My Favorite Watercolor Supplies
I could write a lot on the topic of favorite art supplies, so I’m going to focus on my personal favorites for painting watercolors. I’ll also include links to the supplies I used when I was first starting out and would recommend if you’re new to watercolor and want to try it out without spending a ton of money!
Watercolor Paints
My personal favorites:
My personalized Daniel Smith Palette
This Daniel Smith half pan set has the most delicious colors and some of them have a really grainy look when they dry, which I love. I would consider this an alternative to a classic color palette, and not necessarily the best one to start with if you’re new to watercolors and still learning about color theory and mixing, but I love it! It was also a bit incomplete for me, so I added a few more Daniel Smith (DS) and Winsor & Newton (WN) Professional Watercolors to finish it out. The other colors I added to my palette and use the most are Burnt Sienna (DS), Payne’s Gray (WN), Perylenne Maroon (WN), Perylenne Green (WN), Potter’s Pink (WN), Lunar Blue (DS), Buff Titanium (DS), Pale Rose Blush (WN - this is gouache paint), and Scarlet Lake (WN). This whole set probably cost around $150.
The more standard professional watercolor palette that I use is from the French brand Sennelier and it is absolutely divine, which shows in the price. It’s a metal case with 24 watercolor pans in standard colors that will allow you to create any combination of tones and shades you could want.
If you’re just starting out with watercolors, this is the palette I’d recommend:
This is the set I started with! I bought it in Edinburgh in 2005 and it was my exclusive palette all the way up until 2020. I didn’t use it that much in those 15 years, which is why it lasted so long, but it was the set that got me started again on my current art journey.
It’s great because it has your basic palette with a few extra colors, 14 in total, and it comes with a brush if you don’t want to spend anymore money on brushes. It’s also perfect for traveling and you can put a bit of water in the little plastic cup if you are painting on the go. And it’s under $30!
The Cotman line is somewhere between basic and professional watercolor quality.
Watercolor Brushes
My current favorite all around brush is my size 16 round Princeton Heritage series. It holds a ton of water so I have to be very careful with how water control, but it has a great range.
I have a range of sizes in round, filbert (rounded and flat - great for flower petals), liner, and flat wash brushes (from size 0-12) that are Princeton Select or Princeton Hertiage. They’re synthetic hair, but they are wonderful for the price. I prefer the short handle brushes.
Princeton Select brushes are also what I’d recommend if you’re just starting out. Maybe get a few round brush essentials, like a size 2 round and size 10 round, since the size 5 round brush already comes with the Cotman set. These brushes are between $3.50 to $6 each.
Watercolor Paper
I use mostly Arches 140 lb. (300gsm) cold press watercolor blocks in various sizes, like 8x 10, 9x12, and 11x14, but they are a more expensive option. The weight of the paper (140 lb./300gsm) gives you an idea of the thickness of the paper, and I found I prefer the thicker 140 lb. to the lighter weight papers. It’s a standard weight I’ve seen other artists use. I also prefer cold press because it has more texture compared to the hot press watercolor paper, which tends to be pretty smooth, but your preference may be different!
I found another wonderful alternative to Arches is Hahnemuhle paper (thank you, The Mint Gardner!).
If you want a smaller, gorgeous, high quality watercolor sketchbook, you MUST check out L’Escargot Papier’s products. They are stunning.
If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend Strathmore 400 or 300 series Watercolor Pads. Again, it’s what I started with!
Pencil and Eraser
Faber Castell is just the best. I use the HB pencil to sketch my watercolors before painting. I prefer their dust-free vinyl eraser.
To finish up…
I hope this got you inspired and took the overwhelm out of picking the best watercolors no matter where you are on your art journey. Let me know if this is helpful or if you have any of your own recommendations in the comments!