Artist Resources
Whether you are new to water media or looking to upgrade your materials, here is my secret not-so-secret list of artist-grade materials I have found through workshops, endless research, and hundreds of hours of painting.
Essential Materials
| Paper | Arches 140lb Cold Press |
| Brushes | Princeton Series 4050 Heritage Synthetic Sable Brush Set |
| Tape | Scotch Freezer Tape, 3/4 x 1000 Inch |
Paint Choices
Trying It Out:
| Starter pigment set | Daniel Smith Watercolor Set 5ml Tubes |
Basic Palette Build:
| Yellow | Lemon Yellow |
| Yellow | New Gamboge |
| Red | Quinacridone Coral |
| Red | Quinacridone Rose |
| Blue | Cobalt Blue |
| Blue | Ultramarine Blue |
| Brown | Burnt Sienna |
| Brown | Burnt Umber |
Additional Colors I Enjoy:
| Yellow | Quinacridone Gold |
| Orange | Pyrrol Orange |
| Orange | Quinacridone Burnt Orange |
| Blue | Manganese Blue Hue |
| Blue | Cerulean Blue |
| Blue | Indigo |
| Purple | Quinacridone Purple |
| Purple | Imperial Purple |
| Grey | Jane's Grey |
Studio Supplies
| Color wheel | Color wheel |
| Pencils | Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2B Graphite Pencil |
| Eraser | Mr. Pen Kneaded Eraser |
| Spray bottle | Continuous Spray Bottles - Ultra Fine Mist Sprayer |
| Water cup* | Faber-Castell Clic & Go Artist Water Cup |
| Palette* | Ceramic/Porcelain Watercolor Palette |
| Brush holder | Rotating Paint Brush Holder - Handmade |
| Resist | Pebeo Easy Peel Liquid Latex Masking Fluid |
| Resist remover | Glue Residue Pick-Up Eraser |
| Charcoal | Compressed Charcoal Sticks |
| Sketch book | Strathmore 300 Series Sketch Pad |
| Watercolor sketch book | Strathmore 460-55 400 Series Visual Watercolor Journal |
| Special brush | Winsor & Newton Pointed Round #8 |
| Special brush | da Vinci Watercolor Series 498 Size 2 - Round Quill |
| Special brush | Princeton Heritage Series 4050 Wash 1" |
| Special brush | Princeton Heritage Series 4050 Liner |
Plein Air Supplies
| Viewfinder | View Catcher |
| Water cup | Faber-Castell Collapsible Water Cup |
| Bamboo brush holder* | Bamboo Calligraphy Brush Holder Rollup |
| Small spray bottle* | Spray Bottle Fine Mist 4 Oz |
| Travel palette (13) | Aluminum Watercolor Palette 13 Well |
| Travel palette (20) | Color Around Aluminum Watercolor Palette 20 Well |
| Sun hat | Sunday Afternoons |
| Water bottle | Nalgene |
| Don't forget... | sunscreen, easel, bug spray, first aid kit, earbuds |
Gouache Supplies
| Enamel plate | Creative Mark Butcher Tray Palette |
| Spray bottle | Continuous Spray Bottles - Ultra Fine Mist Sprayer |
| Sketch book | Mtsooning Kraft Paper Unlined Notebooks |
| Watercolor paper | Arches 140lb Cold Press |
| Sta-wet sheets | Masterson Sta-Wet Sheets |
| Brush | Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Brush |
| Note: | Gouache will ruin your watercolor brushes, so keep them separate. Keep paints in a sealed plastic bag to reduce drying out. |
Piecemeal Paints:
| Yellow | Lemon Yellow |
| Orange | Permanent Yellow Orange |
| Red | Primary Magenta |
| Purple | Violet |
| Blue | Cobalt Blue |
| Green | Emerald Green |
| Brown | Burnt Umber |
| White | Permanent White |
or Sets:
| Starter paint set option 1 | Winsor & Newton Designers' Gouache |
| Starter paint set option 2 | Holbein Artists Gouache |
| Full paint set | Holbein Artists' Gouache |
| Theme set option 1 | Holbein Irodori Artist Gouache - Spring |
| Theme set option 2 | Holbein Irodori Artist Gouache - Summer |
| Theme set option 3 | Holbein Irodori Artist Gouache - Autumn |
| Theme set option 4 | Holbein Irodori Artist Gouache - Winter |
| Acryla gouache | Holbein Acryla Gouache |
* Denotes a product I found closest to what I use in the studio (but have not personally tried yet), as some of my suppliers/manufacturers are no longer around, difficult to find online, or only accessible by expeditions found in those choose-your-own-adventure books.
Full Disclosure: I'm a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. I receive a small earning for each product that is sold via affiliate linked products. Thank you for your support, and I hope you found my lists useful.
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