(^1) Paint
Watercolour paint comes in
tubes or ‘pans’ (small blocks that
you slot into a paintbox). The
tube paints are more convenient
as they’re ready to use and
there’s very little waste, whereas
pans can dry up. Both sorts of
paint are available in artists’ and
students’ quality. Artists’ paints
are more expensive but give
better results as they contain
more pigment so the colours are
deeper and more transparent. If
you’re starting out, don’t splash
out on a huge range of colours
- just select a few and then
mix your own shades from the
colours you have.
(^2) Brushes
It’s worth spending a bit of
money on brushes, as cheap
ones won’t last and might
even spoil your work with stray
bristles. Whether you go for
synthetic or natural bristles,
you’ll need a variety of sizes and
types of brush. It‘s worth starting
with a 1in (25mm) flat brush for
your background washes, and a
small selection of round brushes
from number 4 to number 14.
Remember that large round
brushes can be tapered to a
small point for detailed work.
A rigger is useful for fine lines.
You might find you want several
brushes of each type or size to
save rinsing between different
colours. Keep your old brushes,
too, as they’re useful
for applying masking
fluid (see opposite).
Look after your
brushes by cleaning them
thoroughly with mild soap and
cold water after each session,
and carry them in a tube or roll if
you’re painting outdoors.
(^3) Paper
There are three types of
watercolour paper: smooth (also
known as hot pressed or HP), not
(also called cold pressed or CP)
and rough. Hot pressed paper is
the smoothest of the three and
is good for very detailed work
but can be quite unforgiving
Watercolour Painting
You don’t need much kit to get started with watercolour, but
it’s worth buying the best quality you can afford...
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Essentials