Watercolor Materials

Watercolor Paper

Good Quality 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper

This is by far the most important material when starting to paint in watercolor. There are many different brands of watercolor papers but I recommend any one that is 100% cotton. Each brand comes in different weights and finishes and I suggest 140lb cold press. Most, if not all, watercolor paper manufacturers will have this type.

For beginners a 9×12 pad or block is ideal (maybe a little larger if your budget covers it). However, the cheapest way is to buy 22″x30″ sheets of paper and then tear it into smaller pieces. I routinely buy 22″x30″ sheets and tear them into quarters for my preferred size of 11″x15″. I also use both sides of the paper if I’m just experimenting with ideas and not painting something for sale.

Fabriano Artistico Enhanced Watercolor Block – Traditional White, Cold Press, 9″ x 12″ Fabriano Artistico Enhanced Watercolor Blocks have the same consistent, high-quality paper customers have come to know and love. They now also feature improved color lifting capabilities, increased surface resistance, and a vegan-friendly sizing! – Fabriano Artistico Enhanced Watercolor Block – Traditional White, Cold Press, 9″ x 12″

Arches cold press 140lb paper is a lovely paper to use for learning. Other good brands are Fabriano Artistico (my current favorite), Winsor and Newton, or Saunders Waterford.

Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper – 22″ x 30″, Extra White, Cold Press, Single Sheet, 140 lb This brilliant white sheet is made naturally without the use of optical brighteners. Each sheet is 22″ × “30 (559 mm × 762 mm). Sheets have two natural deckles and two cut edges. – Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper – 22″ x 30”, Extra White, Cold Press, Single Sheet, 140 lb

Note: The link above is to Blick’s where I do buy a lot of supplies. However sometimes there are good deals on Fabriano Artistico paper at Cheap Joe’s or Jerry’s Artarama (e.g. buy 3 get one free). Right now (June 2022) I can’t see anything worth pointing you to. When I do I will update.

Good quality paper is a must and will make the painting experience so much more enjoyable.

Student Watercolor Paper

Fabriano Studio Watercolor Fat Pad – 9″ x 12″, 60 Sheets Made from a blend of 25% cotton and lignin-free cellulose, the paper in the Fabriano Studio Watercolor Fat Pad is internally and externally sized. For beginning and advanced artists and fine art students, and a wide range of media. Tapebound. Holds 60 sheets of cold press, 140 lb (300 gsm) paper. – Fabriano Studio Watercolor Fat Pad – 9″ x 12″, 60 Sheets

Sometimes we will be doing practice exercises that don’t call for the best paper. I recommend the Fabriano ‘fat’ pad which contains 60 sheets of 9″x12″ 25% cotton paper. It’s a steal at less than $20 and one of these lasts me almost a year.

Watercolor Brushes

Pointed Round Brushes

The best watercolor brush always comes to a point and holds a lot of water/paint. These properties let us make long juicy brushstrokes but also let us use the point for detail and precision work. They’re very versatile and a good one should last for a couple of years.

However, you can take out a small mortgage for some watercolor brushes. The best ones are made from Kolinsky sable hair and are indeed a dream to use. I use Escoda Reserva pointed round sables which aren’t cheap but are definitely worth it. I use mostly a 10 or a 12 and you can do 90% of your painting with one of these.

Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable Brush – Pointed Round, Short Handle, Size 10 Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable Brushes are crafted using only the tail hairs from the male Kolinsky found in Siberia. Renowned for their springiness and capacity to retain liquids results in a brush that many artists consider to be the world’s best. Following a 75-year tradition, these exceptional brushes are crafted by hand to offer the finest points and sharpest edges available. Each is produced with a perfectly balanced, lacquered wood handle and a nickel-plated ferrule. – Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable Brush – Pointed Round, Short Handle, Size 10

Synthetic sable brushes have improved enormously in recent years. I’ve found the Escoda Versatil and the Princeton Aqua Elite brushes have a lot of the properties of the best sables but at a fraction of the price. If you’re new to watercolor and are not sure whether you’ll like it (and I can’t imagine why not!) try one of these to start with.

Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush – Travel Round, Size 10 Create wherever you are with Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Travel Brushes. Developed for watercolor painting, Aqua Elite features Princeton’s NextGen synthetic fibers. They look, perform, and last like natural Kolinsky at a more affordable price. – Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush – Travel Round, Size 10

Escoda Versatil Brush – Travel Round, Size 10, Short Handle The perfect synthetic alternative to Kolinsky sable, Escoda Versatil Travel Brushes were designed with portability as their main feature. These extremely versatile brushes offer the same exceptional performance as their Escoda Versatil counterparts, but come fitted with brass caps that protect their delicate filaments. When removed, the cap fits on the end, transforming the brush into a full watercolor size. – Escoda Versatil Brush – Travel Round, Size 10, Short Handle

(Note: These are links to travel rounds which come with a handle that doubles as a cover. They’re very similar in price to the ‘normal’ ones and I find they handle just the same. I actually prefer these as I can use them both in the studio and out and about )

A final alternative to a sable brush are the Silver Black Velvet brushes. These are made of squirrel hair and, although their bristles are somewhat floppier than sables, they hold a lot of water and point well. The bigger ones (14 and above) can also be used for washes.

Silver Brush Black Velvet Brush – Round, Size 10 A blend of natural squirrel hair and black synthetic filament combines to provide excellent carrying capacity with control, spring, and precise pointing. Black Velvet brushes are full bodied, with a wonderful snap. – Silver Brush Black Velvet Brush – Round, Size 10

Softening/Smoothing Brush (Optional)

Although you can paint perfectly well with a single brush sometimes it’s handy to have another one on the go for softening edges. Ideally it would be the same as your painting brush but a synthetic round is fine for this too. One of a similar size to your main painting brush is a good choice.