Modern Watercolor has its benefits in that you have the freedom to choose from a variety of art supplies and not just from one category/type. In all honesty – I've currently moved my home art studio twice in my house – mainly due to storage (and yes I thoroughly admit I have a problem with hoarding art supplies ;) lol ) Many of you have asked that I try to condense this list to my favs – which I'll be attempting to do so here. ?
So without further ado – below is a list of my current favorite art supplies that I own and use for illustrating. These do not just include watercolor supplies but also drawing supplies, mixed media art supplies, and really anything else I can think of that I might reach for during a painting. ? I'll make sure to add links in the future – but here is the list as promised.
PAPERS
- Arches Cold Press Paper 300LB
- Fabriano Soft Press Paper 140 LB
- Paul Rubens Watercolor Journal (Hot Press Paper)
- Fabriano Bristol Paper 145 LB
- Strathmore 300 Series Mixed Media Sketchbook
WATERCOLOR PAINTS
- Winsor + Newton – Winsor Red
- Holbein – Shell Pink
- Winsor + Newton – Scarlet Lake
- Winsor + Newton – Winsor Orange
- Schmincke – Cadmium Orange Light
- Winsor + Newton – Cadmium Yellow
- Winsor + Newton – Winsor Yellow
- Schmincke – Cadmium Lemon Yellow
- Schmincke – Lemon Yellow
- Winsor + Newton – Green Gold
- Daniel Smith – Phthalo Yellow Green
- Schmincke – Permanent Green
- Daniel Smith – Phthalo Green (Blue Shade)
- Winsor + Newton – Phthalo Turquoise (Cotman Series)
- Schmincke – Cobalt Turquoise
- Holbein – Horizon Blue
- Winsor + Newton – Manganese Blue Hue
- Winsor + Newton – Winsor Blue (Green Shade)
- Winsor + Newton – Winsor Blue (Red Shade)
- Winsor + Newton – Winsor Violet
- Winsor + Newton – Mauve (Cotman Series)
- Daniel Smith – Quinacridone Lilac
- Winsor + Newton – Permanent Rose
- Holbein – Opera (Quinacridone Opera)
- Winsor + Newton – Yellow Ochre
- Winsor + Newton – Quinacridone Gold
- Schmincke – Gold Brown
- Schmincke – Burnt Umber
- Winsor + Newton – Payne's Gray
- Winsor + Newton – Neutral Tint
WATERCOLOR PENCILS
- Derwent Watercolor Pencil Set
- Winsor + Newton Watercolor Pencil Set
BRUSHES
- Grumbacher Golden Edge Brushes (sizes 000-14, 1in + 2in Flat Wash Brushes, and 3 + 4 size Filbert Brushes)
- Pentel Water Brushes
- Winsor + Newton Cotman Series (small detail brushes)
- Princeton Student Grade Series (small detail brushes)
- Black Velvet Silver Line Brushes (sizes 0-12, 1in Flat Wash Brush, 1in Oval Wash Brush)
- Blick Natural Kolinsky Hair Brushes (sizes 4, 8, 6 + 12 Round Brush)
WATERCOLOR PALETTES
- Metal Palette – Color Around Aluminum Watercolor Palette (20 Wells)
- Porcelain Palette (Small) – MEEDEN Artist Porcelain Watercolor Paint Palette, 13 by 10 Inch Studio Mixing Ceramic Painting Tray for Watercolor Gouache Painting, 17 Wells
- Porcelain Palette (Large) JACKSON'S : PORCELAIN PALETTE WITH COVER : 32 WELL
- 7 Deep Well Flower Porcelain Palette
- 10 Wells White Rectangle Ceramic Artist Paint Palette
- Porcelain/Ceramic Dinner Plates – Used as Mixing Trays
INKS/WATERCOLOR CONCENTRATES
- Copic Opaque White Ink
- Ph. Martin's Bleed Proof White Ink
- Ph. Martin's Bombay Inks
- (fav colors – Magenta, Bright Red, Tangerine, Green Grass, Aqua)
- Ph. Martin's HYDRUS Watercolor Concentrates
- (fav colors – Bright Cad Red, Gamboge, Yellow Hansa Medium, Yellow Hansa Light, Phthalo Green, Turquoise Blue, Phthalo Blue, Ultramarine)
- Ph. Martin's Black Matte Ink
- Sakura Micron Pens
GOUACHE
- Winsor + Newton Watercolor Gouache
- (Fav colors – Flesh Tint, Opera Pink, Cadmium Scarlet, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Permanent Yellow Deep, Primary Yellow, Permanent Green Light, Cobalt Turquoise Light, Phthalo Blue, Intense Blue, Brilliant Violet, Gold Ochre, Burnt Umber)
ACRYLIC/GOLDS + IREDESCENT
- TURNER Acrylic Titanium White Paint
- Golden Acrylic – Iridescent Copper Paint
- Golden Acrylic – Iridescent Gold (Fine) Paint
- Golden Acrylic – Inference Gold (Fine) Paint
