This post and video are from 2015, as I documented my initial forays into watercolor. This post has been updated as of 2021 with notes about what I have come to use, and opinions of some products discussed here originally.

I started in with watercolors last fall (2014), and have been trying to learn all I could from experimenting. This post contains content from my YouTube video here as well as technique basics videos created for Ellen Hutson.

This post is 3rd in a series of three, and is broken into:

1. Paints and papers
2. Brushes
3. Technique basics

Please understand that just buying good paper, the “right” brush, and quality paints — even these are not enough to transform you magically into an amazing painter. Good tools do go a long way, but you’ll still need to work at it and practice techniques. In this video, I’ll show you a few basics about the ways that *I* paint – you may or may not do things this way since there are many ways to skin a cat! Following later in this post are a myriad of quick technique videos that will give you more ideas too.

Quick tip techniques

Ellen Hutson asked for quick videos showing simple techniques to try; I recommend getting out some paper, a brush, and a color or two to play along and see if you can create any simple effects like these! Each is created on Arches Cold Press with a Silver Black Velvet #8 round brush.

https://youtu.be/ltIz0arDKeghttps://youtu.be/ltIz0arDKeg

Supplies

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• Recommended paper:
  • Arches Pads
  • Arches Blocks
  • Arches Bright White Sheets
  • Arches Natural White Sheets
  • Saunders Waterford Blocks
  • Saunders Waterford Sheets
• Daniel Smith Tube Watercolors EH BLICK
• Palette:Schmincke Metal Palette EH – BLICK
• Half pans EH – BLICK
• Spray bottle
• White artist tape, 3/4”
• Synthetic blend watercolor brushes for crafters:
  • Silver Brush Black Velvet Round #8 EH – BLICK – AMZ
  • Silver Brush Black Velvet Round #12 EH – BLICK – AMZ
  • Mottler Flat Wash, DaVinci
• Natural hair watercolor brushes:
  • Winsor Newton Kolinsky Sable Series 7 Round #10
  • Winsor Newton Kolinsky Sable Series 7 Round #8
  • Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky Sable Round 14
  • Da Vinci Series 17 Maestro Long Needle, Size 9