There can be a lot of pressure when starting watercolour painting. Walk into any art shop or browse online and you’re quickly led to believe you need professional paints, sable brushes, expensive blocks of paper and a studio full of equipment before you can even begin.
You don’t.
In fact, I’ve always believed that simplicity is one of the greatest strengths in watercolour. You do not have to break the bank to start painting. A small collection of affordable, reliable materials is more than enough to create beautiful work.
Let me share exactly what I use.
Student Quality Watercolours
There is often a certain amount of snobbery in the art world around materials, particularly paint. While professional paints do have a higher pigment load, student quality watercolours today are excellent and perfectly capable of producing luminous, expressive paintings.
If you are learning, practising, or simply painting for enjoyment, student-grade paints are more than sufficient. They allow you to experiment freely without worrying about cost, and that freedom is incredibly important in developing confidence.
It’s far better to paint regularly with affordable materials than to hesitate because you feel you must save your “best” supplies.
Synthetic Watercolour Brushes
You absolutely do not need expensive sable brushes to paint well.
Modern synthetic watercolour brushes hold water beautifully, keep a good point, and are durable. They are also much more affordable. A small selection, perhaps a larger round for washes and a medium and smaller round for detail, is all you truly need.
Good technique matters far more than the price of the brush.
140lb NOT Surfaced Paper
Paper is important in watercolour, but it doesn’t have to be extravagant.
I use 140lb NOT surfaced paper. “NOT” simply means it has a slight texture, not too smooth and not too rough, which makes it wonderfully versatile for washes and detail alike.
Rather than using expensive watercolour blocks, I always stretch my paper. Stretching paper keeps it flat while you work and is far more economical in the long run. It’s a simple traditional method that works beautifully.
You don’t need to pay extra for convenience when a little preparation does the job perfectly well.
A Plastic Daisy Palette
My palette is nothing fancy, just a plastic flower (daisy) palette. It’s cheap, cheerful and completely practical.
You don’t need porcelain palettes or specialist mixing trays. What matters is having space to mix your colours comfortably. A simple plastic palette does that perfectly.
Jam Jars for Water
For water containers, I use ordinary jam jars.
They’re sturdy, easy to clean and cost nothing if you’re recycling. Again, this is about simplicity. There is no need for special equipment when everyday household items work just as well.
Keeping Watercolour Simple
One of the joys of watercolour is its accessibility. With a few affordable materials, student quality paints, synthetic brushes, 140lb NOT paper, a simple palette and a jar of water, you have everything required to begin.
The idea that you must invest heavily before you are “ready” to paint can hold people back. In truth, the most important investment is time spent practising.
Painting regularly with simple materials will always teach you more than owning expensive tools you’re hesitant to use.
Continue Learning
If you enjoy practical, down-to-earth advice like this, you can find more guidance on my YouTube channel in the playlist “Arty Tips”, where I share simple ideas and helpful reminders each month.
I also have step-by-step painting demonstrations in my Art Tutorial playlist, where you can follow along and put these materials into practice straight away.
https://www.youtube.com/@RuthClaytonArtist
Watercolour doesn’t need to be complicated. Keep it simple. Keep it affordable. And most importantly, keep painting.
To download my free pdf all about tricks and techniques in watercolour – click here. https://mailchi.mp/6d9c4d80b0ca/free-tricks-and-techniques
To download my free pdf all about colour mixing in watercolour – click here – https://mailchi.mp/03e4298db964/rqdu4ebi90free-colourwheel