Top Watercolor Supplies for Beginners

A few years ago I wanted to learn about watercolor illustration, but I was quickly overwhelmed with everything out there. I didn’t quite know where to start and quickly went down the rabbit whole of different blogs, tutorials, books, etc. It can be a lot to weed through, especially if you’re just starting out and don’t necessarily want to buy all of the supplies.

I wanted to offer you my input and cut out the need for any more research, because the quicker you get started, the quicker you begin to have some fun.

Basic Supplies: pencil, pen (waterproof if you plan on using watercolors), basic watercolors (you can make a ton of colors with just the 3 basic colors of red, yellow, & blue). watercolor paper or notebook, brushes, and an eraser. I’ve included links to some of my favorite supplies that can be found on Amazon. I don’t have professional art supply stores where I live, so I often order online either on Amazon or Blick Art Supply .

The supplies linked below are ones I continue to use today. I’ll give you a brief overview of them.

Paint: I began with a small palette of Winsor & Newton watercolors and then slowly added to my collection. I have Payne’s Grey linked because it only let me pick one color, but you can choose a few different colors, depending on what you may be painting. Keep in mind, watercolors last a long time, so even though the 5ml tube looks super tiny, it will last you quite a while. The Sakura Travel Paint kit is awesome and I still have mine, it’s a great option to begin with that will give you a variety of colors to choose from.

Pens/pencils: My favorite pens that I continue to use and restock on are the Micron pens in various sizes. The don’t bleed when you add water to them so they’re perfect for illustrating. I confess that I have lots of pencils because every one of them is different…but some that are my favorite are the Staedtler Lumograph Graphite pencils and Kimberly General Pencil

Once you get some supplies, my number one recommendation is to try out Skillshare! Skllshare offers classes on literally anything, but I recommend them for illustration and watercolor painting classes. Some of my favorite artists to help get you started on there are Dylan M, Peggy Dean, Ohn Mar Win, and Tom Froese. All great places to start, or take a look for yourself and you may find a teacher who speaks more to your style of learning. I’ve taken classes on illustration, bookkeeping, digital illustration on the ipad, figure drawing, just to name a few.

And lastly, just start!! Get that journal out or the paper and start making marks. It’s the only way to learn!!

Don’t hesitate to leave any questions you have and let me know if this helps you get started on your art journey.

Cheers,

Ella

*Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links and I will earn a small commission if you purchase through those links (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support in this way.