There are so many options for art supplies out there, and so many different qualities in each of the supplies. Today I thought I’d share with you my favorites and why. Some of these are higher dollar items, so I’ll also share some of the supplies I use that aren’t quite as expensive, as well as what to avoid in each category.

Paper

Paper is the most important piece of the watercolor puzzle. There are a ton of cheap watercolor papers out there, and in my opinion, they are cheap for a reason. If you can’t afford fancy brushes or paint, and you want to still be as successful as possible, the investment should be made into the paper.

The paper should be 100% cotton. Cotton paper works best fore several reasons:

• It wets more evenly and stays wet more evenly than other types of paper
• The paint spreads better and actually stains the fibers rather than just sitting on the top
• The surface can handle many layers of paint
• The surface of the paper handles scrubbing and wiping without messing up the paper
• Paint doesn’t lift as easily, so layers stay put.

My favorite paper is the Arches brand paper. It’s 100% cotton and come in really long rolls, large sheets, pads, notebooks, and blocks. But, there are a number of other companies that make fantastic paper. Some other brands are: Fabriano, Strathmore, Arteza, and Canson.

One thing to watch for, most of these other companies also make a student grade paper that is not 100% cotton. If it’s really inexpensive, it’s probably not what you’re looking for. When I started, it was hard to find good paper, except online, and only a couple of big brands like Arches. I think watercolor is becoming popular enough now, that there are a lot of companies making journal type notebooks in 100% cotton paper. So when ordering, just make sure it’s 100% cotton.

Paper type is also a consideration. There’s hot press, cold press, and rough press paper. Cold press is the most common, and the one I use most often. It allows for granulation of the paint which adds interest. It also works well with different techniques like dry brushing. Rough press has the most aggressive texture. Rough press and cold press are best for landscapes, animals, nature, and cold press can be used for any subject. Hot press is better for portraits, botanicals, anything that needs really fine lines, and very little texture.

Paint

I have painted some pretty impressive pictures with the $0.99 watercolors that you buy for school. I have also painted some pretty bad pictures with really expensive paint. The differences between paints brands and grades is vast, along with the price.

Student Grade Paint

Student grade paints are really inexpensive, from the $0.99 grocery store paints to the kits people often buy for kids for birthday’s and Christmas. Student grade paints have the lowest on the lightfastness scale. Meaning, they will fade very quickly. They have less pigment than higher quality paint. Yes, you can get a nice picture from these paints, but I wouldn’t recommend hanging it on your wall. I wouldn’t recommend student grade paints if you’re serious about learning watercolor.

Mid-Grade Paint

There are quite a few companies that produce a nice midgrade paint. Windsor and Newton Cotman paint is a mid-grade paint and the one that I use in my classes. Mid-grade paints have a higher lightfastness, but don’t always have the highest quality pigment. These paintings could be hung on the wall for a while, but they will fade, some colors fading faster than others. These are a great option if you’re just starting out as they are pretty good quality, and work well with cotton paper.

Professional Paint

This is the highest quality, and thus the most expensive. Windsor and Newton makes great professional paint, Daniel Smith is fantastic as well. There are quite a number of companies that do. These paints tend to have the highest lightfastness rating, although that still varies from color to color even in these paints. You’ll find the tubes of paint get more expensive and smaller, while the pans just get more expensive. They have quite a variety of colors and are just really nice to paint with.

The mid-grade and professional paints are the paintings you’d want to hang on the wall. If you keep them out of direct sunlight, they will last many years.

Brushes

This is where you can really save money or spend a ton of money. Brushes, I’ve found, are the least finicky part of watercolor painting. I have brush sets that I bought at the grocery store that work well, and I have purchased some pretty expensive natural bristle brushes that I hated.

The really inexpensive brushes will have bristles that fall out long before an expensive brush, but how many cheap ones can you buy and use before it would have paid for an expensive one….

Synthetic bristled brushes have a lot of snap to them. When pressed down and then lifted again, they will go back to a point, or close to it. They don’t hold as much water and so they’ll need to be reloaded more frequently. Natural bristled brushes have very little snap and will stay flopped over when pressed down and lifted. The bristles will stay splayed out more easily, and they hold a lot more water than the synthetic ones do.

There is a time and place for each. I prefer a combination. My favorite brush is called Silver Black Velvet. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, so there are many options. The reason I like these the best is because they hold a lot of paint/water, but they also have quite a bit of snap back. They are high quality so they don’t loose bristles very quickly, and the point of the round brushes is very good. I can use a larger brush and still get fine details because it comes to such a good point.

I prefer round brushes for the most part, but there are all sorts of different brush configurations – round, flat, fan, cat tongues, mop, etc. You have to decided which you like best.

My Favorites:

Paper – Arches, but in art journals, I have a variety of great notebooks from many companies. Always 100% cotton.

Paint – Windsor and Newton followed by Daniel Smith. Windsor and Newton being the less expensive, but still high quality.

Brushes – Silver Black Velvet. I like the round brushes. The sizes I use most are 12, 8, 6, 4.

I hope this helps you get on your way with your own watercolor journey!

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