Materials

Plastic, enamelled metal and porcelain palettes behave differently. Choose by mixing visibility, weight, cleaning and where you paint.

Mop, quill and round brushes overlap, but their construction changes capacity, control and the marks they favour.

Brush size numbers are relative, not universal. Learn how to compare dimensions, capacity and marks instead.

What changes between artist and student watercolour paints, what does not, and when an upgrade is worth making.

What transparent, semi-transparent, semi-opaque and opaque mean on paper, why ratings vary, and how to test your own paint.

Staining describes how firmly dried watercolour resists lifting. Learn what it changes and how to test your own paint and paper.

A one-minute routine for rinsing, reshaping, drying and storing natural and synthetic watercolour brushes.

Compare natural and synthetic watercolour brushes by water holding, point, spring, durability, care, ethics and value.

A practical guide to the natural and synthetic iron oxides behind ochres, siennas, umbers and earth reds.

A practical guide to comparing US watercolour-paper suppliers by paper specification, format, quantity and delivery practicality.