having to lean on more expensive pigments.
This comes with everything you need to get started - even a water brush! Great for travel & plein air (outdoor) painting!
Sakura Koi Watercolor Half Pan - Set of 12 Sketch Box, Assorted Colors
Schminke makes some of the best watercolors, and their student paints are no exception.
Schmincke Akademie Aquarell Watercolor Pans and Sets
Sennelier is one of my favorite brands. Great paints!
La Petite Aquarelle Watercolor, Set of 12 Half Pans
A great cheap thrill that performs well!
Prang Semi-Moist Watercolor Paint - Oval Pans, Assorted, Set of 8
Want to learn color theory and how to mix colors? This set is perfect for that.
Crayola Educational Watercolor Pans - Oval, Set of 8 Mixing Colors, Pan
Great paints with good transparency, great for learning technique. Brush is good too!
Crayola Educational Watercolor Pans - Oval, Set of 16 Assorted Colors, Pan
🎨 Advanced Paints 🎨
The paint I use to make art that I’d sell.
Handmade by Indigenous folk - incredible pigment, and sustainable/eco-friendly packaging. Can't get enough!
Beam Paints Watercolor Paintstones and Sets
These are made with honey and take a little longer to dry than traditional paints. However, they are INCREDIBLE.
Sennelier French Artists Watercolor Paint Half Pans and Sets
Schminke is top-tier watercolor paint. A little goes a long way because it's so pigmented.
Schmincke Horadam Aquarell Watercolor Pans and Sets
I don't think I've met a Daniel Smith I don't like. Everything is top-tier and impeccable quality.
Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints and Sets
These are a little cheaper than the rest but AMAZING quality. Do not skip
Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Tubes
These are impeccable quality - a tiny bit goes a long way.
Holbein Artists Watercolor Paint Tubes
The way these perform is awesome - a bit unlike any other watercolor tubes. A lot of fun to play with.
QoR Modern Watercolor Tubes
Also made with honey, so dry a bit slower, but absolutely worth the splurge.The Olive Green is so good.
M Graham Artists Watercolor
These are super affordable and perform relatively well!
Blick Artists Watercolor Tubes and Set
Another top-tier brand; I really enjoy their reds.
Utrecht Artists Watercolor Tubes and Sets
🔖 Paper 🔖
Paper is super important. You can use cheap paints with great paper and get incredible results.
My absolute favorite paper. A little more pricey but makes even cheap paints look expensive. Holds water decently long.
Arches Watercolor Blocks
I prefer the cold pressed version of this one!
Fabriano Artistico Enhanced Watercolor Blocks
Love these in all sizes and in both cold and hot press.
Blick Premier Watercolor Blocks
This cold press performs decently well with glazing and lifting.
Legion Stonehenge Aqua Watercolor Block - Cold Press, 7" x 7", 140 lb, 15 Sheets
A really solid cotton paper, very good with wet techniques.
Fluid EasyBlock Watercolor Paper Blocks
Another solid paper - in any size.
Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper Blocks
The first sketchbook I ever filled up. Handles gouache, watercolor and acrylic well.
Stillman & Birn Beta Series Softcover Sketchbooks
My current sketchbook. Love the way the paper performs for being a pulp mix!
Strathmore Watercolor Visual Journals
Several different sizes to choose from. Absolutely premium paper!
Arches Watercolor Travel Journals
▶️ Tutorials ▶️
Some tutorials and creators that have helped me learn this medium!
These are some of the best techniques and tutorials. Mako is great with vibrant color.
makoccino's YouTube Channel
Kolbie is so gentle and wise in her instruction. She makes watercolor easy, approachable and stress-free.
This Writing Desk (Kolbie Blume)
These are relatively easy to follow along with.
Let's Make Art
Andrea is gentle and hilarious, love her videos.
Andrea Nelson Art
Anna is so talented and gives a lot of really great tips.
Anna Bucciarelli
Love how approachable Leslie makes painting in general.
