What Art Materials do I Need for Watercolour Painting?

Watercolours is one of the most popular art mediums for the paints are compact, clean to use and requires only water to make it flow. But with such an array of watercolour pigments and associated art materials, the hopeful watercolourist may wonder where to begin. When it comes to embarking a watercolour class, what are the most essential watercolour colours and brushes to buy?

Tips for Watercolour Painters

Firstly, avoid cheap watercolour paints of the sort to be found on the market. The pigments may have weak tinting strength or tend to become gritty or fade. Always invest in tried and tested watercolour brands that have passed the testament of time and artist evaluation. Briefly, Water colour paints comes in 3 forms: pans (pigments in a tablet form); these are good for compactness and the travelling artist. Tubes; these are popular with artists who wish to use large quantities of paint for washes over a larger area – small 37ml tubes will go a long way. Or watercolour pencils; ideal for obtaining sketchy effects, but which the pigment will run into washes if water is added.

Best Watercolour Paint Brands for Beginners

Winsor & Newton’s Cotman or Daler Rowney’s Aquafine ranges are ideal for the beginner as they offer value for money but retain high quality. Reeves can also be sampled. The more costly artist quality watercolour range has a larger range of pigments some of which are produced in the traditional way.

Essential Watercolour Colours to Buy

There are countless watercolour pigments to be found; the Winsor & Newton Artist range lists around 96 colours. However, the watercolourist does not need all these colours. Watercolours can often be found in sets, but which some colours are redundant. To obtain the best range, it might be best to purchase the colours individually, although this might work out a little more costly. Crucial pigments to include are: ultramarine, cerulean, pthalo blue, viridian, permanent rose, cadmium red, burnt sienna, burnt umber, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow (lemon, or ‘pale’). Additional colours might come in handy, such as: alizarin crimson, Naples yellow, Hooker’s green, violet and ivory black.

Can White be used with Watercolours?

The translucent nature of watercolour means that the potency of the wash will determine how pale the colour will appear, which could make white redundant. Similarly, highlights will be expressed by the absence of colour on the paper – masking fluid can be applied to the area concerned. However, some artists use Chinese white to make the colour appear paler but this can cause a milky appearance to the pigment. It is down to personal preference, but some artists combine gouache paint with watercolours to attain an opaque colour mix or add punch. Gouache, by the way is like watercolour, but the pigment is blended with chalk. White gouache might be a better choice than Chinese white if expressing solid highlights.

Choosing the Right Watercolour Paper

Care should be taken that thin paper is not used for watercolours, as these tend to buckle. This means that print paper or everyday cartridge paper would not be ideal. Proper watercolour paper comes in various thicknesses, denoted by ‘weight’. 300 gsm (or grams per square inch) is quite stiff. Again, watercolour paper can be found in various textures, such as ‘rough’ which as the word suggests, has a high texture. This sort of paper has been ‘cold pressed.’ ‘Not’ is medium-textured, and if smooth texture is required, ‘hot pressed’ paper would be ideal. Langdon, Bockingford and Cotman papers can be found in these ranges. Watercolour boards can also be used. Watercolour ‘blocks’ are watercolour pads where the papers within have been glued around the edges, dispensing with the need to stretch the paper.

What Watercolor Brushes to Use

Watercolor Materials

Don’t scrimp on brushes, for these are essential for exacting watercolour techniques. Brush Sizes 00, 1, 4, 6 will suffice for an array of detail; a 1 inch flat or fan brush is ideal for washes. Riggers, a long, thin brush is optional, but may come in useful for expressing tree branches, or indeed, rigging on ships. Don’t use stiff brushes designed for oils or acrylics or delicate washes will be hard to achieve.

Additional Art Materials for Watercolour Techniques

It is down to personal taste, but the following art materials may come in useful for the watercolour painter:

• A HB – 3B pencil, sharpener (or scalpel) and putty rubber. Avoid hard rubbers or pencils in the H range as these are harsh and may damage the paper.
• Masking fluid and an old brush for application.
• Backing board and bulldog clips on which to affix the watercolour paper.
• A ceramic palette with depressions on which to mix the watercolour paints. These can be purchased in art shops. An old ceramic saucer can be used.
• An old eye-dropper or pipette for feeding water in small amounts to the pigments.

If wishing to stretch the watercolour paper, gum tape will be needed.
An old tool box (cheaper than an art bin) with tiered compartments in which to keep the watercolour materials will make watercolour painting more portable. A portfolio with large plastic wallets will help keep artwork flat and clean.

Art Materials Needed for Watercolour Painting

The beginner watercolour painter need not spend lots of money on art materials. A mere 10 – 15 essential pigments will produce just about any colour needed; with brushes and paper, this lists all where quality is essential. The other equipment could be found in the home or in a DIY shop at a cut-price.

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