What You Actually Need to Get Started with Watercolour

Art supply shops are full of things that look essential. Most of them aren't. Here is what I'd actually put in a beginner's kit — and what I'd leave on the shelf for now.

Paints

I use Winsor & Newton watercolours, which are professional quality and widely available. For students, the Cotman range (also by Winsor & Newton) is a perfectly good starting point at a lower price. Avoid very cheap sets from non-art suppliers — they tend to be more dye than pigment and the colours are weak.

Start with a small selection: a warm and cool version of each primary colour plus a neutral like raw umber or Payne's grey. You'll mix far more than you'll squeeze from tubes.

Brushes

You need fewer brushes than you think. A large round (size 10–12) for washes, a medium round (size 6–8) for general work, and a small round (size 2–4) for detail. That's it. Good quality sable brushes hold more water and come to a finer point, but a decent synthetic will serve you well while you're starting out.

Paper

250–300g cold press watercolour paper. Fabriano, Arches, Bockingford — all good. I use Fabriano for workshops because it's consistent and forgiving. Avoid sketch paper, cartridge paper, or anything that isn't specifically made for watercolour.

Palettes and other bits

A ceramic or plastic palette with wells for mixing. Two jars of water (one for rinsing, one clean for mixing). Masking tape to secure your paper to a board if it's not a block. Kitchen roll or a cloth for controlling moisture on your brush.

That's genuinely all you need. Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can start exploring other colours, mediums, and papers — but don't let the kit get ahead of the practice.