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My favorite art supplies for watercolor
18
items Watercolor has been my medium of choice for many, many years. I've learned through that time what works best for me. I have definitely learned the better quality materials are keys to success!
Sections
5
Brushes
Watercolor paper
Paint palette
Watercolor supplies
Paint, pencils and pastels
Brushes
I bought one of these a year or so ago and love it. It's super fine tip is great for details, while it's wider base is perfect for broader strokes or for moving from a wide or small line to a small or wider line. Great for petals and leaves!
Escoda Perla Toray White Synthetic Brush - Round, Short Handle, Size 12
This oval wash or cat's tongue brush is one of my favorites! It's great for washes and getting into the details with it's pointy tip.
Princeton Neptune Synthetic Squirrel Brush - Oval Wash, Short Handle, Size 1/2"
I have multiple sizes of these Princeton rounds. I love them for how soft they are for smooth washes and lines, how much water they hold, and the fine tip. Definitely a longtime favorite.
Princeton Heritage Sable Brush - Round, Short Handle, Size 16
I like these glacier series brushes because the end of the handle comes to a point, which is great for scratching out lines. The bristles come to a fine point, which is also great for wiping out fine lines for grasses in landscapes.
Princeton Glacier Series 4950 Synthetic Brushes
I like to keep a few old oil painting brushes around because their stiff bristles are great for lifting stubborn watercolor paint.
Silver Brush Silverstone Premium White Hog Bristle Brushes
I've tried a bunch of details brushes and this size 0 Princeton is working great for me right now! The bristles aren't too short or too long, which I found both are hard to control.
Princeton Siberia Series 7050 Natural Kolinsky Sable Brushes
Watercolor paper
I really like this 140lb cold press Arches for landscapes. It's strong enough for washes and it's tooth is great for skipping paint over to create sparkles in water or interesting textures.
Arches Watercolor Pad - 9" x 12", 140 lb, Cold Press, Fold-over, 12 Sheets
I've started using this 140lb hot press Arches paper for illustrations. I like the way I can easily create smooth illustrative lines.
Arches Watercolor Pad - 9" x 12", 140 lb, Hot Press, Fold-over, 12 Sheets
I just got a block of this Hahnemuhle paper out of curiosity. Its really great for washes as the water doesn't absorb as quickly. The tooth is a bit less rough than Arches, which is great for when you want a little less texture in your painting.
Hahnemühle The Collection Watercolor Block - Cold Press, 9" x 12", 140 lb, 10 Sheets
I always keep one of these little Canson sketchbooks around. The paper isn't great, but I do like it for working out my color palette and value studies before I move onto better paper.
Canson XL Watercolor Pad (9x12) - 140 lb. Smooth, Cold-Pressed - 12 Sheets
I like using this mix media sketchbook for working out initial ideas. The paper is sturdy enough to handle watercolor, acrylic, and gouache and India ink.
Canson XL Mixed Media Pad - 11" x 14", Portrait, 60 Sheets
Paint palette
Based on the Quiller method, this palette has been great to help me think about color theory. Plus, it's so nice to have a lot of little paint pots, plus the 8 bigger pots. The porcelain also helps so your paint puddle doesn't shrink up, like it does...
Meeden Heavy Duty Studio Porcelain Paint Palette
I keep an acrylic palette around because it's very lightweight and nice for traveling. I can fit it in a suitcase or carry it on a hiking trail.
Masterson Aqua-Pro Watercolor Palette - 1-3/4" x 15-1/2" x 11-1/2"
Watercolor supplies
I love using artist's tape! It's great to tape down a piece to a board without tearing the paper. I also really love to tape my pieces up to a wall, so I can step back and assess my work. It has never taken the paint of my wall, which is great!
Blick Artist Tape - White, 1/4" x 60 yds
I use gum arabic for two reasons: 1) to keep my paint wetter, 2) for monotype watercolors. I live in a semi-arid climate, so sometimes it's necessary to put a little gum arabic in my water cup to help keep my paint from drying so fast. I also use gum...
Winsor & Newton Gum Arabic Solution
Sometimes I like to add a little line work or tiny details to my paintings and these MicronPens are my favorite for the job.
Sakura Pigma Micron Pens and Sets
Paint, pencils and pastels
I love using these watercolor pencils for extra detail in my watercolor paintings. I also use them a lot for watercolor monotypes
Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils - Set of 24
I LOVE these water soluble pastels! I use them for layering in my watercolor paintings and monotype watercolors.
Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle Artists' Pastel Set - Assorted Colors, Set of 30