🎨 The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Watercolour Painting

Watercolour is a versatile and expressive medium, loved for its luminous quality, soft textures, and fluidity. This guide is designed to walk you through the essentials—from understanding your tools to mastering your first brushstrokes.

🧪 1. Watercolour Paints & Pigments

Types of Watercolour Paints

• Pans: Small dried cakes of paint. Great for travel and convenience.
• Tubes: Soft, paste-like paints. Ideal for mixing large washes.
• Liquid Watercolours: Intense and fun for experimental work.

Student vs. Artist Grade

• Student Grade: Affordable, less pigment, more filler—great for beginners.
• Artist Grade: High pigment load, better transparency and lightfastness.

Understanding Pigments

Each watercolour color is made from pigments labeled with a pigment code (like PB29 for Ultramarine Blue). Single-pigment paints are easier to mix cleanly.

• 🔹 Single-pigment paints: Cleaner color mixes
• 🔹 Multi-pigment paints: More complex but harder to control

🖌️ 2. Brushes

Must-Have Shapes

• Round Brush (Size 6 or 8): Versatile for washes and details
• Flat Brush: For broad strokes and background washes
• Detail Brush (Size 0 or 1): For fine lines and intricate work
• Mop Brush: Big and soft for laying down large washes

Natural vs. Synthetic

• Natural Hair: Premium feel, holds more water
• Synthetic: Affordable, cruelty-free, great for beginners

📄 3. Watercolour Paper

Use proper watercolor paper—it makes all the difference!

• Weight: At least 140 lb (300gsm)
• Texture:
  • Cold Press (NOT): Slight texture, versatile
  • Hot Press: Smooth, ideal for detailed work
  • Rough: Highly textured, expressive
• Material: 100% cotton for professional results

👉 Click here to read our Beginners Guide to Watercolour Paper

Tip: Tape down paper or use a watercolor block to avoid buckling.

🛠️ 4. Other Essential Tools

• Palette for mixing
• Two water containers (rinse + clean)
• Paper towels or sponge
• Masking tape
• Pencil and eraser
• Masking fluid (to preserve white areas)

🖼️ 5. Basic Watercolour Techniques

• Wet-on-Wet: For soft blends and skies
• Wet-on-Dry: For clean edges and detail
• Flat Wash: Even layer of color
• Gradient Wash: Fade from dark to light
• Dry Brush: Rough, textured effects
• Glazing: Layering for depth and tone
• Lifting: Remove paint with damp brush
• Splattering: Flick paint for dynamic texture

🧠 6. Tips for Getting Started

• Start with a limited palette (6–8 colors)
• Practice brush control and water usage
• Work light to dark
• Let layers dry between washes
• Test colors before applying
• Embrace mistakes—watercolor is expressive!

🎨 7. Recommended Beginner Palette (Single Pigments)

A warm and cool version of each primary color + a few essentials is a great start:

Color	Pigment Code	Use
Hansa Yellow	PY3	Cool yellow
Diarylide Yellow	PY83	Warm yellow, rich & vibrant
Quinacridone Rose	PV19	Cool red, florals
Pyrrol Scarlet	PR255	Warm red
Phthalo Blue (GS)	PB15:3	Cool blue, mixes well
Ultramarine Blue	PB29	Warm blue, granulating
Burnt Sienna	PR101	Earth tone, shadows
Payne’s Grey	PBk6 & PB15	Neutral dark, cool tone

📚 8. Practice Projects for Beginners

• Swatch all your colors and label them
• Paint a gradient sky
• Create a color wheel from your palette
• Try loose florals or leaves
• Paint a cup, fruit, or houseplant

📦 9. Optional Add-ons for Fun

• Salt – for crystal-like textures
• Cling Film – for abstract patterns
• White Gel Pen or Gouache – for highlights

🧭 10. Final Thoughts

Watercolour is about flow, patience, and practice. Let the water work with you—don’t fight it!

“Don’t aim for perfect—aim for expressive.”