How to paint
Tools
Brushes
Pigments
Paper
Your studio
Getting Started
Color Theory
Technique
Matting
Documentation
Glossary
Miscelaneous tools
Don't purchasing anything too expensive right away, but don't purchase the cheapest materials either or you may have difficultly learning the medium. Become familiar with some of the materials and techniques before purchasing more expensive items such as brushes and paper.
A basic watercolor kit might also include
the following:
| Japanese Hake brush. | 2 inches wide. An inexpensive brush that is great for large washes. |
| Paint brush. | 3 inches. For brushing eraser crumbs from your paper. |
| Sponge | Natural are best, regular are less expensive and work fine. |
| Rags | Paper towels are okay, old "T" shirts are better, but cotton baby diapers are the best! |
| Water jars | Empty pickle jars are Okay, keep the lids. |
| Eye droppers | I prefer drug store syringes. I throw away the plungers as they quickly break. I hold my finger over the opening to transfer water to cakes or trays. |
| Watercolor trays | I like porcelin, round and rectangular. Plastic trays work fine, but I find them too light. |
| Gummed paper tape | A roll of 2 inch or 3 inch. Only if you're planning to stretch your paper. |
| Watercolor board | 24 in. x 30 in. Useful if you're planning to stretch your paper or work out of doors. |
| Pencils | A no.2 pencil works fine. I prefer mechanical pencils with 5mm, 2H leads. Ebony pencils, HB, and B pencils may be too soft but, 2B, 4B, 2H, and 4H being harder work better with watercolor. By the way. Pencil lead softness and hardness is designated by number and letter codes stamped at the end of the pencil. "H" designates hard lead, while "B" designates soft lead. The larger the number the harder or softer the lead. Hence, 6H designates a very very hard lead, while 6B designates a very very soft lead. An Ebony pencil is a very soft lead pencil with a thick lead. |
| Erasers | I prefer gum erasers as they are soft and won't damage your paper, but Pink Pearl or white plastic easers are okay. |
| Pencil sharpener | A pocket knife does fine and is something extra to carry around. |
| Single edge razor blades. | Optional |
| 18in. ruler | Optional |
| Thumb tacks or push pins | Optional. |
| masking tape | 3/4 inch wide. Optional |
| XActo knife | Optional |
| tape measure | Optional. |
| pocket knife. | Optional. |
| Maskit and a pickup | Maskit is liquid latex and is used as a liquid stencil. I apply it with an "old" brush or splatter it with a toothbrush. Prior to dipping a brush into the maskit bottle, I find it good idea to liberally wet the bristles of the brush with bar soap and wipe the excess soap off. This helps protect the bristles from dried maskit. After the maskit dries on the painting, paint directly over it. Removed it with the pickup, a sort of eraser. Optional |
| Toothbrush | To splatter or not to splatter. Optional |
| Sunglasses | Working out doors on a bright sunny day you can go snow blind staring at a piece of white watercolor paper. |
| Hat | Sun stroke protection |
| Sun block | Tan, don't burn |
