Watercolor Tools for Beginners


Since graduating college a few weeks ago, I have had more free time than I am used to. In order to make the most of this time, I have been leaning into my passions. Really taking time to nurture what I love; like writing, my blog, as well as watercolor painting. Watercolor painting is wonderful. It is truly a soothing activity that is very forgiving, unlike other forms of art. Somehow the paint always lands where it needs to creating a perfectly imperfect piece. Now I for one am not an expert. I have only been watercolor painting off and on over the last year! However, I want to share some of my favorite items to get you started in case you're looking to pick up a new hobby! 

These brushes are brilliant! Rather than dipping a brush into a cup of dingy paint-filled water, you can simply squeeze the brush and water will dampen the bristles or add droplets to the paint. This is perfect for beginners looking to understand how much water to use and when. This is still my primary brush set!

Palette | As a beginner, I would recommend starting with a palette of paints. This was my first one, and is still one I use frequently. The colors overall are soft, buildable, and easy to work with. While having the primary colors when painting is important, this palette is a fun pick with all of the pretty pastels it offers!

Advanced | Recently, I decided to dabble with a proper watercolor paint set. I went with this set from Reeves and am very happy with it. The painting to the right is a piece I did with this set. Since the range of colors are more basic, mixing is required to get lighter pastel shades; however the vibrancy and pigment of these paints is gorgeous. I look forward to using this set more!

Lastly, paper is an important key to the final product. I use Strathmore for my paper because I find the quality is solid for the price. This linked item is a watercolor block meaning the pages are glued together on the edges. An X-Acto knife is needed to remove an individual piece using the non-glued gap at the top and gliding the knife around the block. While that may sound strange, what's great about the block is that no taping to a table is required when painting as this book is sturdy and the pages don't curl. 

Happy painting! 

Sincerely,

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