First, let me make it clear that I recommend buing either student or artist grade supply

We do not consider tools from shops with kids' stuff and cheap kits from AliExpress ❌

Every $1 saved on lessons and tools will cost you 10 hours of practice

An expensive tool does not mean a good tool. The choice of tools depends very much on the style of painting

For example, for academic painting you need some tools. For sketching, you need different tools

I can afford to buy any tools I want, but my entire set of tools and materials which I active use costs around $150

Below I will give recommendations of tools suitable for the techniques in the course 👇

😎 And now the details for those who want to boost professionalism

Form. Watercolor comes in 2 forms: tube and pans.. They are the same but paints in pans are more concentrated. If you're a newbie, pans would be easier to maintain and use. The expense of such paints is much less so they are more durable

Colors. The best number of colours in the palette is 12 to 20. If the budget is limited, it is better to choose fewer colors but higher quality. We need an average balanced palette. For simplicity, I would refer to such a palette with

A couple of yellow shades, a few reds, a few blues, green, orange, purple
+
Several "earth" shades: brick red, brown, black or sepia

Just buy the colors you like. If you get into watercolors, you can buy individual pans with interesting hues later on

Here are some examples of good palettes

Brands. So far, my favorite paint brand is Pinax Extra. Unfortunately, so far it is a local brand and is not available in USA or Europe

Other Brands. Mijello Mission Gold (It's been my to-go paints for a long time), Rosa, Cass Art, Winsor Newton, Paul Rubens, Faber Castell, Kuretake Gansai, Mungyo, Sennelier

Price. The above paints are in different price segments starting at $20 and up

Note. I don't recommend cheaping out on a watercolor set. If you don't want to pay time and frustration instead of money

Easy solution

1. Go to the online/artshop
2. Find soft synthetic round brushes (sable imitation). Recommended brands: Pinax, Daler Rowney Aquafine, Sennelier Raphael, Escoda perla 1430, Princetone Neptune, Princeton Aqua Elite, Winsor&Newton, Jackson, Artegria, Roubloff
3. Choose brushes in 3 sizes. Small (2-4), medium (5-7), large (8-10)

If these brushes are not available, find local brands

Note. A decent brush can't cost less than $2-3

Now for the details

Shape. I use a classic and versatile round shape of hair

Hair. ·There are natural, synthetic and mixed brushes. I prefer mainly quality synthetic brushes

Synthetic. ·In my mind, the best synthetic for watercolor is sable imitation. It has a soft pile but still pointed tip. It helps to create relaxed effotless sketches, beautiful strokes and washes

How to know the material? The brush handle does not always provide full information. Therefore, I advise you to read the full description under the product in the online shop or ask the shop assistant at the artstore

Brands. I really enjoy Daler Rowney, Sennelier and Pinax synthetic brushes. The rest of the brushes I have are from local brands

You can find other brands based on the above mentioned features: shape, size and pile

Prics. My most favorite brushes are in the $3 - $15 range. The bigger the brush, the more expensive it is. Brushes cheaper than $3 are rarely any good. I wouldn't recommend wasting money on them

Easy solution

1. Go to the online/artshop
2. Find cellulose watercolour paper that is 240 to 300 gsm Recommended brands: Canson Graduate, Montal or XL, Daler Rowney Aquafine, Winsor & Newtone, Bockingford, Paul Rubens sketchbook, Baohong, ETCHR, Palazzo

If you don't have these brands, get a few different Pads of local brands. Jsut make sure the paper pad costs at least $3 and looks good to you. Over time, you will find your brands

😎 Details for the future experts

Composition. There are 2 types of paper: cotton paper and pulp (cellulose) paper

There is a common idea that cotton paper is always preferable. I don't agree with this. For my technique, cotton paper works worse. Here is a little comparison of these 2 types

As part of the course, I suggest using pulp paper

How do I know what the paper is made of. Most often the composition is specified on the Paper Pad. If it is not mentioned - then it is cellulose paper

Weight. I strongly recommend sticking to paper that is over 117 lb or 250 gsm which is the same thing. Because it can hold more water and won’t soak through as easily as thinner paper

Texture. There are different paper textures

1. Smooth (hot pressed)
2. Slightly textured (cold pressed)
3. Rough (torchon)

It's a matter of individual preference. Personally, I don't like super textured paper. I don't like how much texture peeks through the drawing

Price. My favourite pulp paper costs $4.5 for 10 sheets of A4 (260 gsm). I don't recommend buying paper cheaper than $3

While you're a beginner, you shouldn't buy very expensive paper either. Not even to try it out. You shouldn't be afraid of ruining the sheets

Palette. You can use any non-absorbing surface: plastic, metallic, ceramic (you can use a dinner plate). It's not so critical. I myself use a white ceramic palette that has divisions in it. A flat white plate is a good alternative

Towl. This can be paper towel or a soft cotton cloth. I use old T-shirts and tablecloth torn into rags

Large glass.To work with watercolors, we'll of course need cool water. To avoid changing it too often, I suggest using either a large glass or a jar. So the water would remain pure for longer

Scrap paper. When painting, I always have a piece of watercolor paper on hand, on which I test the shade. For this purpose I take either cheap paper which is not suitable for illustrations or failed drawings which I do not want to store

🖌 Your assignment is to get prepared with these tools