The Only Watercolor Supplies You Actually Need

I put together a big studio giveaway for one lucky student and realized it was the perfect excuse to walk you through every supply I genuinely use and love (my favorite paints, paper, brushes, and helpful extras). This post is a fun tour of my essentials and a few “nice-to-have” luxuries, plus the why behind each pick so you can buy with confidence, avoid gimmicks, and get better results with less frustration.

You can watch the walkthrough here and find the clickable supply links below!

Quick note on my supply philosophy: you don’t need one of everything. A few high-quality supplies you’ll use for years will do far more for your painting than a jam-packed cart of random tools. Let’s jump in.

The Heart of Your Kit: Watercolor Paint

You can mix almost anything with just three primaries (a yellow, a pink/magenta, and a blue). That said, a few “convenience colors” save time and are great for beginners

My core color family (tube paints):

• Yellows & Orange

  • QoR Nickel Azo Yellow (primary yellow with gorgeous deep tone)

  • QoR Transparent Pyrrole Orange (clean, bright orange)

• Reds, Pinks & Purple

  • Daniel Smith Pyrrol Scarlet

  • Daniel Smith Quinacridone Rose (my go-to for mixing luminous purples)

  • QoR Permanent Alizarin Crimson (deep, cool red)

  • Quinacridone Magenta (primary magenta; a top workhorse)

  • Daniel Smith Imperial Purple (single-pigment purple)

• Blues & Greens

  • Daniel Smith French Ultramarine Blue

  • QoR Phthalo Blue Green Shade

  • QoR Hooker's Green (the QoR version is extra rich and dark)

  • QoR Sap Green

  • QoR Green Gold (punchy, vibrant pigment unique to the QoR brand)

• Neutrals

  • QoR Transparent Red Oxide 

  • Daniel Smith Burnt Umber 

  • QoR Payne's Gray

If you can only afford three high-quality tubes of paint, it should be these:

QOR Nickel Azo Yellow

QoR Quinacridone Magenta

QOR Phthalo Blue Green Shade

The Watercolor Palette I Actually Use

I love a simple, inexpensive plastic palette with:

• A watertight seal (great for travel and keeping mixes fresh)

• Removable mixing tray and plenty of wells. You can usually find this style around the $10–11 range. Here's my favorite: Mijello Airtight Watercolor 18-Well Palette

Pro tip: Put fresh tube paint into your palette wells from back to front, let it set up overnight, then use it re-wetted with water. A little paint goes a long way!

The Best Brush Brand Around

My everyday recommendation is the Princeton Heritage round line. They’re durable, hold a nice point, and don’t break the bank.

My most used sizes are 2, 4, 6 (I also keep tiny detail sizes and a couple of big rounds like 24 or 30)

Here are some brush tips for you:

• When a new brush arrives with a plastic sleeve, toss the sleeve. Putting it back can damage the bristles.

• New bristles often feel stiff from adhesive. Swish in water (or your rinse cup) and you’re good.

• What to look for in any round brush: a belly that holds water/paint, a tip that snaps to a sharp point, and a handle that feels comfortable.

Alex’s Favorite Brushes:

Princeton Heritage Watercolor Brushes in a variety of sizes ​

• Size 0, Size 2, Size 4, Size 6, Size 8

Inexpensive Brushes:

Princeton Velvetouch Brushes in a variety of sizes

• Size 4, Size 6, Size 8

Princeton Velvetouch Filbert Brush

This is a good set of brushes to get started as well

Expensive, highest-quality brushes:

Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brushes Set of 5

The Most Important Supply: Paper

If you only upgrade one thing, make it your paper. High-quality, 100% cotton watercolor paper will instantly make techniques like wet-into-wet, glazing, and soft blends easier and prettier.

• I use Arches 100% cotton, 140 lb Cold Press for most work.

• Cold Press vs Hot Press: Cold Press has a little texture and is more forgiving; Hot Press is very smooth and a bit fussier for beginners.

• Blocks are glued on all sides to reduce warping. Don’t panic when you see a black sheet on top, it’s a protective cover. Find the unglued gap, slip in a palette knife or old credit card, and lift the sheet cleanly.

• I also keep a 9×12 sketch pad with smooth paper for thumbnails, notes, and planning (perforated edges are a plus).

Shop my recommendations:

• Arches Watercolor Pad 9x12 inch Cold Press Paper

• Arches Watercolor Block 10x14 inch Cold Press Paper

Sketching, Inking, and Transfer Tools

Sometimes you’ll want to sketch on scrap paper first and transfer the drawing to your good cotton paper. Here are some of my favorites for that process:

• Thin LED Lightbox  

  • Place your sketch down, good paper on top, and trace. It’s fast, clean, and avoids over-erasing on your cotton paper.

• Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser

  • Gently lightens lines before painting without scuffing the surface. Roll it over your pencil lines rather than rubbing hard. Tip: erase in sections as you go so you don’t lose your guide.

• Blick Premiere Mechanical Pencil

• This is the best pencil sharpener

  • The Carl Angel-5 is a little extra, but it creates a beautifully sharp, centered point (I use it for graphite and colored pencils).

• Fine Line Water Resistant Pens: 

  • Micron

  • UniPin

A Handy Studio Extra I Love

• Paint Puck

  •  Soft silicone body for easy cleaning, gentle ridges for brush cleaning, and little “claws” to hold brushes upright while they drip-dry and keep their tip shape. Simple but surprisingly useful!

Learn With Me

I touched on a lot of foundational techniques in this supply deep dive! We talked about paper choice, loading a palette with tube paints, masking fluid, stretching paper, and more. If you want structured, gentle guidance and beautiful botanical projects to grow your skills, come paint with us in The Garden Studio, my watercolor membership!