What I Use: Watercolor Edition
Consider this a continuation
My first ever blog post (check it out here!) was all about what watercolor materials I recommend to beginners. It covered the basics (ie. paint, paper, brushes) for those who are just starting their journey with watercolor and also featured the Curated Watercolor Kit that I sell in my shop. The Curated Kit has a bunch of my favorite materials as well as tried and true artist-grade paints that are suitable for beginner and intermediate painters or anyone who wants to expand their supply collection! I use many of the Curated Kit materials in my paintings, they’re included because I love to use them!
If you are ready to try some artist-grade materials or are just curious about what I use for my paintings, then this is for you. At the end, I’ll also touch on what materials are worth the expense and which you can save on, in case you’re ballin on a budget!
I’ll be using a lot of art terms in this post! If anything is unfamiliar, I’d recommend checking out the Watercolor Materials for Beginners post (it includes lots of explanations) or just ask me in the comments below!
My GO-TO Watercolor Materials
Below you’ll find a short list of materials I use every day. Click on any of the photos to be taken to an online shop (Blick, Jackson’s, Amazon, etc.) where you can purchase them. Some of them are affiliate links so by shopping using the links below, you’ll also be helping me! ☻
1. Paper
I have tried a lot of different papers in my search for the right one. For the kind of realism painting that I like to do, I gravitate towards cold press, 100% cotton, bright white paper that’s at least 140lb/300gsm thick. I like a paper that doesn’t dry too fast, absorbs nicely, and can take a little bit of scrubbing/abuse when I make mistakes. The way that I paint (with a sheet taped down to a board), it doesn’t matter whether I buy pads or blocks so I’ll use either! The below two papers are my absolute favorite. I always keep a stock of both in a few sizes so that I never run out!
Click on the photos below to shop both papers!
Fabriano Artistico Extra White, 300gsm Cold Press Watercolor Paper
Readily available in many art supply stores, this paper is great and comes in blocks and pads of several sizes. This “Extra White” color is my favorite, it’s bright white but still warm (not a fluorescent/cool blue); the “Traditional White” color is also good, it’s a bit more creamy and more ivory.
These are readily available and are my number one choice!
Daler-Rowney The Langton Prestige, 300gsm NOT (the British term for Cold Press!) Watercolor Paper
This one’s a little harder to find in the US (though the first time I bought it, I was at an Artist & Craftsman Supply here in LA). It’s a soft, creamy white and paints like a dream. You can find it at Jackson’s Art, a UK-based company that ships internationally and sells all kinds of great supplies!
Hot Tip: Some independent art supply stores will sell mixed bags of their most popular / interesting watercolor papers. This is a great way to try a large variety without having to buy full pads! On my most recent trip to Wet Paint in St. Paul, MN, we picked up this sampler pack that was so much fun to play around with!
2. Paint
Like paper, I have explored a lot of different watercolor paints in a few different forms. I prefer to use tube watercolor paints because I find that they feel easier to rewet and seem like a better bang for my buck. I’ll highlight a few of my favorite brands below. To get into what my favorite shades are would triple the length of this blog post so I’ll save that for another day! Here are my two favorites:
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors
An absolute favorite of mine, Daniel Smith makes all of their colors in Seattle. They’re vibrant, innovative, and gorgeous, I got to take a trip to their store (which is connected to their factory!) and just spent the whole time fan-girling over everything.
They have some colors that you can’t find elsewhere, including paints made of ground up minerals and gemstones.
Holbein Artists’ Watercolor
Holbein (a Japanese company that I’m guessing is named after the Dutch artist?) makes some truly gorgeous bright colors. They’re easy to control (they have less dispersants than other major brands) and they harden well in the palette.
There are a few colors that Holbein just does better than others! I don’t know what it is but their vibrancy is awesome.
Hot Tip 1: Not sure what colors to buy? Before investing in tubes, I’d check to see if the brand you’re interested sells dot cards. They are exactly what they sound like - sheets of paper with labeled dots of usable watercolor paint. Often, it’s just enough for swatches and experiments. The one from Daniel Smith that I’ve linked here has 238 of their colors! I’ll circle my favorites and take it shopping with me in case I forget which shade I want to get.