- Daniel Smith – DuoChrome Lapis Sunlight Paint
- Daniel Smith – DuoChrome Adobe Paint
- Daniel Smith – Inference Lilac Paint
- Schmincke Aqua Bronze – Pale Gold, Copper, + Silver
RANDOM SUPPLIES
- Liquid Frisket Incredible Masking Fluid
- Winsor + Newton – Iridescent Medium
- Winsor + Newton – Blending Medium
- Art Tote Board (for stretching paper on)
- Masking Tape
- X-acto Crafting Knife
- Pipettes / Eye Droppers
- Small Water Spray Bottle
- Silicone Craft Brushes (for masking fluid lines)
- Grid Line Ruler
- Guillotine Paper Cutter (for large sheet paper)
- Graphite Paper
- Light Table
- Pencil Sharpener
- Glue Dots (for pop up illustrations)
I hope you liked this and as well ways…
5 Comments
Jennifer
February 11, 2023 at 8:21 pmThis is great! Thank you! Do you have a favorite masking fluid? I just bought a masking pen and it’s useless. Would love to know what you use. And by the way, I’m from Lexington, South Carolina and I’m happy to see a person from Irmo on YouTube!
Pamela
February 26, 2023 at 8:59 amTell me Carrie, What is the difference between Bombay and Hydrus inks? I have never used them before. Thank you, Pamela
Carrie Luc
March 7, 2023 at 10:21 amI want to dive into this question a bit more in my free time later. But first impressions/thoughts without much research – Hydrus behaves more like watercolor when it’s in a liquid state. Meaning – it works similarly to watercolor in how it mixes and bleeds on the paper. It often will bleed out in a slow yet mesmerizing manner. Some colors can even lift from the paper similar to watercolor. Bombay – behaves more like ink in that it skates across the wet paper like a demon and just pools chaotically. Bombay is also permanent – meaning once it dries there is no way of lifting it back up similar to the Hydrus. It also has a slight sheen to it when it dries (especially when you apply it thickly to the paper). This isn’t bad – but it can cause problems with layering colors on top of one another. Hydrus works better with layering/ or glazing in that respect. Keep in mind – both of these don’t mix well with traditional pigmented watercolors. If you mix them with pigmented watercolors – they will create a chemical reaction that breaks the two colors apart and creates grains or dark dirt-looking speckles in the paint. I use Bombay more than the Hydrus – because I like to use Bombay ink for final details in my paintings. Such as dots, lines, or sometimes light glazes at the very end of a painting. That’s my thoughts though – so I hope that helps a bit ?
Katrianna
March 1, 2023 at 9:07 ambefore you switched over to the professional i saw from your channel you started with cotmans. do you have a recommended list for the cotmans?
Carrie Luc
March 7, 2023 at 10:09 amI started out with the Cotman series simply because they were the only inexpensive paints available to me at the time. And while some Cotman colors (such as Mauve, Turquoise, Prussian Blue, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Cadmium Red Pale Hue, etc.) are really beautiful (like I still use these colors in my current palette every once and a while.) If I had to go back with the knowledge I have now – I think I’d purchase the Kuretake Gansai Tambi 36 colors series (36 colors with starry colors). The starry colors are great for adding some sparkle and they sometimes have a deal with the two sets together. ? They are pans – which is a downside to me. I enjoy tubes better. But the colors are more pigmented and smoother overall when painting compared to the Cotman series as a whole. Be aware – you have to spray the Kuretake paint colors with water to activate them first before using. Then let them sit a bit (like three to five minutes or so). The longer you wait the richer the color pay off will be. I also love the Malachite paint color in this set. It’s very close to winsor’s cobalt turquoise light – which can be pricey if you are looking for an inexpensive dupe ? Hope that helps.