Royal and Langnickel Beginners Watercolour Painting Set

Product Information

Fortunately, there are tons of online resources (like this article!), including watercolor classes and tutorials, that cover everything from materials to technique. Watercolor paints are made by pulverizing pigments into fine particles and then mixing them with a binding agent (typically gum arabic). Watercolor paints come in tubes or in trays of solid cakes of paints called pans. Pans are activated when they are touched by wet brushes and are great for their portability. As for brands, Arches is one of the very best on the market. The company sells both cold-pressed and hot-pressed paper in pads. Cheaper options like the Strathmore 400 Series are also a great alternative for non-professional work.

Glazing is already entering the arena of more advanced watercolor techniques, but mostly because it requires time and a little patience! Cheap plastic ones aren’t much of a step up, though — you should aim for a slightly better ceramic or porcelain option. To understand what this medium can do, give up control to gain insight. See how the paint and water move and what kind of effects you can achieve. Play with water-to-pigment ratio, surface and surface tilt, colour layering and more. Preparing to paint On the other hand, if you’re after higher-quality paints (or just have a bigger budget), pro-grade watercolor sets are the way to go.

Cotman Watercolour Sets

Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference. I recommend trying both and seeing which one you prefer. If you’re an absolute beginner, start with a watercolor set of half pans, as they tend to be cheaper and last longer. What watercolor brands are best? Photo via Stephanie Bento (Tiny Workshops)

Standard canvas is a poor material for watercolors (even when using the best watercolor sets) as it isn’t absorbent enough. How to get started with watercolors and techniques? These are my top suggestions for beginners! Wet on wet Photo via Stephanie Bento (Tiny Workshops) Artists typically use the wet on dry to place a hard or sharp edge on their painting. If you want sharp edges to what you’re painting, then any paint already put down on the paper must be dry before you paint another shape. If it is completely dry, then the shape will stay exactly as you’d painted it. If it isn’t completely dry, the new layer will diffuse into the first (this is done deliberately when you’re painting wet-on-wet).There are a couple of basic ways to paint with watercolor. The wet-on-wet method is typically used for painting landscapes, simple skies, or soft watercolor washes because the effect gives us a nice flowy look that can be applied in different ways. Basically, we’re adding wet paint to a wet surface. Here’s a simple activity that can help familiarize you with this technique.