Watercolor Kit Recommendations

 Overview

Inspiration happens at the strangest times.  You have to be ready.  Choose your supplies the same way you would camping supplies. Prioritize your purchases by small size, low weight, multifunction, modular shape, and reusability (or at least with readily available cheap restock options).  Spend money on permanence and predictable performance.  Invest in yourself.  Light your own damn candle and let everyone around you bask in the warmth of your creative fire.

An Example of my Watercolor

This example was made using the supplies listed below.  I do not use expensive gouache cells or aquarelles.  I strictly use watercolor half pans (small, dried rectangles rehydrated with water that redry very quickly).  The paints are standard sized, and refills are cheap and easy to find.  I usually start with watercolor on cold pressed paper without sketching, or I start with ink and use calligraphy nibs to draw something, let it dry, and then watercolor a soft backdrop where using ink would have been too much.

Preassembled Starter Kits

Bare-minimum requirements: 

1. a removable mixing palette (doesn't ruin your paints when you close up shop), 
2. a gamut of paint colors (I usually go with CMYK + Brown + White),
3. room for a brush or two (avoid brush pens in the beginning),
4. a water basin or cup (preferably with water storage and/or a spray bottle).

Either one of these is enough to do great things and avoid missing out on once-in-a-lifetime sunrises.

Windsor & Newton Cotman Field Pocket Set $23

This is the GOAT.  It's small, everything can be disassembled for easy cleaning, comes with a real brush, a cup for water that doubles as a case, and even comes with a sponge. This does so much in a small footprint, it leaves room for luxury items like ink and a few nibs.  It even comes with a hidden water bottle.

I mean COME ON.  That's awesome. This thing could easily fit in a fanny pack with room to spare. (Please don't do that.)

Artdecool Travel Studio $22

This is a great setup, but not for your EDC (every day carry).  This one is perfect for vacations where you can throw this gem in a beach bag, duffel, or suitcase and know that you have everything you need to make magic.

Watercolor is about mixing and learning about the physics involved between your brush, paints, water, and paper.  Spend your time learning to blend and let cohesion drive your gradients. Not only is less more, but the human eye absolutely detests a void and will fill negative space with details you could never carve out by hand.  Watercolor flows, and you have to learn how to get out of your own way.

BYOB (Build Your Own Bag)

It's time to get serious.  When assembling your own kit, the same camping rules apply but you get to be creative and swap things out you don't find yourself using. You'll also find yourself constantly on the lookout for amazing and unique bags that can house unique kit combinations.  I keep a watercolor rig, a pen-and-ink setup, a mixed media bag, and a prototyping kit for work (with rulers and stencils mixed in).  There are so many amazing bags out there, and you will begin to span out into bags not made for art but that scream for you to change their minds.

It's absolutely essential that you remember that watercolor wants to play with other media and is extremely complimentary to pencil, pen-and-ink, sumi-e, even calligraphy.  If you plan it right, you can still pull off a gloriously small set of gear that you can keep in your car, a laptop bag, or in a backpack so light you forget it's there and be able to meet the needs of your muse.

Cases

Form follows function and the case or bag you pick will grant you insights and dictate what options you have available.  I follow three simple rules when setting up my bag: 

1. be able to see all the tools without digging for them: brushes, nibs, sponges, paints, inks, and spray bottles without having to hunt and peck,
2. have somewhere to mix colors and produce gradients without threatening my paper (mixing is dirty work but your paper is a holy place that must be maintained with respect and solemnity),
3. something to clean my brushes and palette with, and soak excess and generate effects without any potential for damaging the final product or consumable components (usually a towel and sponge).

Upon completion, everything must be dry and stored in a predictable location, your artwork must be stored dry and preferably with a chemical seal. Even with all those functional expectations, you will not believe the form options you have to choose from.  The world of bags is a crazy, beautiful place.  Here are the five bags I still keep in rotation and have recommended to peers who have yet to complain.

Bag 1: The Inker's Dream

8.7" x 7.4" x 2.75"      8.7oz

The DHXYZZB Essential Oils Carrying Case ($14) may not have been designed for ink, but it is a perfect piece of kit and what I personally carry E V E R Y W H E R E.  What makes this thing really shine is coupling it with plastic ink wells for calligraphy (which comes with 3 suction cup holders for pinning them to your palette to hold ink/water).  The ink wells sit flush within the foam, leaving plenty of room in the mesh pocket for a small paint set, washi tape, cold press postcard paper, brushes, sponges, and pens. I use 20 of the holes for ink and cut open the last two columns to hold a tiny bottle of watercolor masking fluid, and nib flush.