Hot Tip 2: Many companies also sell tubes in a few sizes: 5ml, 14 or 15ml, some even sell jumbo tubes of 30ml or more. I get the 5ml tubes of colors I won’t use often (like a metallics) and get a 15ml tube for everything else. I probably wouldn’t recommend getting a 30ml tube unless you’re planning on sharing it, there’s a chance that the paint may dry before you end up using it all!
3. Brushes
If your brush collection is anything like mine, you may have a hodge podge of different brush shapes and brands. I’ll talk a little about my go-to brushes and why I love their shape/brand/bristles. There are lots of brushes I enjoy using that aren’t included in the list below. As always, feel free to put questions in the comments below!
Absolute Favorite ✶ Black Velvet Watercolor Brushes by Silver Brush
I got this travel set of round brushes as a gift and they are always the first I reach for (regardless of whether or not I’m traveling!) There’s a reason they have such a cult following. They hold a ton of water, they snap back gently and beautifully, they feel really good in your hand too.
I have some of the regular (not-travel) Black Velvet brushes too and I love them. This particular set is great because I use round brushes about 85% of the time when I’m painting, especially smaller sizes for those little details. These have been used non-stop for years and have only been bent out of shape once (a mishap with the cap!) and they were easy to bring back to a point. The price point is high but you get what you pay for, these are the best.
✶ Important to note: These are a blend of synthetic and squirrel hair so they do include animal products.
Tied for Second Place ✶ Perla Brushes by Escoda
Escoda has several lines of brushes. I’ve tried Perla, Versatil, and Primera and liked them all. I’m singling out Perla because I can attest to their longevity and because they have one unique shape in particular that I love: the Short Round. It’s a round brush but with much shorter bristles (as the name implies) - picture the brush shape like an upside down acorn! I use it all the time.
These brushes are work horses, they feel great in your hand and are super easy to control. They hold onto an insane amount of paint which is both its strength and its downfall. Even after a rinse in my water bowl, there’s often some residual color lingering in the bristles. This is one brush I have to properly wash with soap at the end of every paint session.
✶ Important to note: These are made of entirely synthetic bristles! I can’t attest as to whether or not they are fully vegan/cruelty free but they are animal hair-free.
Tied for Second ✶ Velvetouch 3950 Series Synthetic Brushes by Princeton
One of the incredible things about this line of brushes is the variety. As you can see in the photo above, they have ALL the brush shapes and sizes as well as short and long handle variations. Most of my specific or unusual brushes (fan, grainer, scrubbers, blenders) are all Princeton Velvetouch.
I’ve had some of these brushes bend out of shape over the years but not so much that they aren’t usable. While their lives might be a little shorter, these are great artist-level brushes at an affordable price. They are also technically usable for acrylic or oil paint but use them with other mediums at your own discretion. I find that my bristles splay out a lot quicker when a brush is used on anything other than watercolor.
✶ Important to note: These are made of entirely synthetic bristles! I can’t attest as to whether or not they are fully vegan/cruelty free but they are animal hair-free.
Hot Tip: Upgrading all your brushes? Buy a set! Most of the time, you’re getting a much better price per brush and you get the chance to explore shapes and sizes you otherwise might not have thought to try out!
4. Setting up my desk
These next few items aren’t necessarily unique, but they are integral to my studio set up. My preference is to paint with one sheet, taped down on all four edges, on a sturdy drawing board. That way, I can prop it up or move the painting as needed. My monster-sized palette from Shinhan (which is sadly no longer available) has 53 paint wells, enough to fit my whole collection and have a few open spaces. Also listed (but unlinked), are q-tips and paper towels - necessary for dabbing and blotting. I reuse mine as many times as possible to cut down on waste.
Spend vs. Save
If you’re cost conscious (like me!), then keep this order in mind:
Paper
Paint
Brushes
This list starts with the material most worth the expense to the least. I’d even recommend adding items to your cart in this order too! You could have the best brushes in the world but if you’re using them on mediocre paper, you won’t get the results you’re looking for. Don’t get me wrong, most of my favorite brushes are the more expensive ones (see above, hehe). But if you’re only going to upgrade to a few artist-grade materials, let paper be the first!
Was this helpful? What’s on your wishlist?
You might have noticed that I love to talk about art materials. Have you tried any of these? Do you have any favorites you’d like to share? I’d love to hear your thoughts and what you have your eye on. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
