Art Supplies I Love!

Hello Creative Friends!

Many of you have asked about the supplies I use in my You CAN Paint! Course

Here are links to products from Amazon.com
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To succeed in Watercolor Painting, it is important to have good-quality
Paper, Paints, and Brushes!

"Quality In, Quality Out"

You only use a small amount of watercolor paint at a time so this recommended set
will last you well over 100+ Paintings.

Your brushes, if cared for can last you for decades!

Quality Paper will make a huge difference in the outcome of your paintings!

I use and demonstrate all of these supplies in our weekly You CAN Paint! Online Classes

Each item should open in a NEW Window.

Happy Painting!

Please reach out if you have any questions or if any links are broken or wrong
Thank you :)

Daniel Smith Professional Watercolor Paint

*** Daniel Smith Watercolor Essentials
I use this set exclusively in our weekly You CAN Paint! online classes.
https://amzn.to/4eql64Q

Prang Watercolor Set - Inexpensive and good enough for beginning watercolor

This is a simple watercolor set that will work just fine for our Watercolor Challenge or Watercolor 101
Make sure the colors are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown & Black < - - - - Will be $4-7
amzn.to/43FLhli

Burnt Sienna and Payne's Grey are OPTIONAL - I will use them in the Watercolor 101 course

Daniel Smith - Burnt Sienna Watercolor
If you add one additional color to the set above, I would recommend Burnt Sienna.
https://amzn.to/4dqT6wi

Daniel Smith - Paynes Gray
I'm starting to use this color more often for some nice deep darks.
https://amzn.to/4hqoQEs

Watercolor Palette

With the Daniel Smith set, you will also need a Paint Palette. This is where you can keep paints as well as have space for color mixing.
https://amzn.to/4kLkfz2

You can also use a WHITE Ceramic Plate available at any Wally or Dollar Store.
Here is another example of a nice ceramic container for watercolor mixing: https://amzn.to/41XULHj

Watercolor Brushes

Princeton Aqua Elite 4850 Round #10
This is the brush I often use in class to demonstrate with.
https://amzn.to/47HONeW

Princeton Select Artiste Paintbrush, Size 3/4 inch

This is a decent Flat Wash Brush 1/2" If you are going to get both a flat and a round, I'd recommend one of the Princeton Elite Watercolor Sets Below. amzn.to/43H1pD2

*** Princeton Elite Watercolor Set
This set has an ANGLE brush - it's like a flat, but it's an angle, good for expressive line work.
4 Brushes - 1 Flat, 1 Angle, 1 Medium Round, 1 Small Round
https://amzn.to/3Y1eC6s

Princeton Eliet Watercolor Set
This set has a Cat's Tongue brush - excellent for flower petals and more!
4 Brushes - 1 Flat, 1 Cat Tongue, 1 Medium Round, 1 Small Round
https://amzn.to/4ekMDV8

*** NEW: - Small & Large Quill Brush - Good quality and price
Size 2 & Size 6
https://amzn.to/3E2fSP7

Watercolor Paper - For Everyday Practice & Projects

*** Art Beek 100% Cotton Watercolor Pad, 140 lb
The Right Watercolor Paper is ESSENTIAL for Success!
This is an EXCELLENT watercolor paper to work and practice on.
My most recommended paper for Watercolors - I use this in all class demonstrations.
https://amzn.to/4emlFMI

Watercolor Paper for your PROFESSIONAL Projects

Arches - PROFESSIONAL Watercolor paper. This paper is a bit more expensive, and is a great choice for your professional works.
140lb Cold Press (textured) Watercolor Paper - Excellent to enhance the overall look of your watercolor painting with beautiful watercolor textures.
https://amzn.to/4dqZ5RX

Arches - PROFESSIONAL Watercolor Paper - SMOOTH - Excellent for detailed watercolor paintings.
SMOOTH - 140lb HOT PRESS (no texture) Watercolor Paper
https://amzn.to/3zCB7W8

Tape for your Watercolor Paper

*** Clean Release Painters Tape
This is a good quality all around tape for your paintings. IF you find they stick too much or tear... use a hair dryer to help warm up the tape before removing :).
https://amzn.to/4dnGoOY

Delicate Release Painters Tape
This does not stick nearly as much as the Clean Release, and sometimes that's a good thing, but at other times it can be frustrating. I use BOTH! I will use the delicate release to tape around the painting and then use the clean release (above) to help tape down this tape. Demonstrated in the You CAN Paint! Course.
https://amzn.to/3zMYMTA

Canvas Board

*** Canvas Board (To tape your watercolor paper on)
This helps to reduce buckling and warping of your painting. I also like to tape my working painting onto a board like this instead of to the table so that I can move my painting around... I'll do a demo :).
https://amzn.to/3Y1Aqz5

Water Cups & Scrubbie

*** You will need 3 Plastic Cups for Water, these 8 oz are perfect, not too small and not too big - https://amzn.to/3FmD8s3

Scrubbies are excellent for getting excess paint off your watercolor brushes. https://amzn.to/3Ds7sRr

Paper Towels

*** Bounty Paper Towels seem to work the best: https://amzn.to/41DBpFW
You want WHITE paper towels because it helps you test your colors. YES, you can use a cotton rag; I'd recommend white.

Spray Bottle & Mister

***Small Spray Bottle: https://amzn.to/3DD9XAi
Used to activate your watercolor paints

Mist Spray Bottle: https://amzn.to/4kOO8yn
This is a continuous mist. It's a very interesting kind of spray bottle. Weird at first, but I really enjoy it now.

Transfer & Tracing Paper

Strathmore Tracing Paper
Tracing paper is excellent for tracing and altering the image you are copying from.
https://amzn.to/3XPHkWS

Graphite - ERASEABLE - Transfer Paper

Erasable Transfer Paper, this will help you trace directly from a photograph onto your watercolor paper.
https://amzn.to/3Foqj0d

Additionally you will want a pencil for drawing, as well as pen and paper for notes.

Gouache Supplies

GOUACHE Paints
Caran d'Ache Gouache Studio - 15 Assorted Colors Set in Metal Tin

ARTEZA - The set I showed is not available from Amazon at this time (sad face)
Be sure to get GOUACHE < - - - (NOT Acrylic Gouache)... The Winsor & Newton set below... it's a better quality Gouache Paint! or You can search Amazon for ARTEZA Gouache to see if it's back in stock.

OHhh... Just found this - Winsor & Newton Gouache Paint Set, 10 Count - *Better than ARTEZA, less colors, less expensive, will work wonderfully < - - - - - -

BRUSHES:
Princeton Snap! This is a set of 3 - PURRRRFECT for Class! - First 5 people to sign up for class will GET this set. You will get a message from me within a couple of hours 10am - 7pm

PAPER:
A Great all around watercolor and gouache paper - Art Beek 9x12 140 lb Watercolor Paper

Strathmore - Mixed Media Paper - 117 lb Smooth Paper

Other Items to consider:
Spray Bottle
Scrubbies
3 Plastic Cups for Water
Clean Release Tape
Air Tight Watercolor Palette
Rectangular Ceramic Tray
5" White Cermaic Plates (Three)
11x14 Canvas Board (to tape your paper onto)