• Watercolor paint set - You will want a range of colors in blues, reds, yellows and earth colors. You can go with either tube or half pans.
o If selecting tubes look for: Hansa Medium Yellow, Quinacridone Gold, Pyrrol Scarlet, Quinacridone Rose, Ultramarine Blue, Phathalo Blue Green Shade, and Burnt Sienna.
o Brands I recommend are: Winsor and Newton Cotman Watercolor Tube Set, Daniel Smith Watercolor Half Pan Ultimate Mixing 15 Piece Set or, Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Half Pans and Sets
• Watercolor brushes: You can use a range of sizes and shapes;
o I recommend getting a size 3 and fine tip brush.
o You will want a high-quality brush that has a fine tip and a full belly. To test this at the store: dip it in water and try it on the special board they usually have. You should be able to get a very fine line. And dip and then tap it against your wrist to see if it comes to a single point, not a split one.
o Brands I recommend are: Princeton Select, Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable, or Rosemary & Co.
• Watercolor paper: 140LB, and 100% cotton. Brands I recommend are: Arches and Strathmore 400 Series.
• Paint palette or ceramic plate
• Water container (2)
• Paper towel or rag
• Pencil: HB, 2H
• Kneaded eraser: this kind lifts pencil marks instead of smearing them.
Optional items:
• Ink Pen: I recommend Pigma Micron 01.
• Sketchbook
• Tracing paper
• Bone folder or spoon: if you don’t have one: this tool is used for transferring images.
• Gator board or watercolor board. You will affix your paper to the board while working on your painting. Needs to be larger than the paper you are using. If you are using a watercolor block then you will not need this item.
• Artists tape or blue tape
• Masking fluid