The easiest way: order a “Beginner’s Kit” from me for $65 (about 15-20% off the cost of buying it all yourself), which includes:

- 12 sheet pad (9x12”) of Arches or Fabriano top-quality 100% cotton paper (an absolute must for beginners, trust me)

- half a tube of each of ten watercolor paints

- a portable folding palette

- four quality synthetic brushes

Just order when you sign up. You can pay for the kit along with the class via Venmo or Zelle, or you can pay for it in cash at the first class.

PLEASE NOTE: You can't run out of paint during class -- refills are included. (Other necessary supplies, which you doubtless already own, are listed below.)

You *may* want to purchase more paper ($20 per pad, always available in the studio ) as the class progresses, but most students find this kit is enough to last through five weeks.

You need four things: paper, paints, paintbrushes, and a palette

If you buy your own supplies, be sure your order these exact supplies online. Or find an art supply store clerk and show them the images below.

BRUSHES:

Princeton Real Value Brush Set #9153, available on all art websites and Amazon.

PAPER:

One PAD of 9x12” Arches paper. get COLD PRESSED paper (green cover), but ROUGH (orange cover) is fine too.. Available on all art sites, and at Dick Blick storesfor $19-21; and in my studio for $20, tax and delivery included.

TUBE PAINTS:

VAN GOGH is the best student brand. We will use 10 colors, below.

PLEASE NOTE: You must fill your own palette, exactly in the order below, at least 2 days before class so the paint can dry out. Email me for easy directions or questions.

Azo Yellow Light (aka lemon, greenish yellow)

Azo Yellow Deep (egg-yolk, orangey yellow)

Permanent Red Light (scarlet, orangey-red)

Quinacridone Rose (rose red, lighter magenta)

Ultramarine Blue (lavender blue)

Prussian Blue (turquoise, greenish-blue)

and for convenience:

Sap Green (yellowish green)

Raw Siena or Yellow Ochre (Dijon mustard color)

Burnt Siena (brick red)

Burnt Umber (chocolate brown)

PALETTE:

Buy a plastic palette with a hinged cover to hold your paints and carry them to class. Most art stores have them for $9 to $15. My fave is in the photo below, but buy the one you like best.

No real need to read further. But if you're interested, here are some useful details about watercolor supplies...

1. PAPER:

This is your single most important item. It absolutely has to be 100% COTTON watercolor paper; if it does not say 100% COTTON on the cover, do NOT buy it. (Don’t be fooled by “140-lb” on the cover; that refers only to the thickness of the paper.)

Please buy ARCHES brand only! (properly pronounced “Arsh”, but everone says "arches") Buy the "140-pound, cold-press sheets". One 30" x 22" sheet can be cut into quarters or sixths or eighths, and costs about $7.-9 per sheet.

Please bring at least one full sheet, cut into smaller pieces like eighths or sixths, to the first class. Protect them flat in a stiff folder, or carry them in a large magazine.

OR, you can buy Arches paper in pads or blocks if you prefer, at least 9”x12”. Note that PADS have 12 sheets, and are much less expensive than BLOCKS, which have 20. You can always buy the pads from me, for about $20 each (depending on how the Euro is doing).

NOTE: Never, NEVER, NEVER buy cheaper Canson, Strathmore, Fabriano, or Montvale “ideal for students” pads—they will doom you to failure and frustration. Trust me on this. Top-quality paper is your top priority, and well worth the cost.

Arches does not make "student-grade" paper, so you can't go wrong with it. You can buy top-quality pads of Arches for $16 and up at Dick Blick art supplies...but call first, they're often out of stock. (See “where to shop” below) or via Internet. I always have them in the studio for purchase.

We will use about 2 sheets per class session. For homework, you can paint on paper as large as you like -- but at least 5x7”.

2. BRUSHES:

Please Note: DO NOT use brushes means for acrylic or oil paints -- they are too stiff and not suitable for watercolor.

The Princeton Real Value Brush Set #9153 is perfect.

Try to buy your brushes in person. Ask a knowledgeable art store clerk to pick two decent quality student grade watercolor brushes for you. Expect to spend $8 to $19 tops per brush. Princeton brand brushes have been generally good, and the Utrecht brand (only at Dick Blick stores) is very good.

You can also buy "Creative Inspiration" brushes in the studio; they are excellent quality at a low price, about $15 for 4 brushes.

Do not invest in costly sable brushes, even if money is no object. They are actually much more difficult for a beginner to use.

