Full Supply List for Watercolor Painting

You can now look forward to the serene and relaxed act of watercolor painting, assuming you're well prepared! With this sort of art making, the prep is everything. It can help you avoid mistakes and fix them when they do occur. I teach all of this info in my classes, and have personally compiled this list over my 10+ years of teaching art.

Here is my recommended supply list complete with links to purchase the items. Read on for some new ideas and tips, and as always feel free to e-mail me with questions!

Watercolor Paper

Paper is the place to splurge and the place it will pay off the most with watercolor painting. Good thick paper will enable you to use a lot of water without it buckling, scrub away mistakes, and apply a lot of layers to your artwork without it pilling up and becoming mush. Look for at least 140 lb paper from Strathmore, Canson, or Arches. Use your thinner watercolor paper as scratch paper. Always have a piece of scratch handy to test out colors and strokes before diving in on your real piece.

Clipboard

Most of us don't have a dedicated art studio, and most of us won't finish a piece in one sitting. For those reasons, taping your watercolor paper to a clipboard is ideal. I've seen artists tape it down to the table, but that keeps you from moving it to a safe place for storage, propping it up to let the paint run or consider the piece, or bringing it to another room. You also can work on your piece outside if it's on a clipboard. Buy one large enough to accomodate the paper you plan to use. Most paper is sold in a 9x12" size.

Pencil and eraser

I stick to a mechanical one that gives me small, light lines or your regular number two pencil. Each pencil has a different softness of lead leading to a darker or lighter line on your paper, which is indicated by the number written on the pencil. The H pencils are lighter and good for precise drawing, while the B pencils are dark and good for shading. (You can shade with any pencil, but pressing too hard with a lighter pencil will indent your paper.) HB pencils are in the middle and are the standard for normal sketching before you paint. A great tip with any pencil is to draw lightly, which enables easy erasing if needed. I like this all purpose eraser. Don't rely on the built in pencil eraser for a clean fix.

Ruler and stencils

The ruler can be used for your horizon line, measuring your paper size while cutting, perspective drawing, buildings, and more. The stencils are fantastic at adding florals to cards or calligraphy projects. They are also a great warm up sketch activity to get creativity flowing, a way to get younger ages involved in creating, or an answer to "I don't know what to paint."

Paintbrushes My favorite watercolor paintbrush is by Grumbacher, either size 6 for smaller works or a larger size 10. It is a round brush, which means that it is tapered. It is thicker near the handle and has a smaller tip. This allows the brush to hold a lot of water and handle painting either a large area (like a sky or ocean) as well as a smaller area. Less pressure on the brush means a thinner line. I can make an entire painting with one round brush, size 10 typically, since it is so versatile, no need to buy more!

Watercolor Paint I always recommend watercolor paint palettes over tubes ever since I had a set of nice tube paints separate into the pigment and binder not long after purchasing them. Palettes offer convenience while travelling, are easy to store, and there is no wasting paint (for instance if you squirt out too much from a tube). Keep in mind that the paint on your paper will look wildly different from how it looks in the paint palette. Always swatch each of your palettes on a piece of paper, label it, and keep it nearby for reference. For travel I love this set, and for at home use this set is fantastic!! Here is a great mixing tray for watercolor paint.

Waterproof Pens

I love this invention. Early on in my art making journey, my pen ink would always smear. Micron pens come in different sizes (thick or thin lines) and I routinely use them to sign my work. I also use them to define and outline areas in my painting. Sometimes I'll use the pens over my sketch first and then paint, since they are waterproof, for a change of pace especially on holiday cards. Did you know you can wait for your painting to completely dry and then erase the pencil lines of your sketch? It gives you such a clean look!

Paper Towels

Honestly any paper towels will do, just be sure to keep some handy. I recommend these over a rag because they blot the paint better. I use them to dry my brush after washing and to fix mistakes on my paper. To scrub out a mistake, take a clean wet brush and lightly scrub over the mistake on your paper, followed by blotting the area with a clean paper towel.

Masking Tape

Why tape your "work in progress" down at all? This practice keeps your paper from moving while you apply paint, prevents some buckling when the paper gets wet, and gives you a nice even border when you remove the tape (I like that part!). Taping your artwork to a clipboard or other sturdy surface truly is essential for successful artwork. See YouTube or Google on how to tape it correctly.

Colored Pencils

For a no pressure painting, sometimes I'll sketch with a colored pencil for a fun pop of color. You can also use them to darken areas or add little pops when your paint is dry. You can see a good example of colored pencil and watercolor paint together in the photo below. I've never been a fan of watercolor pencils but that is something else to try!

Water Cups

Yes, two water cups! Use one cup of water to clean the paint from your brush. Then, dip into the clean water to continue painting. Change out your water cups often, other wise the dirty water will taint your pretty paint colors.

Friskit

Also called masking fluid, this medium lets you paint the areas of the paper you want to remain white, or light, or untouched by a wash of paint. When it dries, you can paint right over it. When that paint dries, you can rub away the friskit to reveal fresh paper underneath. I've seen it used to retain the highlights of a piece, such as in the eyes or maybe the sparkling of waves. If you buy it, be sure to use it, because it dries up in the bottle over time. I avoid needing to use it by painting from light to dark, which means I paint the pale colors of a piece first and then work with the darker colors last, painting around and preserving the lighter colors.

White Gouache Tube

Gouache is a thicker and less transparent paint. It can be used to mix a pastel color or to add pure whites to your painting on top of other layers. It is fun to play with but certainly optional.

Clear Storage Bags

Painted something you love? You may want to store it in a clear bag for protection, gifting, or for exhibiting at an art fair. If the painting is larger than 8x10" I recommend getting a piece of cardboard or chipboard to place behind the painting so it does not flop over in the bag while displayed in a bin or basket.

Paper Cutter

If you plan to paint a variety of sizes this paper cutter is going to help you out. I'm able to buy 11x14" paper and then cut some of the sheets into smaller sizes. I then have a good variety to work with. Keep in mind the ease of painting standard size paintings: 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 9x12, 11x14, 16x20, or a full 22x30" sheet. This helps with framing and for fitting into clear bags.

Inspiration Box My grandfather had a box of calendar pages, holiday cards, magazine cutouts, any image he came across that he could use as painting inspiration. I do the same with an old shoe box. I fill it with gorgeous images, especially florals, whenever I flip through a magazine. I also have a hefty Pinterest board! Keep in mind you never want to copy another artist's work exactly. Your own photographs are always a safe bet!

A Good Attitude

Mindset is an important element in art making, since a positive growth mindset will keep you creating more often and more successfully than a perfectionist or hesitant mentality. Don't expect to routinely make masterpieces, because enjoyment is the goal. Don't be hesitant to waste supplies or try new ideas you have. Doing more is how you grow, and that journey of getting better and more confident in art... well it never ends. So welcome it and enjoy!!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to you.