How to Set Up a Watercolor Painting Set

Before you start watercolor painting, you will need some basic art materials. You can add different brushes, colors and paper as you gain experience. As a beginner, you don't need to buy a whole range of expensive art materials. Here are a few things you'll need to set up a basic watercolor painting set.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Assemble basic watercolors, which come in tubes or pans. Pans are best for the beginner. Choose Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ocher, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Red, French Ultramarine, Hooker's Green Dark, and Ceruleum Blue for a set of colors for a beginner.

2. Buy sable hair brushes or good synthetic brushes or synthetic-sable mix brushes. To start have a No. 10, No. 6 and a No. 2 brush. Additional paint brushes for beginners to add later would be No. 8, No. 14 and No. 20.

3. Select a good grade of watercolor paper. Choose 140 lb. cold press. Don't buy anything larger than a 10-by-15 inch pad for your watercolor painting set.

4. Gather other watercolor painting equipment such as a 2B pencil for sketching, a kneadable eraser, a craft knife, two water containers and a separate mixing palette. Also have paper towels, sponges and rags. A good watercolor technique book would be valuable to learn some basic principles for a beginner.

5. Choose something to store your watercolor painting supplies and other equipment in to keep everything neat and organized.