Getting Started with Watercolour

July 13, 2026

The Essentials for Getting Started with Watercolour

Transparent, luminous, and full of spontaneity, watercolour appeals to both beginners and experienced artists alike. Known for its subtle gradients and delicate effects, it adapts beautifully to a wide range of styles, including landscapes, botanical illustration, travel journals, abstract art, and floral painting.

Only a few essentials are needed to get started, but choosing the right supplies can make the learning process even more enjoyable.

Here are the basics to help you begin with confidence.

1- Choosing Your Watercolour Paint

Before you begin, it helps to understand the different formats and quality levels available so you can choose the paint that best suits your creative process.
Watercolour paint is available in two main formats:

Pans: Compact and easy to carry, they are ideal for travel journals and plein air painting.

Tubes: More concentrated, they make it easy to prepare larger quantities of colour and customize your palette.

For beginners, student-grade ranges offer an excellent balance between quality and affordability.

Discover: DeSerres, Van Gogh, and Winsor & Newton Cotman.

Professional-grade paints stand out for their higher pigment concentration and excellent lightfastness.

Discover: Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton Professional, ShinHan, Holbein, and Sennelier.

2- Essential Colours to Have

There is no need to own dozens of colours when starting out. A thoughtfully selected palette already offers countless mixing possibilities.

To begin, choose a few versatile shades: a primary yellow and a yellow ochre, a warm red and a cool red, a warm blue and a cool blue, along with earth tones such as Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber. A green and Payne’s Grey are also excellent additions.

With just these colours, you can create a wide range of hues while gradually learning the fundamentals of colour mixing.

Watercolour sets are often an excellent way to start, as they provide a balanced selection of colours in a convenient and easy-to-use format.

3- Choosing Your Brushes

In watercolour painting, the brush directly influences how much water is applied to the paper and the effects you can achieve. Synthetic brushes are often recommended for beginners because they are durable, easy to maintain, and provide excellent control, while natural-hair brushes retain more water for smoother washes.

A few brush shapes are enough to get started:

Round Brush : The most versatile option for details, fine lines, and washes. Its pointed tip allows for a wide variety of marks depending on the pressure applied.

Flat Brush: Ideal for broad washes, backgrounds, and more geometric shapes.

Wash Brush: Perfect for quickly covering large areas or creating even backgrounds.

Discover brushes from DeSerres, Princeton, Winsor & Newton Cotman, Royal-Langnickel, and Raphaël.

4- Watercolour Paper

When choosing watercolour paper, consider its weight, composition, and surface texture. The most common weight is 300 gsm, which absorbs water effectively while helping to minimize warping.

Cellulose paper is an accessible option for learning, while cotton paper offers superior absorption and smoother colour transitions. Acid-free paper is also recommended to help preserve finished artwork over time.

Cold Press Paper: The most versatile option and often recommended for beginners. Features a smooth to lightly textured surface.

Hot Press Paper: Ideal for detailed work and illustration. Features a smooth surface.

Rough Paper: Provides a more pronounced texture and expressive effects. Features a textured surface.

Watercolour paper is available in pads, blocks, sheets, and rolls. Blocks, which are glued on all sides, help reduce warping while painting.

Popular brands include Clairefontaine, Arches, Fabriano, Canson, and Strathmore.

5. Useful Accessories

A palette is essential, especially when using tube watercolours, as it allows you to prepare and mix colours. Whether plastic or ceramic, with or without a lid, it can be adapted to your preferred way of working. Dried paint can easily be reactivated with a few drops of water.

Mediums such as masking fluid can also be used to explore a variety of effects.

Graphite pencils are useful for creating preliminary sketches before painting. Painter’s tape can be used to secure paper to a board and help limit warping during the painting process.

Water containers are indispensable - ideally two: one for rinsing brushes and another for keeping clean water available for mixing colours. Cloths or paper towels help control brush moisture and adjust effects while painting.

6- Start Painting

Before beginning your first project, create a colour swatch chart to observe how colours behave with different amounts of water. Instructional books and practice workbooks are also excellent resources for exploring fundamental techniques and building confidence.