Welcome back, or welcome if you are new! My name is Lauren, and I am the artist behind LA Florals! I have been using watercolors since I was in high school 10 years ago (omg, how has it been that long?), but I have been using them daily for the last four years! Four years ago, I decided to take the leap and start a little side gig with my watercolor art, and two years ago I was able to take my watercolor art full-time!
My watercolor practice has evolved like crazy over the years, and I have finally narrowed down my supply list, and that is what I am going to share with you today: my favorite watercolor supplies that I think you need for your own watercolor practice!
My Fav Watercolor Supplies:
Number 1: Quality, inexpensive watercolor paper without too much texture.
When I was learning watercolor, I really struggled with the idea of “wasting” paper on my practice paintings. Watercolor paper isn’t the cheapest, and that really held me back from playing and learning the medium! :(
I finally found Bee Paper (link here). This paper is super cost-effective, and it also has a great texture to it without being too rough or bumpy (watercolor beginners may struggle with paper that is too textured, so finding a smooth paper like this is best for beginners!). This paper is also very easy to access; I have found it in almost all Walmarts I have been to while on the road.
Number 2: Quality (FUN) artist grade paint
When I first started out with watercolors, I was using cheap watercolor cakes from Walmart. While I love the Bee Paper at Walmart, I LOATHE their paint options. The pans are like chalk, and the tube paints either have too much pigment or not enough – I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. I just couldn’t ever get the paints to work correctly for me. Not to mention that the provided paint colors were so neon and bright… it was soooo hard to actually create a nice, cohesive palette. These horrible quality paints delayed my growth with watercolors SOOOOO much; I just couldn’t grasp how to use the paints because they were so inconsistent.
Fast forward some time, and I started using Sakura paints. These were good quality, don’t get me wrong, but I just didn’t feel happy when I used them. The colors were consistent and easy to use, but they lacked… Spice. Personality. Pizzazz. They did absolutely NOTHING on their own. No cool pooling. No granulation. Nothing. I found that I had too much control, and, personally, I think that the beauty of watercolor is letting the paint do its own thing!
*Emily Grace Palettes enters the chat.*
I am not exaggerating when I say that I used Emily’s paints (link here), and I NEVER went back to my Sakura palette (or any other paint in general…lol). Her paints are all 100% handmade, and she has a million different options for different kinds of paints that range from matte, glitters, half matte / half glitters, holographic paints, and even shifters that change color depending on how the light hits the paint.
Emily offers a million different paints to try (plus the added bonus points for supporting a fellow woman-owned small business), so I feel like her paint offers me room to expand and try new things! I will forever advocate for her paints, and I will continue to use her paints from everything from tiny bookmarks, sketchbook doodles, and professional portraits for my clients.
Number 3: Pointed round paint brushes that I use for literally everything
These brushes are my absolute go-to paint brushes (link here). I use them for EVERYTHING! This is a multi-pack, and it comes with all of the sizes I need for a variety of projects. This pack is also super cost effective! Yay!
Number 4: Palette for mixing paint + what I actually use….
My DREAM paint mixing palette is a Sugar House Ceramic Co. palette! They are absolutely STUNNING!!! Unfortunately, I don’t have a true studio space anymore (I live full-time in an RV, and I only have a little mobile art studio), and I would literally be heartbroken if I ever broke it. Instead, I have found that using a white ceramic plate from World Market does the trick for me! I won’t be heartbroken if I break it, and it is white to easily see the colors I am mixing! Any white ceramic plate will do (you want something sealed properly - like ceramic or hard plastic - so the palette will not ruin your brushes over time)!
Number 5: The tool I use to film myself painting
Being an artist on social media is hard because every single thing that I make has to be filmed and turned into * content, * but thankfully I found this tool to help me film (link here)! It is an absolute GAME CHANGER for me!! No more wrestling with gooseneck phone holders that fold in half or shake while I paint!
I hope you have found some things you can use in your own watercolor practice! Comment or send me an email if I missed a product you absolutely must-have for your own watercolor practice! I would love to hear what you think!
Thank you so much for being here! And I’ll be back next week with another blog!
- Lauren B.