Bag 2: The Classic Clutch

8.4" x 3.4" x 2"       8.8 oz

The Kayond Hard Pencil Case ($13) is a great choice with a mesh pocket to hold sponges, water, and a cup, a soft divider with 5 pen/brush elastic slots, and an internal basin ideal for a watercolor bookmark pad. The outside is ribbed, with a zippered closure, and the internals are fabric over foam.  It isn't carbon fiber, but for $13, it's an absolute steal. It comes with nothing but potential.

Bag 3: The Rugged Pouch

8" x 5" x 3"     8.7 oz

The OneTrigris IFAK ($24) is an admin bag designed primarily for first aid field kits, but if you look at the photo it should be obvious how well this bag's function aligns with watercolor needs.  It has zero external branding, is made from 500D Cordura Nylon, and can be attached to a backpack or belt in seconds.  The interior has all the room you need, and has larger bands for holding things like utility knives, hole punches, patterned scissors, etc.  The outside has a series of overlapping elastic bands that can be used to hold a shammy while it dries out in the open air.  For the price, this is an awesome choice.  By the way, you don't have to dress up like an urban ninja to carry one. It has a perfectly normal handle on top.

Bag 4: The Road Tripper

8.5" x 8" x 4"     1.7 lbs

The Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack ($99) is my wife's favorite bag, and by far the one she gets the most compliments on.  It has TONS of room, has a wonderfully comfortable strap, a great water bottle holster, and is made from 1000D ballistic nylon.  It also has a discreet conceal-and-carry pocket on the interior for a 9mm handgun.  This is the kit you want by your side when going solo through unknown areas.  The shoulder strap can be adjusted easily and Maxpedition makes tons of accessories (like the bolt-on flashlight clip I keep on mine).  This is a great daily bag for charcoal and pastels, too, as the material it is made from is waterproof and is much more solid than the previous bags listed here.

Bag 5: The Laptop Duelist

11"x 16" x 6"      3.1 lbs

Also available in black, the Vanquest Envoy-17 ($226) is the laptop bag you can pry from my cold dead hands when I leave this world.  It has a luxuriously broad seatbelt strap, tons of pockets and slots, and a padded Velcro-strapped pocket for an 18" laptop.  The world is full of messenger bags.  What makes this one amazing is the optional Vanquest Drop-in Organizer Insert in matched color. Vanquest makes the highest quality bags I've been able to find, and their accessories are fantastic and well-engineered.  It's made from 500D Cordura.

This optional insert comes with easy-to-move modular dividers and perfect handles, plus is fitted to sit inside the Envoy-17 (even with a laptop present).  I throw all my large tools in this thing, and when I get to the office, I pull this thing out and have everything I need immediately available.  When I'm ready to take pictures of the results or throw things into Lightroom, I take out my laptop.  The Vanquest Envoy also comes in a 13-inch version, but there is no drop-in available for the smaller size. The drop-in has been discontinued, but you can find them online if you try hard enough.

Art Supply Stores

Note, most of the bags listed above can be found on Amazon.  The rest of the gear listed below will often require a dedicated art supply store.  I use these in order, if one doesn't have it, I check the next:

• The Birmingham Pen Company - This is where I buy all my ink.  They are all produced in small batches by a tiny company of 2 in Pittsburgh.  I pray they never go out of business, because my heart wouldn't be able to handle the loss. Yes, yes, what does this have to do with watercolor? Once you start pushing water around and learning the sheer magic of cohesion, you'll realize that ink and watercolor are soul-fated lovers.
• St. Louis Art Supply - I LOVE this store.  Their prices are good, they carry hard-to-find products, and they ship super-fast.  This is my go-to.  It's also the best place to buy Kakimori products.
• Dick Blick - This is the mother of all art stores.  If nobody else has what you need, DB will.  They are also great for stocking classrooms as they offer discounts for bulk purchases.
• Michaels - Don't give me that look.  Michaels is awesome, and I'd have Joann on this list, too, if the universe didn't hate me.

Brushes

This is where you have the most lee way based on your style.  Some people love giant fan brushes, others insist on only using fine liners.  I like having at least two: one fine, one broad.  If I include a third, it is usually a long fine that squashes into flower petal shapes.

