You can begin with a surprisingly ordinary setup: a few colours, paper that suits them, one dependable brush, clean water, a pale plate for mixing and an old cloth. This page describes what each of these does for you and when other things start to be worth having. It does not recommend a set; the guide to choosing a beginner watercolour set covers that.
Watercolour is generous about equipment. A first session needs less than the shelves of a shop suggest, and as you paint you will notice what would make the next one easier or more enjoyable. That is a better guide to expanding your materials than any universal checklist.
At a glance
Paper is worth a little attention. It has a large influence on how paint and water settle, so it is the place to take some care.
Every supply has a purpose you can feel. A cloth steadies the water in your brush, and a board keeps the sheet from wandering. Knowing the purpose makes each choice easier.
Enjoyment is a good reason. A palette you like looking at or a brush you like holding makes painting more inviting, and that counts.
Nothing here runs to a timetable. Your materials can stay as they are for as long as they continue to suit the way you paint.
What each supply is for
| Supply | What it helps you do | When it becomes useful | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | Hold the paint and the water, and decide how they settle | From the first painting | Beginner paper, paper weight |
| Paint | Give you colour to mix and place | From the first painting | Core palette, pans or tubes |
| Brush | Carry water and colour to the page | From the first painting, with a second size or shape when you want a different mark | Brush shapes |
| Water and containers | Thin the colour and rinse the brush | From the first painting, with a second jar if the rinse water clouds | How much water to use |
| Mixing surface | Give you room to blend a colour and judge it before it meets the paper | From the first painting | Palettes compared |
| Board, tape or clips | Keep the sheet still and flat while you work | Often within the first month | Stretching paper |
| Cloth or towel | Adjust the water in the brush and tidy a spill | From the first painting | Any absorbent cloth will do |
For the first painting
Four small groups of things are enough to begin, and each can be met in more than one way.
Colour, and something to put it on. A few colours and a sheet of paper that copes with water. Seeing how the colours behave when wet matters more than owning many of them.
One brush. A round is the usual first shape, because it can lay a wash and then draw a line. A second brush can wait until you know what you want it to do.
Water, a container and somewhere to mix. A jar of water and a white saucer or palette will do. A pale surface shows you the colour you are making.
Something absorbent. A cloth or paper towel lets you blot the brush and see how much water it holds before it touches the paper.
With these you can lay a wash, blend two colours and lift a mark. That is enough to begin learning how colour, water and paper respond to one another.
During the first month
Some additions arrive on their own, because you notice what would make painting smoother.
A second jar. Rinse water turns murky quickly. Keeping one jar for rinsing and one for clean water makes pale mixtures easier to keep clear.
A board with tape or clips. If the sheet drifts under the brush or ripples as it dries, fixing it down often helps.
Another brush. After a few sessions you will know whether you reach for a larger one for broad areas or a smaller one for detail. Let that decide.
A palette you enjoy. A roomier or more pleasing one can be worth adding simply because it makes mixing easier and more inviting.
Later additions
A few things belong to particular ways of painting. They are useful to know about, but they remain optional.
Paper that still ripples under a board. Stretching the sheet beforehand, or working on a block, pad or loose sheet that suits your habits, may reduce the movement further.
Small light shapes you want to keep. Masking fluid protects them before a wash goes on, which helps when a highlight is awkward to paint around.
A mark your brush finds awkward. If you often want a long fine line or a very full wash, another shape may feel easier, and the guide to brush shapes shows what each one makes.
Painting away from the table. A compact kit makes carrying everything simple, and the travel kit guide lists what it holds.
What can wait
Large brush sets, a wide range of colours and specialist mediums can all wait until you want them, whether for a reason or out of curiosity. The beginner set guide sets out the buying decision in full.
Where to buy
When you are ready to look at stockists, the directory of UK watercolour suppliers is the place to start.
Let the kit grow with the painting
Notice what would make the next session easier or more enjoyable, and add that. There is no need to prepare for every technique you might try one day. Most will make their needs plain when you reach them.
A kit assembled this way gradually becomes particular to the way you paint.