Watercolors: How to get started

What you'll need:

Staple gun--No. 101 or 201 Swingline or equivalent (1/4" staple) I have a stanley lightweight TR45

Board--suggested 18”x 24” x 1/4 “ plywood or 3/8” particle board is suitable for stapling W.C.    paper on

Pocketknife--old one with blunt tip (Boy Scout Knife); used for removing staples and also for scraping into watercolor

H.B. Pencil --(drawing and Art Gum Eraser or Kneaded)

Credit Card-- any old discarded one (if available) or similar plastic card, For scraping

Tray-- 11”x 15” WHITE enamel butchers tray or any white enamel lid, plate (white china plate O.K. Or palette with deep wells.

Paper Toweling-- (white) or Kleenex etc.  Old cloth diapers are excellent

Brushes-- 1” Aquarelle flat brush

                     No. 6 or 7 round brush
                     No. 4 round brush

Paper-- D’Arches-140#(lb) Rough (Buy either large sheet which will be divided into four parts, or buy block- 25 10” x14” sheets)  I  buy the large sheets, cold press

Paint-- suggest Winsor and Newton but Grumbacher okay too. I buy the tubes of liquid paint and squeeze them into the wells of a palette and then wait for them to dry. I then reconstitute them with water when I'm painting. (Kind of like the Crayola kids paints) I would also suggest that in order to get the best results you buy the professional grade of the paints. They are more expen-sive but well worth it. If you want professional results you have to use professional products.
You'll never know how good you can paint unless you use good quality paints and paper.
I also when squeezing out my paints keep the cool colors together on my left side and warm to-gether on the right. You could switch this but keep cool together and warm together.

*French Ultramarine 

  Winsor Blue

*Cerelean Blue   

*Indigo Blue      

  Sap Green         

  Winsor Green         

*New Gamboge Yellow                  

*Raw Sienna

Alizaron Crimson

*Burnt Sienna

*Van Dyke Brown

Paynes Gray

Sepia Umber (Grumbacher)

Thalo Violet (Grumbacher)

* Suggested for beginners

Additional tools:
sea sponge for texture
Firm bristle brush for splattering