Welcome to the fascinating world of watercolour painting! If you feel that watercolour painting is calling you, but need help figuring out where to start, then this post is for you. In this guide, we’ll focus on the essential supplies you’ll need to help you assemble your perfect watercolour kit to make painting smooth and enjoyable.
Watercolour is a paint where pigment is mixed with a water-soluble binder. It’s known for its translucency, fluidity and ability to create a wide range of effects, from soft colour markings to vibrant, sharp detail. Watercolour requires a different approach and technique compared to more opaque and harder-to-reactivate paints such as acrylic, oil and gouache. Watercolour’s ability to create smooth transitions, soft edges and vibrant washes sets it apart from others, making it the preferred medium for many artists who appreciate these qualities.
Key tools for watercolour painting
Watercolours
Let’s start with the most important thing – the paints. Watercolour paints come in two basic forms: tubes and pans, both with their advantages. Tubes contain wet paint that can be squeezed directly onto the palette. Tube paints come in handy when you need to cover a large area and mix a large amount of paint for this purpose. Pans, on the other hand, are dry “cakes” of paint that are handy to place in a watercolour box. Pans are more transport-friendly, allowing you to use your entire palette instantly.
For beginners, it’s a good idea to start with a watercolour set with pans. Sets make it easy to choose colours. Even the smallest box of watercolour paints comes with basic shades, as well as a few more commonly used add-ons, allowing you to mix together an almost endless variety of new shades.
Colours are available in a range of sets for beginners and professionals alike. For a beginner, the Raphael Campus watercolour set or the Winsor&Newton Cotman watercolours are perfect. The Winsor&Newton Cotman watercolours – named after John Sell Cotman, one of the pioneers of the English watercolour school – are the most widely used watercolours in the world by hobbyists and some professionals.
Brushes
Watercolour brushes are available in both natural and synthetic hair. Squirrel and sable hairs are the most commonly used in watercolour brushes, as their softness and natural state retains water and paint well, allowing a large area of paper to be covered with a single stroke.
However, for the beginner watercolourist, a synthetic brush is easier to use. When choosing a synthetic watercolour brush, attention should be paid to the softness of the bristles. Synthetic brushes with softer bristles hold more water and paint, which bring forward the signature watercolour effects.
While the weakness of synthetic brushes is that they generally don’t hold water as well as natural hair brushes, Raphael offers the Soft Aqua watercolour brush range. The special wavy synthetic hairs of the Soft Aqua brushes hold plenty of colour and mimic the squirrel-hair brush loved by watercolourists.
The most versatile and most used brushes in watercolour painting are round brushes, available in a wide range of sizes, which can paint both broad and fine lines with a single stroke. To get started, you only need one or two brushes of different sizes. For painting backgrounds, a flat watercolour brush can be used, making it particularly easy to cover large areas. The Raphael Campus Student Watercolour Brush Set includes three synthetic brushes (2 round and 1 flat) to meet all the needs of a beginner watercolour artist.
PS! To ensure a long life, the brush must be properly cleaned after painting. To do this, use Raphael’s special brush cleaning soap, which will not only clean but also condition the hairs of the brush. Preferably dry the brushes with the hair hanging downwards or, if this is not possible, placed horizontally on a surface. In this way, the brush will not be damaged by water while drying.
Watercolour paper
Watercolour can’t be done on just any paper, and since watercolour painting uses quite a lot of water, it’s a good idea to use paper that can take it all.
What distinguishes watercolour paper from other papers is how it handles water. Watercolour paper holds water without rippling or breaking down. The fibres of the paper are interwoven so that the water stays on the surface of the paper longer, allowing artists to make fluid brush strokes.
Watercolour paper is generally heavier in grammage to withstand the application of water. The higher the grammage of the paper, the less likely it is to ripple. A good starting point is 300 gsm, but thinner papers are also available, as well as thicker ones.
High quality watercolour paper is made from 100% cotton and is more durable than paper made from cellulose. Cotton fibres in cotton paper bond more deeply with each other, creating a strong and durable surface. Cellulose paper, on the other hand, is cheaper and more accessible for the beginner artist.
Watercolour paper comes in a variety of textures. Three of the most popular and widely used are hot-pressed (smooth), cold-pressed (medium texture) and rough. Cold-pressed paper is the most popular choice for beginners because of its versatility. Hot-pressed paper, on the other hand, is preferred by artists who need to highlight smaller details.
The most popular way to purchase watercolour paper is in pads or as single sheets. Pads are available bound as sketchbooks, glued on one side or glued on all sides. The latter option prevents the paper from rippling during painting.
For beginners in watercolour painting, we recommend Canson XL watercolour paper pads or Canson Montval watercolour paper, available in different-sized pads or as individual large sheets.
Palette
Watercolour palettes can be plastic, ceramic or metal. Plastic palettes are lightweight and affordable, while ceramic palettes are easier to clean and less likely to stain.
Choose a palette with multiple wells for mixing and space for larger washes. Many watercolour sets have a built-in palette.
Water container
It is recommended to use two water containers for watercolour painting. One is for rinsing the paintbrush, and the other is for mixing the paint with clean water.
PS! Never leave the paintbrush in the water container. This will damage the brush head and shorten the life of the brush.
Other essential tools
While watercolour painting can be done successfully with just paint, water and a brush, the following tools can help you take your work to the next level.
- A good-quality graphite pencil (HB or 2B) for sketching and a soft kneadable eraser for delicate corrections are almost indispensable.
- A paper tape can be used to hold the paper in place and create nice clean edges. We recommend using a Tesa masking tape or MT washi tape.
- Masking fluid helps to preserve white areas of the paper by preventing the paint from sticking. Good to use for creating detail.
- A water brush is a synthetic hair brush with a water-filled cartridge in the handle. When the cartridge is squeezed gently, water begins to seep out from between the hairs. This makes the water brush a great companion for travelling artists, as there is no need for a water bottle when using the water brush.
- Paper towels are useful for wiping brushes, soaking up excess water and removing paint.
Summary
Equipped with the right materials, you’re on your way to discovering the enchanting art of watercolour painting. Start with these essentials, and as you become more confident and adventurous, you can expand your toolkit with more specific accessories. Remember, the joy of watercolour lies in its unpredictability and endless possibilities. Happy painting!