art supplies made easy
Buying art supplies can be confusing and time-consuming
Here are links to some of my favourites - so you can get to the fun part more quickly!
Recommended Art Supplies
Buying art supplies can be bewildering and time-consuming. What to buy? Which brand? Is it good value? Will it work? Here I provide helpful links to recommended art supplies. So you can get started on the fun part more quickly!
I am an affiliate of Jacksons Art, which means that I’ll earn a small commission if you buy supplies using these links. And If you’re a new Jackson's customer, you will receive 10% off your first order. You will need to create an account with Jacksons in order to receive the discount.
paper
Goldline Watercolour Studio Pad: 200gsm 100 Sheets -This is probably the cheapest watercolour paper you can find. It is thin, only 200gsm, but it’s good if you’re a complete beginner and you want to do a lot of practising, without worrying about wasting expensive paper.
Daler Rowney The Langton Watercolour Pad 300gsm - This is good watercolour paper, not as expensive as Arches, but gives nice results. Look out for special offers on this paper, which appear from time to time. This pad is cold pressed, which means it has a slight texture.
Arches Aquarelle 7 x 10in Watercolour Block - Arches is my favourite brand of watercolour paper. It is just dreamy to paint on. This is what I use for painting hero patterns as demonstrated in my Skillshare class “Watercolour Without Fear: Painting for Pattern Design”. If you are going to upgrade one aspect of your art supplies, I suggest you upgrade your paper. It makes a huge difference when working in watercolour. Go on, try it! It will transform your painting experience!
Daler Rowney Aquafine Watercolour Pad 300gsm Smooth - This is a nice hot press paper if you want to try painting on smooth paper. It is very different to painting on cold press! Don’t be put off painting with watercolours, I would try this once you’ve got the hang of cold press.
PAINTS
Winsor & Newton: Cotman Watercolour Paint: Half Pan: Floral Pocket Set of 8 - The Winsor & Newton Cotman range is good for beginner watercolourists. The colours are bright and strong.
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour: Large Pan Set of 48 - These are my favourite paints. I love having all the gorgeous colours laid out i front of me. The large pans are a good size. The paint is creamy and quite opaque and lovely to work with! When one pan runs out, I buy individual colours to replace it. You can also get smaller sets if you don’t want to splash out on 48 colours straight away!
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour: Large Pan Set of 12 - This set of 12 has my favourite lilac, pink and two excellent greens in it. It’s currently out of stock but I’m leaving the link here because it’s so lovely and will come back in stock eventually!
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour: Large Pan Set of 18 - a lovely medium sized set
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour: Large Pan Set of 24 - go on, you know you want to!
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Japanese Watercolour: Large Pan Set of 36 - This set has a beautiful range of colours - you’ll be in painting heaven!
BRUSHES
Jacksons Icon Synthetic Sable Quill Mop Series 777 Watercolour Brush Size 2 - This is a very nice brush for watercolour, at a very good price. It holds a lot of water and comes to a nice sharp point at the end. This can be your main brush! The Size 0 brush is also a good option if you want a slightly smaller main brush. But my tip with watercolour is to go for the biggest brush possible!
Jacksons Studio Synthetic Watercolour Brush Round Size 6 - I have not actually used this brush myself, but I am told that it is highly recommended as a starter brush for watercolour. A size 6 Round is a good size for smaller detail work.
Palettes
Studio Essentials Watertight Folding Plastic Palette 18 Well - This is a nice size palette for starting out. I have two of them. They have the added bonus of being watertight if you want to travel with your paints.
Studio Essentials Porcelain Butcher Tray - I LOOOOOOVE this palette! This is my studio palette. I love it because it is large, it doesn’t discolour, and it’s really easy to clean. This will transform your painting experience!
introduction to Watercolour - 5 week evening class - some spaces available
PLEASE NOTE: WEEK 3 IS SOLD OUT BUT YOU CAN STILL BOOK INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS FOR WEEKS 1, 2, 4 AND 5.
Wednesday evenings, 7-9pm on the following dates: 26 April, 3 May, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May 2023
In this 5-week class I will Introduce you to the unique characteristics of watercolour. Each session will focus on a particular aspect of watercolour, for example paint handling, lightness of touch, paint-to-water ratio, value, and timing.
You are welcome to book individual sessions, however you will get the most out of the class if you book onto the full course (see course content below).
Full course £120
Individual sessions £25
Materials and refreshments provided.
The class is aimed at beginners, however more experienced artists who want to connect and practise their skills are most welcome. You don’t have to be able to draw!
St Swithun's Church Hall, Kennington, Oxford
Recommended Art Supplies - ARTWAY
Artway is a lovely art supply company based in Wiltshire and I’m proud to be an affiliate of them too. Their customer service is excellent and they have some good entry-level art materials. If you use this Artway link, I’ll earn a small commission.
PAINTS
Artway High Pigment Watercolour Paint Set - This paint set is surprisingly good, given the low price. It’s a great starter set. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the red… if you purchase this set then I’d recommend you also purchase a nice crimson or scarlet, as there’s no pink tone in this set.
BRUSHES
Artway Synthetic Quill Mop Brushes - You can buy a set of 3 different sizes, or buy them individually. The size 5 brush is a good all-round size if you just want one brush. It holds a lot of water and comes to a lovely fine point.
Palettes
Artway Plastic Inking Tray/Palette - This is a cheap but very usable flat palette if you’re just starting out. It has lots of space for mixing and is easy to clean.