Set 1: Short and Sweet

Il DoppioTravel Brush #1 ($55) from Borciani e Bonazzi, is a full-length brush with a different sized head on each end: one fine, one broad.  It's made in Italy and comes in a white gift box.  It's thick in the middle like a pen, which means it won't bounce around when placed in elastic expecting a pen or pencil, where a thin fine liner would just fall out.  She isn't cheap, though. Their Travel Brush #2 includes a dagger tail which is great for making flower petals and leaves.  You are paying for quality and convenience. Treat yourself.

Set 2: Collapsible Full-Length

Fuumuui 4-piece Kolinsky Sable with Leather Pouch ($24) is a real treat for people into both watercolor and Sumi-e.  That fourth rounded brush is great for bamboo and large character work.  These also feel good in larger hands.  I have big hands and most watercolor brushes feel like they are going to bend or bow, having nothing to do with pressure.  It's easier to paint when I have a better grip on my brush.  I have a light touch, thank you very much.

Set 3: Beast-mode

The Petit Gris Pur ($36) from Isabey, is an old-school/vintage watercolor brush with a long thick mop with hand-thinned squirrel hair that comes to a fine tip.  If you have room for it in your bag, you should probably buy more than one. By itself, each brush is 10-inches long.  I'd also keep my mouth shut about that squirrel hair business.

Paper

I love watercolor paper.  I like a lot of other mediums, but the texture of watercolor paper on your brush is magic every time.  There is a rustic vibe to the entire process that can't be described until you try it yourself, especially once you touch cold press paper with a fine pen nib.  The pluck of metal on the fluffy fibrous velvet is satisfying to the nth degree.

It is important to discuss the differences between watercolor paper types prior to making any recommendations.  I'm going to pull straight from Google on this one:

• Hot Pressed (HP): This paper is smooth and ideal for detailed work and fine lines. It is best for techniques that require precision.
• Cold Pressed (CP): Also known as NOT (not hot pressed), this paper has a slight texture, making it versatile for various techniques. It is suitable for both detailed and loose painting styles.
• Rough: This type has a pronounced texture, which is great for creating expressive washes and textures. It is often used for more dynamic and loose painting styles.

Function 1: Travel

There is no substitute for cold press watercolor postcards; however, cost-wise it is MUCH more economic to buy larger watercolor stock (at Michaels hopefully on sale) and cut it down to size.  There is something to be said for convenience, especially when you get a reusable postcard tin to keep your work safe, and new blanks from being bent.  Buy the Watercolor Postcard Fine Metal Case ($16) from Hahnemühle once, just to have the tin for future use.  The paper is nice, but stiff, and a bit light on texture.

Function 2: Daily Exercises

Everybody needs to practice.  My cross-hatching is atrocious.  Even Gemini says I should focus on fruit until I can learn to draw more than 3 lines in parallel.  As in the kitchen with knifework, daily technique exercises are all about establishing muscle memory.  Buy the paper type and texture that you plan on using for basic and fancy endeavors; otherwise, you will be surprised and then devastated by unknown responses to your brush, pen, even how the water behaves.  I am currently using 300 GSM heavy textured cold press 5x7" sheets from Prudiut. You get 50 sheets for $20.  Oddly enough, 6x8" sheets are $18.  I'm not sure why, but it has a great feel and drinks watercolor in all the right ways, without bleeding through to the back.  It also isn't too plucky, which lends itself to nib work if you decide to use it for calligraphy.

Function 3: Big Kid Stuff

I am rarely confident enough to go big with watercolor.  Plus, I like being able to finish a piece in one sitting.  I do however love to save money, so I do both by buying the 11x15" Watercolor Pad from Artist's Loft on sales at Michaels.  It has a great texture, is good card stock at 140 lb, and dense (300 GSM).  From a single sheet, I can cut nine postcards, yielding 270 good quality postcards for $9 if bought in bulk online.  The last time I went to a physical Michaels location, they had them on sale: 2 for $14.  I bought all the things.  Sorry, not sorry.

Function 4: For Christmas

Okay, this is a definite splurge, but if you love someone that paints, and you want to give them something they will actually use (and probably covet) I present to you McTavish Designs Leather Journals ($100) , handmade in Scotland, with pro-grade Arches rough deckled watercolor paper.  You're getting Arches Watercolour Paper (they're in the UK), which by itself is as good as it gets without buying small batch from individual shops and costs almost as much as they are asking for the leather and paper.  McTavish has tons of sizes to choose from, and I recommend less sheets, not more.  

