Watercolor Supplies for Beginners: Everything You Actually Need (And What to Skip)
By Dalton Scolman
So you've decided to try watercolor. Maybe you saw someone painting in a cafe and thought "I want to do that." Maybe you've had a set sitting in a drawer for two years and you're finally going to do something about it. Maybe you just really like the way watercolor looks and figured it was worth a shot.
Whatever got you here, welcome. You're going to love it.
But first, let's talk about the supply spiral. Because there is a very real risk that you spend three hours on art supply websites, buy $200 worth of stuff you don't understand, feel completely overwhelmed before you've even touched a brush, and quietly give up. It happens a lot. And it has nothing to do with talent.
The truth is, you need way less than you think to get started. This guide is going to cut through all the noise and just tell you what to actually buy, why it matters, and what you can safely ignore until later (maybe forever).
The Only Things You Truly Need
Let's start here, with the real essentials. If you have these four things, you can paint watercolors today.
Paint. Paper. A brush. Water.
That's it. Everything else is optional. Keep that in mind as we go through each one, because the art supply industry has a vested interest in making you feel like you need ten more things than you actually do.
Watercolor Paint: The Big Decisions Explained
Paint is where most beginners get stuck, and honestly, it's because there are a lot of legitimate choices and no one wants to make the wrong one.
Here's the quick breakdown of the formats you'll encounter.
Pans are those little cakes of solid paint that come in a metal or plastic tin. You wet your brush, rub it on the pan, and the color lifts. They're portable, they're tidy, and they're what most people picture when they think "watercolor set." The downside is that some pans need a few minutes of wetting before they give you really vibrant color. And if you've ever bought a cheap set and wondered why the colors looked muddy and sad, it's probably because the pigment load was low.
Tubes are basically paint in a tiny toothpaste tube. You squeeze a bit onto a palette, add water, and go. Tubes give you intense, saturated color right away. They're great for studio work where you're set up at a table. The downside for beginners is that they require a palette, they can dry out if you don't cap them properly, and they're genuinely fiddly to travel with.
Liquid watercolors are pre-mixed paint in bottles, almost like ink. Very fluid, very vibrant, great for loose work and journaling. They're a wonderful option if you want immediate color without any fuss.
DryColor sheets are something a lot of beginners have never heard of, and they're worth knowing about. This is what Nicholson's Peerless Watercolors makes. They're flat cards coated in highly concentrated watercolor that activates the moment a wet brush touches them. No wetting time, no squeezing, no mess. The color is rich and vivid and the whole thing is so simple it almost feels like cheating. They're also incredibly portable, which makes them great for painting at home, on the go, or anywhere in between.
So which format should you actually buy? Honestly, any of them can work beautifully. But if we're talking about what makes the most sense for a beginner who wants to actually enjoy the experience right away, something that's easy to use, produces good color quickly, and doesn't require a bunch of extra setup is going to keep you painting instead of fussing. Pan sets and DryColor sheets both tick those boxes well.
One more thing on paint: please don't buy the absolute cheapest set at the craft store. Student-grade paints with very low pigment loads can genuinely make learning harder. The colors don't mix cleanly, the results look chalky, and you end up thinking you're bad at watercolor when really your paint is just bad at being paint. You don't need to spend a fortune, but spending a little more on something with real pigment makes a meaningful difference in how satisfying the experience is.
Paper: This Is Actually the Most Important Thing
Here's the thing nobody tells you at first: paper matters more than paint. So much more. It is the single biggest factor in whether your watercolors look gorgeous or frustrating.
Bad paper buckles, bleeds, and soaks up paint in weird uneven ways. It makes your watercolors look muddy even when your technique is fine. Good paper lets the paint do what it's supposed to do: bloom beautifully, stay where you put it, and dry with that luminous quality that makes people fall in love with watercolor in the first place.
The number to look for on the packaging is weight. You want at least 140lb (or 300gsm if you're looking at metric). Anything lighter will warp and buckle as soon as you add water.
Cotton paper is the gold standard. It handles multiple wet layers without falling apart, colors stay vibrant, and you can even lift and adjust paint after it's dried. Arches is the most famous cotton watercolor paper and it's genuinely excellent. It's also not cheap, so if you're just starting out, a good mixed media paper or a student-grade cotton blend is a completely reasonable place to begin.
For format, a block (where the paper is glued on all sides) or a spiral-bound watercolor pad both work well for beginners. Loose sheets are great once you know what you're doing but they need to be taped or stretched to avoid warping.
Start with something in the 9x12 inch range. It's big enough to actually paint on but not so big it's intimidating.
Brushes: You Need Two, Maybe Three
Stop. Put down the 24-brush set. You don't need it.
For learning watercolor, you need one round brush in a medium size (a size 8 is a great starting point) and possibly one flat brush for washes. That's genuinely it. A good round brush with a nice point can do almost everything: broad washes, fine details, everything in between. You just use more or less pressure and more or less water.
What you want in a watercolor brush is soft bristles that hold a lot of water but still come to a point. Synthetic brushes have gotten really good in recent years and are a perfectly solid choice for beginners. Natural hair brushes like sable are lovely but expensive and not necessary while you're learning.
