General Class Supplies

An important note - you do not need to go out and purchase all these new supplies (unless, of course, you were hoping for an excuse and then by all means)!  This supply list is for your reference and to make things a bit easier. Most of the time you can make do with what you have or swap out one brand for another, although it is always fun to experiment and play with different materials.

 

Often it's easy to think that if we just had the right this or that, then our work would progress. The most important thing is showing up to the practice of creating. The odd supply might be essential for one lesson here or there but if you have a general supply of basics you should be fine- improvise & experiment like the artist that you are! I will include both "professional" and "student" supplies (more about that below) here because I understand that the cost difference is significant, and those who are just trying out watercolor may not want to invest in more expensive materials just yet. 

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*Often you will see watercolor supplies either labeled as "professional/artist grade" or "student grade."  Personally I disagree with these misnomers, as I think they lead beginners and students to purchase inferior quality materials that will only lead to frustration and cause some to give up prematurely.  Beginners deserve to learn with good quality materials as much as (and perhaps even more than) everyone else.  Especially with watercolor, the quality of your materials matters greatly.  Unfortunately, the price of good supplies is much higher than that of lower quality supplies, and there really isn't much of a middle ground at this time.  It's a catch-22, because if you're just trying out this medium you really don't want to invest a lot of money until you know if you're going to like it... but chances are you won't like it if you're struggling with your materials all the time.  The price of student grade supplies may be lower, but they come at a cost - cheaper materials tend to be much harder to work with and give poorer results.  However, I have tried to include some "student grade" materials that I think are pretty decent quality for anyone who is just trying out watercolor and isn't sure they are going to stick with it.  I do recommend that as soon as you decide you enjoy this medium, that you invest in some "artist grade/professional" supplies as soon as possible.  Paper is the first thing to invest in.  Then paint, and finally brushes.