Most artists go through phases of interest, and the idea of filling a journal with 300 pages is overwhelming.  Most of these journals have 40 pages, which is absolutely perfect.  I have received a lot of journals over the years, and my favorites are always handmade.  As much as we all love art, the least we can do is invest in people who love making all the things that make it possible.

You have no idea how many years it took me to get up the courage to break into this beast.

Paints

This is where I step outside my comfort zone.  I've never taken a painting course, nor did I go to art school.  I've read books.  I've watched tutorials online, but I learned about watercolor from my wife.  She bought me my first watercolor set 24 years ago.  I still have it, and it created an addiction for hard paint and an appreciation for affordable watercolor.  There are some fancy (read: expensive) options out there, but I've never used them.  With that fine print out of the way, here are the ones I've used, and if it made the list, I consider it safe to recommend.

Set 1: My First Love

The Angora 36 Pan Watercolour Set ($32) from Talens is a great set, with some harder to find colors (that apricot in the upper right is spectacular).  After a few years of dabbling with watercolor in general, I feel there are too many colors in this set and way too many shades of blue.  Learn to work with less.  It's all about blending and good gradients come from good pigments, not more paint.

Set 2: El Cheapo McTravelstein

The Koh-I-Noor Opaque Watercolor Paint Wheel ($13) isn't anything to brag about, but it covers all the bases in the most compact way possible.  The only thing that would potentially make it better would be if it was square instead of round, so it would sit still in my bag (but that wouldn't screw together very easily now, would it).  It's worth mentioning that the clear lid makes a great mixing palette in a pinch.  This little beast has been in production for decades, so it is safe to get addicted to.  It comes in stacks of 12, 24, and 36.  I prefer the 24.

Set 3: The Sweet Spot

The Meeden 12 Color Travel Set ($16) not only comes with a tin and a brush pen (ew, not my thing), but it comes with white!  Most basic sets do not include white, and once you get in your watercolor groove you will figure out you either have to: make zero mistakes (good luck with that), use liquid mask (pain in the arse), or use opaque white.  The problem is that opaque white watercolor cubes are nearly impossible to find without buying a set of 36 or 50 (which runs about $50).  

Set 4: The Paints I Use

I am a nostalgic mess.  Do what I say, not what I do; however, if you actually read this far, you deserve to know.  For the last few years, I've used only one set: a Maimeri Blu 12 Travel Set within a waterproof folding case and a reversible palette.  They don't make these anymore.  I bought mine on Av. de la Motte-Picquet (one street over from Bosquet), across the street from the Carrefour, when my wife and I took our only child to Paris in 2016.  If you do happen to be on Bosquet, the oldest skateboard shop in Paris is about 3 blocks away, and Chattanooga is amazing.  Plus, it was priceless watching a 4-year-old kid absolutely destroy the shop owner who said he would only sell the skateboard with their shop's name on it to someone who'd use it.  "I skate, bro!"  It now sits on Em's wall, the pride of an amazing collection.

When I paint from home, I use a hand-blown glass bowl with a spout for resting my brush.  I made the bowl at a private class hosted by Dallas Glass Art for Mother's Day.  If you ever get the chance and are in the Dallas area and looking for something to do with your spouse, or kids 6 and older, they are fantastic.  You get to choose the colors and shapes, and they walk you through the entire process from beginning to end.  We've been twice now and will be going back as soon as humanly possible.

Back to the kit.  There's a tiny store there called Papeterie de l'Ecole Militaire that primarily carries school supplies for local children.  On the far wall in the back, they carry travel art kits, including collapsible trays and about 5 feet to the right is an outstanding wall of fountain pens.  My father-in-law introduced me to the place, and I've never seen anywhere quite like it.  If it ever happens that I end up a ghost, I would totally be happy haunting this place.

Pens

I spent the time to make this list and help you on your way.  I beg as a burgeoning watercolor artist that you genuinely consider and invest in a pen or two and good ink to go in your kit.  Do not make the mistake of thinking you'll move on to pens after mastering watercolor.  You won't.  More importantly, ink is easier, whether you believe it or not, and because it is so consistently opaque, will grant you insights into the behavior of watercolor.  After a while you will come to realize that watercolor paint just has a higher ratio of water to pigment than what is in most ink.

