Material List for Watercolour at RQAS Broadbeach
The list below is the basic recommendations for my watercolour class and is intended as a guide only.
If you’re a beginner, I would recommend not spending too much on materials while you’re finding your feet.
I always recommend people visit Musgrave Art Supplies in Southport to purchase any art materials. They have a great selection of quality supplies at an affordable price. Other places (like Eckersley) tend to be overpriced, and on the flip side, you’ll regret spending too little at places like Officeworks or the Discount Stores.
Total Beginner
If you’re a total beginner and currently have no supplies but want to start, I would recommend purchasing the following materials.
PAINTS:
Micador Brilliant set of 24 available here at Musgrave
These paints are affordable, vibrant and for a disc set of paints have a good level of pigment
BRUSHES:
- Round No. 12 and No. 8 here at Musgrave
These watercolour brushes are entry-level, but still last really well. Start with 2-3 different-sized watercolour brushes in the above sizes (or thereabouts), and build on from there. I’ve had the same 3 watercolour brushes for the last 6 years and find I dont need much more.
PAPER:
A4 or A3 pad in 185gsm (cold or hot pressed) Available here at Musgrave
Alternatively,
A1 sheets of watercolour paper in the following cut into smaller pieces
- 190gsm Hot-pressed
- 190gsm Cold-pressed
Pick up only - Available here at Musgrave
You can either purchase watercolour paper in A3 and A4 pads, or it’s slightly more affordable to purchase the large A1 sheets from your local art store and trim them down into A4 pages. I would start with this option as it’s more affordable to experiment with different papers in the beginning
Regardless of whether you choose a pad or the large sheets, go for a lower gsm paper of 180gsm-195gsm as it’s more affordable while you’re still practising. Eventually, move up to a 300gsm or 400gsm paper.
*read more about the difference between hot and cold press below
Paper Towel
Water jars
2B and 6B pencil + kneadable eraser
Sketch paper (any cheap paper to sketch studies on)
More Advanced
The only element that would change for more advanced water-colorist is purchasing tube paints and maybe a few more brushes
Paints
In terms of tube paints, my absolute favorite brands are either Daniel Smith or Holbein, and can be purchased individually or as a pack. I use this one from Holbein available at Musgrave Art
Palette
A large one with plenty of space for different colours and room for mixing paint, such as this from Musgrave Art
Brushes
I’m oddly content with the three round brushes I own… but have often thought that a nice large flat brush would be nice.
Different Watercolour Paper
Watercolour paper can be the most expensive element as it is an ongoing cost. In the beginning, your best to purchase lower GSM paper (which more or less refers to how thick the paper is). Start with a 180gsm paper as it is the thinnest and most affordable, and eventually test out a 300gsm or 450gsm (which do feel much better to paint on)
Once you’ve decided on the gsm then you can either choose hot-pressed paper or cold-pressed paper
Cold-pressed watercolour paper has a much rougher texture and soaks up the paint, providing a much more matte finish for your paints - this is generally my preference and you can purchase it in rough or smooth (grab one of each)
Hot-pressed watercolour paper is much smoother and with comparatively minimal texture which doesn’t soak up the paint as fast. This means you have more variance, puddles and wet marks in your paintings which can make the finished piece look very luminous. (Not my personal preference but a beautiful option)