Everything you need to know about Watercolor Painting Materials

Watercolor painting materials you will need are watercolor paints, paper, brushes and a plastic palette. Extra materials such as tape and paper towel will also come in handy.

Watercolor Paper

Watercolor paper is thick, absorbent and textured. A heavier weighted paper is a better quality of watercolor paper. It protects the artwork and allows for painting with water. The paper is usually labeled for the use of watercolor painting and is easy to find in any art supply store.

 Heavy paper is the only painting surface for watercolor paints. Painting on thin paper will result in bubbles and rips.

Watercolor Brushes

Watercolor brushes are traditionally made from natural fibers. They have long absorbent hairs and short handles. A watercolor artist is working with details. They need short handled brushes to help execute those details. The rounded full hairs on the brushes absorb the water and help to create the flowing effects.

Watercolor Paints
Watercolor paints come in small tubes of paint and in dry blocks or pads. It makes very little difference which type of paint you choose. With the tubes an exact amount of paint can be applied as needed in a session. The pads of paint can be covered and stored for later in a covered palette. Watercolor paints are water based which means that the paint can be restored by diluting the pigments with water.

There are a wide range of colors available in watercolor paints. Beginners should select their colors based on the color wheel: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple. They will also need a black and a white pigment in their collection. Watercolor paints are relatively inexpensive so it is easy to collect additional colors to widen their color pallet.

Palette
A watercolor palette has cubes lining the outer edges with a large sunken area in the middle for mixing pools of paint. A cover on a palette stores paint. The dried out Watercolor paint is reusable with reintroducing water to restores it to its original state.

Tape and Paper towel
You will need to tape your watercolor paper to a flat surface such as a Masonite board or a water resistant surface to secure the paper during the painting process. Taping the edges in 1/2 inch strips will give your painting a clean frame.
Paper towel is recommended to whip down brushes, dab excess water off your painting to quickly correct mistakes and as a clean up tool.

Watercolor Painting Techniques

Washes and Glazes

A Wash is when you dilute your paint with water and apply it to a large areas (sky, water, ground ). A Glaze is when you paint with a second diluted paint over an area that has already been Washed and dried.

Wet on Wet

The wet on wet technique is when you paint with wet diluted paint onto a wet washed area that has not had time to dry. This mixes the colors on the paper creating a swirling effect.

Dry-Brush

The dry-brush technique is when you paint with semi diluted paint on dry paper. This technique is used for detailed work after the washes and glazes have dried .