Beginner Watercolorists, Hello!
- Stacey Dodd
- Jul 4, 2022
- 3 min read
So you've stumbled upon the joy and wonder of watercolor painting?
Welcome!
How about I share some fabulous resources with you which I am sure you have been curious about.
Let's get started!
Materials matter!
Paper is really important to get right. It has to be good to excellent quality because you will not see the results that initially inspired you in the first place. I am sure that you have watched some fabulous tiktok or instagram process videos or seen beautiful images on Pinterest or instagram and wondered how to achieve those results.
Well....practice for one but materials count too!
I first began working with student grade paint, brushes and paper and was not happy with the results. The paint was streaky, and faded once dry and the bristles from the paint brush would come loose or fray. The paper would not absorb the paint and the painting looked terrible!
We can't have that!
Let's dip into some fabulous tools that will help you enjoy your experience with watercolor painting.
Paper / Journals
Everything listed here I recommend!
Bee Paper - 50 Pack from Amazon here
Arches - Variations to choose from here
Fabriano - Go here
Variations here for Khadi on Amazon
Stonehenge Aqua Blocks - Are Here
Khadi Rag Paper - L.cornelissen & Son
Khadi Rag Paper - Jackson's Art
Feathers & Stones NZ - Cotton Rag paper
ThelittleartcornerIN - Khadi Rag Paper
Handmade and crafted journals:
ThelittleartcornerIN - Journals
BohemianRaspberryArt - Journals
Blue Pine Arts - Journals
Lotus Blue Book Art - Journals here
Ethel's Nest (New Zealand Maker) - Journals here
Bound for you - Journals here
New Zealander's only for the below links:
Watercolor Brushes
I recommend that you have at least a few sizes of the round brushes (2, 6, 8), 1 flat for washes, and a quill that holds much more water/paint ratio.
Jackson's : Icon : Synthetic Sable : Watercolour Brush : Quill : No.3/0
The Pigeon Letter's Synthetic Cruelty Free Brushes here
Silver Brush Black Velvet Round here
KUM Memory Point Brush Lettering / Round here
Princeton Artist Brush, Neptune Series 4750, Synthetic Squirrel Watercolor Paint Brush, Quill, Size 4 here
Raphael Kazan 803 Quill Mop Brush, 3/0, Natural here
Polina Bright brushes here
Rosemary and Co brushes here
Nfinity Arts brushes here
Schimoni Art by Fibonacci Brushes here
New Zealander's only for the below links:
I hope the above list has been helpful.
I know that it can be overwhelming starting out in the beginning but I assure you that once you have a few good quality brushes, some lovely and inspirational paper and of course paint, you are going to really enjoy yourself.
Remember, don't rush the process. Take your time. Enjoy it!
Explore the basic techniques and get familiar with your tools and practice shapes, and brush strokes before diving into more complicated pieces of art.
Start out nice and small, and develop your confidence with your tools.
All the best,
Stacey.
If you would like to suggest materials such as brushes and paper / journals, please comment below.
Thank you.
It's great to learn of brands and materials other artists have tried and recommend. Thank you for providing such a useful list. Brushes are my great weakness. I've succumbed to the siren call of many, many brushes. And each in their turn, are precious to me and have their own characteristics. For a while I wondered if perhaps there were too many but since decided that when inspiration wanes or boredom sets in, I can reach for a brush not used in a while and off we go.... ! Some of my favourite brands include: Rosemary & Co, Da Vinci, Princeton Neptune, Silver Black Velvet, Daler Rowney, Holbein and various Chinese calligraphy brushes. Happy painting 😊
Thanks for this great blog post Stacey! The links are so amazing to have. I'm so thankful for your knowledge & suggestions. 😘
Thank you for this list! Goodbye money … Hello fun creativity! Absolutely loved your class yesterday. Thank you again x
I have definitely learned to splurge on paper in order to truly get the most out of good paint. I appreciate the helpful lists!!