Watercolor for Beginners: Lesson 1 – Essential Supplies & Water Control Basics

Welcome to Your First Watercolor Lesson!

Starting with watercolor can feel overwhelming, there are so many brushes, papers, and paints to choose from! In this lesson, we’ll go over the must-have supplies for beginners and walk through your first watercolor exercise: mastering water control.

Watch the full tutorial on YouTube:FULL TUTORIAL

What You’ll Learn in This Lesson

The best watercolor supplies for beginners (without breaking the bank!)
How to control water for smooth blends and vibrant layers
A simple exercise to build confidence with your brush

Beginner-Friendly Watercolor Supplies

I recommend starting with quality but affordable materials to make learning easier.

Brushes – Golden Maple Watercolor Brushes are a good starter brush that is a good student quality, but my favorite brushes are Silver Black Velvet.
Paper – 100% Cotton, Cold Press, Watercolor Paper
Paints – Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paints are great student quality paints when you’re just starting out, but my personal favorite brand is Daniel Smith for professional quality watercolor paints.
Palette – Enamel Coated Butcher Tray or a good ceramic palette are my personal favorites.
Other Essentials – Water container, a spray bottle, and paper towels

💡 Tip: Always use 100% cotton watercolor paper for the best results, it makes blending and layering much easier!

Practice Exercise: Mastering Water Control

Water control is one of the trickiest skills for beginners, but this simple exercise will help:

Wet-on-Wet: Apply clean water to your paper, then drop in some paint and watch it spread.
Wet-on-Dry: Load your brush with paint and apply it to dry paper for more defined shapes.
Gradients: Start with a strong color and gradually add more water to fade it out.

🌟 Watch the full lesson on YouTube for a step-by-step demonstration! FULL LESSON HERE!

Next Steps

Watch the full tutorial on YouTube:FULL TUTORIAL
Share your finished project: Share a picture of your finished project on social media and tag @libbyallexstudio

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube for more watercolor lessons!

Lesson 1 Final Project!