Affordable Watercolor Painting Supplies- The Products that Got Me Started

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Are expensive, super-high quality supplies really necessary to progress your watercolor painting skills? What can you do as a beginner just starting out to ensure that you're spending your money wisely and not on cheap materials that are going to make the learning process more difficult than it needs to be?



In my Watercolor Supplies 101 class I explain about the common types of watercolor paint, paper and paintbrushes that you'll be able to find in art supply stores, a well as what I'd recommend for beginners. 

Today, I'll be sharing the exact products that I finally came across at the beginning of my watercolor painting journey that really allowed me to make substantial progress without breaking the bank.

In the video included within this post, I'll be talking about these items. I'll also be sharing a time lapse of an illustration I created using a combination of these.

When I was first getting started, I didn't have money to spend on the high-end paper, paintbrushes and paint sets that I saw professional artists using and recommending on Instagram and/or YouTube.

​As I tried to learn what I could from the pros, I heard them saying time and time again, that the higher the quality of the supplies, the better results will be. Especially, it seemed, when painting with this very volatile medium. 

Though you should definitely avoid the super-cheap watercolor paint/paper varieties because they will not really help you understand the medium's characteristics and will probably make the learning process much more frustrating, there are brands that offer excellent quality products at affordable prices that are perfect for those starting out. 

Rest assured that you can progress your skills far with accessibly priced products. I also think there's a lot to say for artists who're able to create amazing looking artwork with what they have on hand and that don't rely on only the best-of-the-best supplies.

I still use several of these items, to-the-day.

Not only for teaching and filming tutorials, but also whenever I'm not creating a painting or illustration I'm intending to sell or when the art will be scanned for prints or uploading onto shops online. 

​Let's get to the video!

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If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*

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After almost four years of painting with watercolors I can honestly say that, while it's true that artists selling their work must be able to offer high-quality, durable artwork to their customers, beginners shouldn't feel the pressure to spend $40 dollars on sable brushes or $50 dollars on watercolor paper.

Beginners should be exploring, trying different techniques, learning the do's and don'ts of the medium on hand, and thinking about what subjects and styles they'd love to become better at. 

​They shouldn't stop themselves from creating because they're afraid of wasting expensive supplies.
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Watercolor Plymouth Fury by Erika Lancaster. Winsor & Newton 12-pan set on Fabriano watercolor paper.

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Watercolor Sandwich by Erika Lancaster. Sakura Koi Watercolors on Canson Watercolor Paper.

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You'll be able to find a list of my current favorite watercolor supplies here. 
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Awesome Watercolor Paint Sets for Beginners

​Watercolor Paper

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Watercolor Paintbrushes

Princeton SNAP! Golden Synthetic Brushes $3.09 - $10.01

Princeton Neptune Series 4750 Synthetic Squirrel Brushes $4.18 - $51.15

Royal Langnickel Zen Watercolor Brushes $2.99 - $5.99

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I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey!  :)


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