Watercolor for beginners
Learn Watercolor Techniques from the Ground Up
If you're eager to start your watercolor journey, this page is perfect for you. When you scroll down, you will find a link to a free course designed for beginners; it covers essential concepts like the color wheel, primary and secondary colors, and crucial techniques such as wet-on-wet and color lifting. You'll learn to control water and paint on paper, creating smooth, soft layers without hard edges. With detailed, step-by-step instructions, you'll gain the confidence to blend colors, mix on the paper, and paint beautiful subjects independently. Join me and unlock your potential as a watercolor artist.
Essential Art Supplies to Start Painting
The Essential Tools for Your Watercolor Adventure
Watercolor Paper
The best watercolor paper for beginners is Cold Pressed, 140lb, 100% Cotton. I highly recommend Arches Watercolor Paper, my top choice for over 10 years.
Hahnemuhle's The Collection Cold Pressed is also a good option, but its recent texture change makes it feel like Hot Pressed, which isn't ideal for beginners. Hot Pressed paper dries too quickly, making paint control and layering difficult. Choose a paper with a nice texture that offers more control and forgiveness, making it easier to layer colors.
Watercolor Paints
If you're planning to invest in watercolor paints, I recommend going for professional grade rather than student grade. Student grade watercolors often contain low-quality ingredients and synthetic fillers, leading to muddy colors and poor results. Personally, I prefer Holbein watercolors and recommend them. I've used other brands like Winsor and Newton, Cotman, Grumbacher, and Daniel Smith, but they didn't blend well and often resulted in a muddy layer. After trying several brands, I found that professional grade watercolors like Schmincke, Royal Talens, and especially Holbein, made a huge difference in my artwork. With Holbein's watercolors, I could control the paint and water better, significantly improving my artwork. When choosing watercolors, it's essential to select a professional line, and you don't need a wide range of colors to start. Just a few professional grade paints can produce beautiful artwork.
- Raw sienna
- Yellow ochre
- Imidazolone yellow (primary yellow)
- Isoindolinone yellow deep
- Quinacridone red
- Pyrrole red (pimary red)
- Cobalt blue
- Phthalo blue red shade (primary blue)
- Indigo
- Sap green
- Hooker's green
- Burnt sienna
- Vandyke brown
- Cobalt green
- Cobalt turquoise light
recommended colors:
Holbein Watercolors (if you use other brands colors may have different names)
Watercolor brushes
Alright, it's no secret that I have my own watercolor brush collection, but I never force my students to use them in my classes. I believe in letting you choose your supplies. However, I do suggest my brushes, designed with top-notch brush makers. My ‘Songbird’ line is handmade by da Vinci in Germany, featuring the best long quills, riggers, and small round brushes for details. You can purchase them in my Etsy shop, but here’s a list of suggested brushes to start your watercolor journey.
Recommended Brushes:
- For the smallest details, use small round brushes with sizes 0, 2, and 3. These brushes should be medium-stiff ("Songbird-Details")
- Medium size round brushes, example, round 6,8, these brushes should also be medium-stiff (Round 8, "Golden 1")
- For smoother layers, use a softer round brush with size 6 or 8 (Round 8 "Golden 2)
- To create fine lines and lift colors, you need a rigger brush with size 2. This should also be a medium-stiff brush. ("Songbird" riggers)
- If you are comfortable painting animals, consider getting a quill brush. The "Songbird" line offers long quill brushes with sizes 2 or 4, which hold a lot of water and paint. All brushes in this line are vegan and cruelty-free
("Songbird" quills). - For larger coverage, use a flat brush. I highly recommend da Vinci's Casaneo line, with flat brushes in sizes 20 or 24. These brushes can last for a decade and are a great investment, especially if you enjoy painting landscapes or seascapes.
Top Brush Picks for Perfecting Your Technique
Watercolor Beginner Series
Please start with this beginner series first and download the free PDF book “Beginner’s Guide to Watercolor” to keep.
What students are saying:
"A blend of loose watercolor techniques with just enough detail to bring paintings to life is what drew me to Maria’s tutorials.
From Maria’s tutorials and classes, I have learned which parts of the watercolor painting to concentrate on details and which parts to imply. Although I have been learning from Maria for over a year, I still have so much to learn. In this short time, however, my paintings have gone from sitting in a practice stack to me confidently sending them to family and friends — even asking for photos of their pets to paint! "
Christina B.
ready for more?
The next class I recommend is the "New To Watercolors" course at my MWA (Maria's Watercolor Academy). This free course offers comprehensive information about art supplies and breaks down all the essential watercolor techniques. You'll have numerous opportunities to practice wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and color lifting, ensuring a solid foundation in watercolor painting.
FREE Beginner COURSE
Beginner Course II on Patreon
You can also dive into my in-depth 12-episode course on Patreon. The first three episodes focus on art materials, setting a strong foundation. The subsequent episodes are packed with exercises, allowing you to practice and refine your skills. By the end of the course, you'll be creating various paintings, continuously learning and progressing in your watercolor journey.
Watercolors for Beginners Course
Join Me on Patreon
Before joining, you can familiarize yourself with all the content by looking through Patreon's Index.
Explore my watercolor school on Patreon, where you can find a wide range of classes and tutorials. Whether you're a student or just curious about the content, it's a great way to familiarize yourself with all the resources available.
find out more
What to expect on Patreon?
- There are numerous watercolor classes and tutorials available for you to choose from.
- Each class or tutorial includes a recommended list of art supplies, a downloadable pencil sketch, a reference image, and a wealth of tips and links to assist you throughout the course.
- The classes are recorded in real-time, and you can pause them at any time. You do not need to rush to complete each class within a specific timeframe.
- A new class is posted every Friday.
- Joining Patreon means joining a community of artists just like you, where you can showcase your artwork and connect with others who share your passion. Share your creativity by posting your artwork under Community Chats or Private Facebook Group, and let your talent inspire others.