3. TUBE PAINTS

Please DO NOT buy or use a set of dry cakes of color. I’ve chosen the eight colors above for best quality and price (mostly under $3/tube). You will probably want to add a few more colors later, but these have been chosen for their superior transparency and non-staining attributes (which means you won’t end up with “mud”).

Please note that if you purchase a Beginner's Kit, I will refill your paints if you run out during the 6-week class.

Good-quality student-grade paints include:

Van Gogh,

Winsor & Newton Cotman,

Grumbacher Academy

Please AVOID the Blick brand, and the Reeves brand, and Michael’s, which carries no high-quality watercolor supplies in the NYC store.

Top-quality artist-grade paints include:

Utrecht Brand: inexpensive but highly rated, a real bargain.

M. Graham brand is excellent quality and value, with intense color.

Daniel Smith paints (available at Blick and online at www.danielsmith.com) are highly rated overall, and less expensive than W&N.

Winsor & Newton Professional, most expensive

4. PALETTE

Palette choice is very personal, so just choose the one that suits you best.

OTHER SUPPLIES:

I’ll supply you with plastic containers for holding water, plus plastic plates for mixing colors. You can also borrow all the things below. But for painting at home, it's good to have the following on hand:

Your paints, paper, and brushes, plus...

Kleenex (generic is fine; dont' use paper towels to blot your painting)

Paper towels or a household sponge to use as a 'mop pad' to control the water in your brush. Bounty’s good, and Viva works best—it has no texture, just in case you need to blot your entire painting.

Ruler or straightedge

Ordinary pencil, preferably one marked "H" or "HB" instead of "B"

Kneaded eraser, available in any art store and most stationery stores, is much better than others, as it leaves no eraser-bits and won't damage the paper.

A small empty spray bottle for water, available at most drugstores. If you can't find one, I have them for $2.

Plastic bags -- Several ordinary clean ones from the supermarket, to safeguard your paints and paper enroute.

You probably have most of these around the house, or hit your 99-Cent store.

WHERE TO SHOP for watercolor supplies:

Sadly, there is only one place left in the city:

Dick Blick Art Supplies, with four locations in Manhattan.

They carry a limited number of Van Gogh and M. Graham paints, and the recommended Arches pads, but call first to make sure everything is in stock.

Please note: the Michaels store carries NO quality watercolor supplies at all.

Dick Blick locations:

- Sixth Ave between 19th and 20th Street

- 13th St. between University and Fifth Aves. 212-777-5353

- 237 W 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Aves. 212-675-8699

- 1-5 Bond Street, off Broadway just above Bleecker St. 212-533-2444

SHOPPING ONLINE:

If you'd rather shop online, try these:

www.jerrysartarama.com

www.cheapjoes.com

www.dickblick.com

www.discountart.com

Of course shipping is extra, so savings may vary. Get on their email list, and you get further discounts and sometimes free shipping.

Please be SURE you have all your supplies, with the paints squeezed into and dried in your palette, or have ordered a Beginner's Kit, before class begins.

And of course if you have any questions, just email me.

No book is required.

However...looking at watercolor images is not only inspirational, but a great help. Of course Pinterest and Youtube have mostly take the place of books for images and instruction, and those are the best places to start. Here’s my Pinterest Boards:

https://www.pinterest.com/jiaconetti/

In the studio, you're welcome to browse my many books of course, and even borrow them. Either way, you'll get a good idea of watercolor's many possibilities.

Nearly every beginner book has the same basic technique information, so if you buy one, choose the book with watercolors in a style that really appeals to you.

My favorite beginner book: Watercolor: No Experience Necessary by Carol Cooper (out of print, but all these are available on Amazon)

You Can Paint Watercolors by Alwyn Crawshaw (paperback)

Watercolor: A New Beginning by Anne Lindsay

Watercolor for the Fun of It: Getting Started by John Lovett He also has an excellent site worth exploring, www.johnlovett.com

The Watercolor Book by David Dewey Lots of technique information, with gorgeous paintings.

Intermediate Level:

Conversations in Paint, by Charles Dunn One of the best, most complete how-to books ever, with watercolor examples based on Andy Warhol’s soup can. Yes.

The Simple Secret to Better Painting, by Greg Albert. The title does not lie.

Also:

The Complete Sketching Book by John Hamilton, imho the simplest and best drawing book.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. A deservedly famous bestseller on how to be more creative, no matter what your art.