I'm only going to list pens I keep with me at all times.  Learn from others.  I'm serious.  Experience may be the best teacher, but she stammers and takes so long to make her damn point.  We propel our species by respecting the value granted by those who paved the way.  Don't reinvent the wheel.  Just don't.

Stylo 1: My Baby

The Kaweko Piston Sport Classic ($61) is not only affordable and a great starter fountain pen, but it has a piston refill mechanism.  That means you twist off the end and use a knob to refill the piston chamber with whatever ink you want to use (an absolute must if you plan on buying quality ink).  You are definitely going to be buying quality ink by the way.

Stylo 2: The Ronin

Using a Kakimori Metal Nib and Holder ($93) has absolutely changed how I draw.  By steeping the angle of your nib, you shift line weight heavier.  Each nib has a bunch of equally placed grooves in a circle that enable you to draw, and draw, and draw without having to dip your pen.  This means your strokes will be more consistent overall.  Best of all, the tip is scalpel sharp.  The weight is superb, plus they look damn cool.  I actually take these on vacation.  My wife bought my first one years ago and started my addiction and I will be a Kakimori fanboy for life.

Stylo 3: Teeny Tiny Perfect Lines

The SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner ($12) is the GOAT.  Just buy the damn things.  You can go on believing you don't need them, and that they won't improve your art.  You are wrong.

These are great for tracing, cross-hatching, touch-ups, dizzyingly tight patterns, mechanical drawing, and work great with a protractor.  They also feel incredible in your hand.

The best thing about them?  They will teach you to stop pressing down so hard and relax.  Let the ink do the work.  Chill out and just make art.

Ink

I am explicitly referring to quality ink that will work in fountain pens and with calligraphy nibs.  Is there a difference?  Yes.  Are there inks that work for both?  Thankfully, yes; otherwise, I would be living in the street right now.

When choosing and working with ink, you need to keep a few things in mind:

1. it has to be stored air-tight or else it will dry out and cannot easily be rehydrated,
2. ink color on paper is dictated by viscosity, absorption, and cohesion, and (finally)
3. ink will ALWAYS overpower watercolor if they come into contact while the watercolor is still wet.  Take a break between paint and ink phases to ensure each has time to dry.  You've been warned.  You've also been given a hint that you should experiment by introducing ink into puddles of watercolor on your mixing palette.  Start out using a dropper.

Colors First, then Brands

If you remember anything about DaVinci from school, you'll be able to guess these:

• Black - This is your foundation.  You need black for everything.
• Deep Red - The human eye absolutely loves red.  I'm not going to explain why.  Read a book.
• Olive Green - This is great for tufts of grass and contrast on leaves. You want softness here.
• Light Brown - Obviously, you need this one for dirt, birds, dirty birds, you get the idea.

Juice 1: My Love

The Birmingham Ink Company is my favorite.  No one even comes close.  With a staff of two, I have no idea how they churn out one amazing color after another, and I have no favorites.  It's like trying to figure out which one of your children you love better.  I am enamored with the quality of their craft and strive to be half as good at what I do when I grow up.

I mean LOOK at that color.  Turkey Feather ($17) is gorgeous, so much zing from one ink.  Their inks are so well pigmented you can sponge them and get absolutely explosive gradients.  It feels like cheating, and I'm all for it.  Buy their ink if only to keep them around for me.  I have a dedicated drawer full of just their ink (and I usually just shove everything in a bucket).

Juice 2: German Innovation

I've been a huge fan of Rohrer & Klingner, specifically their Schreibtinte Verdigris ($15), for almost 30 years.  Thankfully, you can find this stuff on Amazon now.  It is by far my favorite writing ink.  It flows like butter with never a dribble.  It's pure silk.

My wife has been raving about their Scabiosa.  She's been into fountain pens almost as long as I have.  It's not a brag.  She's younger than I am; otherwise, it would probably be a tie. Its color is somewhere between eggplant and burgundy.

Juice 3: My Current Addiction

Jacques Herbin.  If you didn't know already, you're supposed to whisper his name with reverence.  I will seriously tell someone if you don't.  The Herbin House of Wax and Inks was established in 1670.  Their inks are something else.  I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to use it to paint with, but it's gorgeous: Ambre de Birmanie ($14).  This little bottle of wizardry is pure deception.  It looks watery thin, and sponged, it shows a ruddy orange, but tight strokes show a stark contrast in the bloodiest, sexiest red.  I have no idea how, but the behavior of this ink is so predictably wonderful that I bought two more wells just in case Amazon ever goes under.

