Hi buds!!! Happy quarantine, I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy!

So, I know a bunch of people are wanting to dabble in watercolors right now, it’s the perfect time! It’s such a great creative outlet and you don’t even have to leave your house. Honestly, if you’re just wanting to paint for fun you don’t need much. Before I started painting forrealsies, I used sketching paper and a watercolor palette from Walmart and was happy as a clam! But if you want to use this as a time to grow in watercolor art as a hobby and to learn to create things that you can give to your people, then I’m going to give you a guide for where to start with your supplies. And if you want to join me, I’ll be hosting paint-with-me sessions on Instagram live where you can help me pick the color palettes, see how I mix my colors, and watch my process.

Supplies ☀️

Truly, if you don’t wanna wait on Amazon to ship your paper and you wanna just paint on whatever you have at home that is perfectly fine. However if you don’t have any supplies at all or want to get some better supplies this is what I’d suggest!

P A P E R –

The paper that I would suggest you order is one that was suggested to me by one of my favorite artists. It’s cheap and beautiful and you won’t feel guilty for using it to do allll your practicing.

• This is the most glorious paper, only $6 for 30 sheets!!!! I am such a fan and you should order all of it that you can LOL. Canson (100510941) XL Series Watercolor Pad, 9″ x 12″, Fold-over cover, 30 Sheets

P A I N T S

Paints are tricky! I used the aforementioned Walmart watercolor palette for far too long before switching to Winsor and Newton paints. I wouldn’t recommend buying watercolor paint tubes if you’re just going to paint for the next few weeks or months, one tube will last you forever and each color is between five and ten dollars. So! I’m gonna list some fun options that I found on Amazon that are rated well and won’t break the bank.

• This is my favorite brand of all of these! This lil pan comes with the classic colors if you want to learn how to mix them and I’ll also post the vintage pastel colors if you want beautiful colors just as they are! Classic colors: Prima Marketing 584252 Watercolor Confections: The Classics Vintage Pastels: Prima Marketing 636722 Prima Confections Watercolor Pans 12/Pkg-Vintage Pastel
• This one is a great starter (this costs less than 5 colors of professional paint). It comes with 48 colors, 15 pages of paper, and even some brush pens if you don’t want to order brushes! Watercolor Palette with Bonus Paper Pad by GenCrafts – Includes 48 Premium Colors – 2 Refillable Water Blending Brush Pens – No Mess Storage Case – 15 Sheets of Water Color Paper – Portable Painting
• These paints are still Winsor and Newton, but they’re a set of 12 for only $25!! So these are the ones you want if you want to use tubes of paint like me, without the cost! Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Paint, Set of 12, 8ml Tubes
• This one is more reasonable if you either have your own paper and brushes or intend on buying them separate! Lightwish MeiLiang Watercolor Paint Set, 36 Vivid Colors in Pocket Box with Metal Ring and Bonus Watercolor Brush, Perfect for Students, Kids, Beginners & More

B R U S H E S

So, brushes are a bit more flexible. I use the Princeton Neptune series, which is a line of professional brushes that are more expensive but better quality because I watercolor every single day and plan to make it a business! However, there are Princeton brushes that are still great but more budget friendly if you want to invest in a few! Round brushes between sizes 0 and 8 are great to start. However! I’m gonna list some watercolor brush sets that are highly rated and less expensive so you can start off with more sizes.

• This first set is a well-reviewed set of 9 varied sized round brushes. They have beautiful tips, but a longer handle. Watercolor Brushes – Artist Round Paint Brushes Set, 9 Different Sizes Detail Paint Brush for Watercolors, Acrylics, Inks, Gouache, Oil and Tempera – Free Painting Knife
• This is a cheaper set of 12 round brushes that are well reviewed! YOUSHARES 12 Pcs Art Paint Brush Set for Watercolor, Oil, Acrylic Paint/Craft, Nail, Face Painting

And there you have it!

Those are some trusty supplies for the learning process!! I’ll also being doing a tips and tricks guide for beginning artists in the weeks to come, so keep your eyes peeled if you fall in love with watercoloring and want to keep growing. If you have any specific questions about watercoloring, feel free to direct message me on Instagram (my handle is @whitlynweb and it’s also linked at the very bottom of the page) or reply to my “ask me a question about watercoloring” poll when I post it on my Instagram story on Thursday. Excited to art with you, buds!

All my love.