A waterbrush (a brush with a barrel you fill with water) is also worth considering, especially if you want to paint outside or in a coffee shop. No water jar needed, ever. The Pentel Aquash is a reliable one that won't cost you much at all.
Water and a Palette
Two containers of water is the classic advice: one for rinsing your brush, one for picking up clean water. Old jam jars work perfectly. You don't need anything fancy.
If you're using pan paints, the lid of your paint set usually doubles as a mixing area and that's honestly enough to start. If you're using tubes, you'll want a palette with some mixing wells. A cheap plastic one is fine.
The "Nice to Have" Stuff (But Not Yet)
Once you've got your core four sorted and you've actually spent some time painting, here's what's genuinely worth adding later.
Masking fluid lets you protect areas of your paper from paint, which is useful for preserving white highlights. It's fun to play with but not a beginner priority.
A spray bottle for misting your pans or keeping your palette moist is a small thing that makes a real difference, especially with tube paints.
A kneaded eraser for underdrawing in pencil before you paint.
Paper towels or a cloth for blotting excess water. This one you probably have at home already.
What to Actually Skip
Anything marketed specifically as a "beginner set" at a big box craft store. These sets are usually very low quality paint with a flimsy brush and paper that's too thin. They're priced to feel like a good deal but they'll make learning harder.
A giant brush collection. You'll touch three of them.
Fancy palette systems before you even know how you like to work. See how you do with the lid of your paint set first.
Expensive sable brushes right away. Get there later, when you know you love it and you know what you actually want.
A Simple Starter Shopping List
Here's what a solid first setup looks like without overcomplicating things:
A 9x12 watercolor pad at 140lb (Strathmore or Canson both make good ones at reasonable prices). A set of watercolors with decent pigment, whether that's a pan set like Winsor and Newton Cotman or something more unusual like the Peerless Paint Along Palette for a fun, easy-entry DryColor option. A size 8 round brush with a good point. Two jars for water. Paper towels. And a little patience with yourself while you figure out how everything works together.
That's a complete kit. Under $50 if you shop thoughtfully. And honestly more than enough to make something you're genuinely proud of.
A Note on Experimentation
Watercolor is a medium that rewards playing around. Some of the best things that happen when you're painting are accidents: a color that blooms in a way you didn't expect, a wet wash that creates texture all on its own, two colors that meet on wet paper and blend into something you couldn't have planned.
So please don't feel like you need to master all your supplies before you start. Just start. Make ugly things for a while. Try stuff that doesn't work. That's genuinely how you get to the good stuff.
And when you're ready to try something a little different with your paint, know that DryColor sheets are a really fun option to explore. The Peerless Paint Along Palettes are a low-commitment way to try the format and see if it clicks for you.
FAQ: Beginner Watercolor Supply Questions
How much should I spend on my first watercolor supplies?
You can put together a solid starter kit for around $40 to $60. The most important place to spend slightly more is on paper. Cheap paper will genuinely undermine everything else, so prioritize that. You can start with a modest paint set and a basic brush and upgrade those later as you figure out what you enjoy.
Are pan or tube watercolors better for beginners?
Both work well. Pans are lower maintenance and easy to pick up and put down, which makes them a naturally beginner-friendly choice. Tubes give you more intense color straight away but require a palette and a bit more setup. DryColor sheets are a third option worth knowing about: no setup, instant vibrant color, and as simple as touching a wet brush to the paper.
What paper should a beginner use for watercolor?
Look for watercolor paper that's at least 140lb (300gsm). Cotton paper is the best quality but pricier. A good wood pulp or mixed media paper at the right weight is a perfectly reasonable starting point. The most important thing is the weight, not the brand.
Do I need a lot of colors to start watercolor painting?
Nope. Many professional watercolorists work with a limited palette of six to twelve colors and mix from there. Starting with twelve good colors teaches you more about color mixing than starting with forty mediocre ones. You can always expand later.
Can I use any brush for watercolor?
You need brushes with soft bristles that hold water well. Stiff brushes (like the ones designed for oil or acrylic paint) don't work properly for watercolor. Within soft brushes, synthetic is fine for beginners and significantly cheaper than natural hair. Start with a size 8 round and see how far it takes you.
What is a DryColor sheet and is it good for beginners?
A DryColor sheet is a card coated in concentrated watercolor dye that activates instantly when you touch it with a wet brush. Nicholson's Peerless Watercolors makes them, and they're genuinely one of the most beginner-friendly options out there because there's no setup, no mess, and the colors are vivid and easy to work with. They're also tiny and portable so you can paint literally anywhere.
Ready to Start?
The best thing you can do right now is just buy a few things and start making marks on paper. Not perfect marks. Just marks. Watercolor is one of those mediums that gets more fun the more you loosen up and let things happen.
If you want to try something a little different from the usual pan set, the Peerless Paint Along Palettes are a really sweet way to dip your toes in. Small, simple, vibrant colors, and no mess whatsoever.
Check Out Our Custom Palettes or Paint Along Palettes Here!
Go make something. It doesn't have to be good. It just has to exist.