How to Choose Your Watercolour Supplies?

Colours

There are two main grades of watercolour paints: student-grade (fine) and professional-grade (extra-fine).

Student-grade watercolours are what we call study quality and are perfectly suitable for beginners. They are less concentrated in pigments than professional ranges but are very affordable. I personally started with La Petite Aquarelle range by Sennelier. Since then, I have created a beginner’s kit that includes my selection of colours, a brush, paper, as well as a guide and a tutorial to discover watercolour painting.

If you’d like to learn more about the beginner kit, you can find it here!

 

If you enjoy watercolour painting and are looking for more highly pigmented colours or a wider colour range, you can move on to professional-grade (extra-fine) paints.

The major watercolour brands are generally equivalent in quality, so your choice may depend on colours you personally enjoy, whether the brand is made in France, or the price. As for me, I use Sennelier watercolours daily. It is a historic French brand and a key reference in fine art supplies. The colours are intense, activate very easily (meaning that with a bit of water, the pan becomes usable within seconds with a good pigment concentration), and the colour range offers nearly 100 shades!

Ready-made palettes?

Classic palettes of around ten colours usually include primary colours in both warm and cool versions (for example, a cool lemon yellow and a more orange-toned yellow), along with so-called “classic” shades such as earth colours, sap green, or Payne’s grey.

Personally, I find these palettes difficult to use because the colours are rarely used straight from the pan and often require mixing to achieve more subtle, nuanced tones.

This observation led me to create my signature Sennelier palette: I selected ready-to-use colours, both vibrant and neutral (desaturated colours), which are essential for a balanced colour harmony. Completed with primary yellow and phthalo blue (primary), this palette allows me to obtain any shade I want, while also having subtle colours directly available in pans!

I personally can’t do without it anymore—it’s an excellent palette to invest in professional-grade colours or to expand your collection with sometimes lesser-known but very rich shades. I’ve created a guide presenting this palette and its possibilities; if you’re interested, you can find it here!

Tubes or pans?

There are two types of watercolour packaging: pans (and half pans) and tubes.

Pans are compact and fit into metal palettes. Tubes are used by squeezing paint onto a palette. Most watercolour artists use pans, which they sometimes refill with tube paint once the pan is empty. Indeed, watercolour paint can dry and be reactivated endlessly, so you can create your own pans from tubes.

Tubes are especially useful for painting large formats that require a large quantity of paint, as well as for using large brushes that are not suitable for small pans.

     

 

TO KEEP IT SIMPLE You can start with the “Débuter l’aquarelle” Sennelier beginner kit and then invest in a professional-grade colour palette if you wish to continue your practice. Link to my beginner kit: "Débuter l'aquarelle" Sennelier My signature palette is very complete and versatile, offering both vibrant and ready-to-use tones. Simply add primary yellow and phthalo blue. Start with half pans, then buy tubes to refill them once they’re empty. Link to my signature palette: Palette Ondine de Peretti x Sennelier Colours are also a great source of inspiration. If you’re looking for unusual and inspiring colours, I recommend discovering Les Couleurs VF artisanal watercolours. These are professional-grade paints with a range of over one hundred very subtle and unique shades. I offer a personal selection to help you discover them. Link to Les Couleurs VF website: https://lescouleursvf.com/

Watercolour papers

As with colours, there are two main types of paper: cellulose paper and cotton paper.

Cellulose paper

I can recommend some cellulose paper references, but I strongly advise switching quite quickly to 100% cotton paper, as the sometimes dull results and lack of flexibility of cellulose paper can be discouraging.

In any case, always use paper around 300 gsm. It needs to be thick and strong enough to handle the large amounts of water used in watercolour painting.

Cotton paper

100% cotton paper offers far better results and is essential for creating beautiful watercolours. It dries much more slowly, giving you plenty of time to work on blends and transitions. By contrast, cellulose papers often create blooms and produce duller results.

Cotton papers come in three surface textures: hot-pressed (smooth), cold-pressed, and rough. Cold-pressed paper is the most commonly used and the most versatile. I never use hot-pressed paper for watercolour because water control is very delicate and the paper absorbs colours differently. Rough paper adds character to watercolour painting, requires more water, and allows for beautiful texture effects—it’s a paper that intermediate watercolourists should absolutely explore!

Blocks or sheets?

Paper is available in blocks or large sheets.

Blocks have the advantage of keeping the paper flat, as sheets tend to warp when painting. However, they are very expensive and limited in size. Large sheets are cheaper but need to be cut. This is what I use, as it allows me to create any format I want. Carefully cut with a metal ruler, sheets allow you to create all types of formats while keeping a beautiful deckled edge.

TO KEEP IT SIMPLE Use cellulose paper for sketches, but switch to 100% cotton paper as soon as possible. For cellulose paper, I recommend Concept Watercolour Joy de chez Hahnemühle. Pour le papier 100% coton, voici mes recommandations : Dalbe paper: the best value for money. Arches paper : the French reference for high-quality watercolour paper, characterized by a lovely cream colour that slightly warms up artworks. The Collection Watercolour Hahnemühle paper: offers a subtle texture, allows smooth blends and gradients, and provides faithful, vibrant colour rendering.

Watercolour brushes

The first watercolour brushes were made from animal hair: squirrel (petit-gris) and sable. These gave rise to two main brush categories: very soft brushes capable of holding large amounts of water, and more springy brushes designed for detailed work.

These brushes still exist today and are complemented by synthetic brushes that reproduce their specific qualities.

There are many brush shapes, but I only use one: the round brush. You’re welcome to explore others if you wish, but I don’t have specific recommendations for them.

A little extra tip: keep your worn brushes whose tips are damaged. They’re perfect for creating spontaneous round shapes, especially useful in landscapes.

TO KEEP IT SIMPLE Princeton Neptune synthetic brushes are excellent. They hold water very well, are soft, and have a beautiful point. They are very versatile and affordable. I recommend round brushes in sizes 1, 4, and 10. If you feel you need more control for detailed areas, I recommend Kum Memory Point in sizes 3 or 4, which offer great precision.

Accessories

Most metal palettes sold on the market include mixing areas to prepare your washes—that is, mixtures of pigment and water. If you need more surface, you can simply use a white plate.

Kneaded eraser: this is a soft eraser that allows you to lighten or completely erase pencil lines. It doesn’t damage the paper and doesn’t crumble into small bits.

Masking tape: it allows you to create a clean white border around your watercolours and also to secure your sheet to a rigid support to prevent excessive warping while painting. I use Scotch Magic Tape, Nippon Gold Tape made from rice paper and specifically designed to protect watercolour paper, or classic classic washi tape .

Masking fluid: this liquid allows you to preserve white areas on the paper.