One of the hardest things about starting a new hobby is figuring out exactly what stuff you need to get going. We wanted to put together a quick series of posts looking at the essentials for different crafty pursuits. Up this time: watercolor painting, the perfect apartment-sized art pursuit. 

Paint

We love these Reeves liquid watercolor sets. They'll last you forever, and the quality of the paint is really nice for the price. 

Brushes

Everyone seems to have their own favorite brush, but when you're starting out, you probably don't want to spend $20 or $30 on a single brush. I like these value packs from Princeton, but no matter which you get, a good rule of thumb is to make sure the brush doesn't shed bristles as you work. 

Paper

We're big fans of Canson cold-pressed watercolor paper, especially the 9"x12" size. It's a great value for nice, thick, absorbent paper, and you can get about 30 sheets for $10. 

Artist Board + Tape

Because you're getting your paper soaking wet when painting with watercolors, it has a tendency to roll up on you. Enter an artist board and artist tape. Taping your paper down will save you a lot of stress, and as an added bonus, it'll give you a neat white border all along the edge. 

Palette

There are tons of palettes out there, but a basic plastic one should serve you just fine as you're getting started. Painting with watercolor involves a lot of mixing and blending, so you'll appreciate having lots of little separated areas in which to do you mixing. 

Here's all the individual materials compiled into a handy Amazon Shopping list, though of course you may want to shop around for better pricing! 

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links; they help us pay the bills!