Recommended Materials for Watercolour Lessons

Teacher’s Guide on Art Equipment for Students Practicing Painting

Aug 28, 2009 Rachel Wills

Prior to embarking upon a watercolour programme, the students must know which art materials to purchase. For this, the teacher must construct a suitable list.

Students wishing to embark upon watercolour painting may not always know where to begin. It often happens that an art class might consist of art students providing all sorts of art materials, some of them unsuitable for watercolour practice. In order to give the lesson a common starting point, the art teacher must provide an introductory lesson on the materials required and to draw up handouts itemising all the materials to reinforce the information.

Guidance on the Basic Materials for Learners

Some art materials are generic in their requirement in art. These are:

Pencils in the range of HB, B and 2B have many uses. A set of pencils will suffice, so long as they contain this mid range. Hard pencils will damage the surface of the paper, and pencils too soft may leave smudges
A plastic eraser or putty rubber. This is good for mopping up greasy marks as well as pencils lines. Hard erasers must be avoided
Pencil sharpener or a scalpel
An Art bin with tiered shelves that open out. This makes the carrying of the art materials more convenient. A plastic toolbox from a DIY shop is just as good and is cheaper
A zipped portfolio or poly holdall for the transportation of A1 or A2 sized paintings

Watercolour Paints, Paper and Brushes for Beginners

A set of recommended watercolours are better than cheap ones from the market. Established producers of watercolour paints have been tried and tested and will produce satisfactory results. Winsor & Newton’s Cotman range or Daler Rowney are two such examples
A set of watercolour tubes will come in useful, but must contain the primary colours lemon yellow, pthalo blue and permanent rose or an equivalent. Additional colours will also serve well: ultramarine, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, viridian, burnt sienna and burnt umber. More colours can be added
A tube of white gouache
Watercolour pencils are an optional addition if the student wishes
Watercolour paper 300gsm (140lb) in thickness is less likely to buckle. Bockingford or Cotman watercolour paper is ideal. Watercolour paper can be purchased in blocks, which means that the pad has been glued around the edges. This dispenses with the need for stretching the paper
Watercolour brushes made by Winsor & Newton or Daler Rowney are best. Sizes 00, 1, 4, 6 round and a 1 inch flat are ideal for detail and for washes. Other brushes such as “riggers” for thin lines and “fan brushes” for applying washes are optional

Other Materials for the Exploration of Watercolour Techniques

Artist’s palette consisting of a ceramic dish or similar
A dropper or pipette for dropping water onto the palette without having to use the brush to dilute the colour
Masking fluid for highlights. This is a rubber gel that can be peeled off when dry. Must only be applied with an old brush

Students wishing to stretch their own paper may purchase the following:

Gum tape
Backing board consisting of thick hardboard or MDF, 16 x 20 inches in size

Handouts for the Opening Lesson of a Watercolour Course

The initial art class often serves to clarify the art materials required for the art course. Handouts will come in useful for students requiring guidance on what art materials to purchase. This will avoid unnecessary questions and save valuable time for the teacher.

Watercolour Materials Required for Art Class

Students embarking upon an art course will feel more secure if they know what is expected of them, particularly when it comes to the art materials. It is good practice to provide an introduction to the art materials via a brief outline of their purposes as well as which brands are best. Providing handouts itemising all the materials required serves to reinforce the information for students. Opening a watercolour class on a common ground will help give the course some coherence and order for the students.

The copyright of the article Recommended Materials for Watercolour Lessons in Arts Education is owned by Rachel Wills. Permission to republish Recommended Materials for Watercolour Lessons in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Watercolour Washes	A Selection of Watercolour Brushes	A Watercolour Range Must Contain Primary Colours
Starting out in Watercolour Painting	Watercolour Pencils are an Optional Extra