Are you an expert watercolour artist or a newbie looking to get some supplies? Whichever group you belong to, several supplies are crucial to having a successful painting experience. Although you may not use them all in a single painting, you must have them in stock. Listed below are essential watercolour supplies for beginners.
Brushes
The type of watercolour brush used is also based on personal preference. Some artists prefer one brand over another.
Once you start your painting journey, you’ll discover that different watercolour brushes give different painting results that can be used for desired applications.
Generally, most artists are comfortable with softer bristles. Sable and goat hair brushes are soft brushes that are also widely used. For more control, while painting, the Sable brushes are a great option ahead of the goat hair brush because of the extra spring it possesses.
The soft nylon brush is another excellent brush option. It allows artists to have more control when drawing strokes. Artists mostly avoid stiffer hairs. In some cases, they are adopted for making distinct textural effects.
Watercolour Paper
Just as your watercolour paints and brushes are important, so is the surface you will paint on. Watercolour paper is absorbent, and it allows you to apply different washes without severe buckling.
You should note that watercolour paper comes in different forms, and these forms are classified based on the weight and manufacturing process. The three primary forms are the cold press, hot press, and rough.
The cold press is the most common, and they are named cold presses because they are rolled on cold cylinders during production, giving rise to an irregular dimple patterned paper.
On the other hand, hot press watercolour paper has a smooth texture and is rolled over hot cylinders during production. Unlike the cold and hot press, the rough papers are not rolled. Instead, they are either hard-pressed or not pressed at all, giving rise to a paper with a texture of irregular patterns.
Masking Fluid
Masking fluid is an essential supply in watercolour painting. It is a latex-based fluid used to preserve areas you don’t want watercolour paints to get to or an area you have initially applied colors to.
You should note that even though masking fluid is an excellent option for controlling color layering. It can be detrimental. It can destroy brushes. Thus, it is often advised that when applying masking fluid, you should use old brushes or something rigid like a toothpick.
After the fluid must have served its purpose, it can be easily removed by rubbing your finger to reveal the preserved area.
Kneaded Eraser
Kneaded erasers are useful for graphite applications that are too strong or can still be seen after painting. These erasers are soft and pliable and do not affect the tooth of the paper when employed.
Graphite Pencil
Some artists love painting directly on their watercolour paint paper, and some prefer to sketch what they intend to achieve before proceeding with their painting. For those that prefer sketching, the go-to sketching tool is a graphite pencil. While some rely on graphite pencils just for sketching, others allow the pencil to make a statement on their final painting piece. The two approaches are nice. It’s just a reflection of the type of artist you are.
Palette
If you are opting for tube watercolour paints, then it’s always nice to get a palette so that you can easily mix your paints. There are different palettes, some are disposable, and some are plastic in nature. The disposable ones tend to be wasteful in nature because you can reactivate dried watercolour with water. So, it’s not wise to use disposable palettes.
A good option is a plastic pallet that can be sealed. Sealed pallets tend to keep the paint wet longer than expected. However, it is not always necessary with watercolour paints. With plastic palettes, you can easily remove your paint after they must have dried up.
Watercolour Pencil
Watercolour pencils can be classified as a medium on their own since they differ from the normal application of watercolour. Ways in which watercolour pencils are applied are;
- Apply to a dry surface and activate using water.
- Apply to moistened area
- Wetting of the pencil tip before application. This can be done either by dipping the pencil in water before use or by using a wet brush to apply water to the pencil.
- Using a brush to pull off color from the tip of the pencils, after which the brush is used for painting.
It is important to note that not all watercolour artists use watercolour pencils, but these pencils are a good form of watercolour that is fun and offers a great sense of control.
Watercolour Paint
As a beginner, an essential material must be part of your supplier in the watercolour paint because it is the basis of your painting journey. You must buy watercolour paint. Although the brand and the type to opt for depends on your choice.
While considering to buy watercolour paint. You should know that there are low quality and high-quality brands. This you can know via the price. Usually, low-quality brands are sold for lower prices. It is best to avoid this because the quality of paint impacts the quality of the painting.
You will only subject yourself to frustration by using low-quality paint. You should stick with high-quality paint if you want your watercolour painting to come out great.
Sea Sponges
Sea sponges are absorbent and have a distinct surface texture. Its unique surface texture makes it an excellent option for creating textured applications. You can dip sea sponges into the watercolour paint set and use it directly on your painting board. By doing this, you are transferring the physical texture of the sea sponge to your painting surface. Due to the uniqueness of sea sponges, many artists have a good stock in their painting space.
When preparing to begin a watercolour journey, it is essential to note that you are not only going to get a watercolour paint set, but you’ll also be buying other painting materials that will make your painting experience easy and worthwhile.