Juice 4: The Big Surprise

I lied.  It's Kakimori Ink.  It should be no surprise that I am telling you their ink is second to none.  All their colors are amazing, but if I had to choose one to start a collection, it would be Zabun ($30).  It can be used for so many things, and its spread is pure emotion across cotton.  It does it all: rain clouds, shadows on the horizon, smoke.  This one is so good and the ink well it comes in is money.  I don't just mean expensive.  When you use up all the ink, you will clean it out and keep it in your studio and impress every artist lucky enough to notice it.

Pencils

Sometimes you just need to sketch.  It builds confidence.  It generates better motor control.  I used to draw all the time, but not so much anymore.  I usually don't bother sketching out ink drawings or watercolor.  I know what I want, and I enjoy all the foibles on the way there.  Let's agree to just call it maturity and not numbness to a lack of skill.

I recommend you choose a pencil that is as close to the same size as your brush choice as possible.  The muscle memory you establish with one will interrupt the other if they aren't similarly sized.  Here are the only pencils I've kept around, and one of them I've had for almost 35 years.

Crayon 1: Old Faithful

The Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic Mechanical Pencil for .7 lead ($15) was my first real mechanical pencil and it was in my orientation bag at NCSU back in 1992.  It took me through what ended up being the last mechanical drafting class offered at the university.  I loved that class, and I love this pencil.  I keep it with the scratch pad and scum bag it came with in a little red zippered clutch, along with the world's sharpest ruler.

Crayon 2: The Rocket

I love my 20-year-old Lamy 2000 .5 mm Pencil ($54) so much that it was the first pencil I bought for my child.  Boys and girls... she thick.  This thing feels like countries are about to change hands when you wield it.  It feels like if Dyson made a pencil.  Hmm, strike that.  As an industrial designer, I'm sure he did make a pencil.  This is the pencil he wanted to make.  You feel no seams.  It's just pure draw, and so easy to meld with this thing.  Even the spring in the tip is rock solid and has a cover over the eraser that keeps you from getting your oily fingers on it. I think I paid around $150 when this first came out

Crayon 3: Last But Not Least

The 5.6mm WSD Sketch Up Mechanical Pencil ($19) is for bombastically fat lines, and nothing feels more artsy than using a pencil lead so girthy you can sharpen it with a knife.  This one also works well for woodworking for all the same reasons those dumpy, craptastic wooden pencils you buy at Home Depot do.

Uh, really? No graphite?  Nope.  I like my clothes.  The Sketch Up meets all my needs, and I can keep more refills than the equivalent angry little graphite rods in the same bag.  Every now and then, you can find these in limited edition colors, too.  My wife bought me one in canary yellow.  It's around here somewhere.

An Example of Using a Single Quality Ink

I give you my favorite recent postcard, "bananas", drawn using only one Kakimori nib, a q-tip, and Ambre de Birmanie ink (linked to above).  I drew the bananas without sketching (I'm much better at drawing than I am with paint) and then puddled ink on my tiny travel palette and used a q-tip to wash the ink, creating different tones by soaking more or less ink in the q-tip before each pass.  Afterward, I went back with the nib (after everything was dry) and added the hatching on the outside.  It's a cheap and visually appealing way to hide where I was unable to stay within the lines with my q-tip.

My Favorite Watercolor Books

The best thing you can do is dive in, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start.  I recommend you begin each day (whenever possible) with daily technique studies in tone and texture using a single muted color that you like.  After 30 minutes of technique, read through books similar to whatever vibes with you right now.

Book 1: A Star to Steer Her By

Watercolor Success in Four Steps ($16), by Marina Bakasova, is my favorite technique book for watercolor and is the first one I recommend to others.  If you have $10 more dollars, I highly recommend you get the spiral bound version.  It focuses on color values, blending exercises, and proper layering order.  Best of all, it doesn't bother trying to shove you into a drawing exercise.  You want to go in an abstract direction?  This book doesn't care.  You do you.  

Go through as much of the book in order as you can, sticky noting the pages you enjoyed the most.  Then, when that list includes at least 5 pages, take phone pix of those 5.  Every time you get 30 minutes to yourself at work, or at night after the kids are in bed, go through those, with a hard cap at 5 mins on each, with a solid minute to clean your brush and wipe your palette between.  If you establish discipline on your own time early on, your muscle memory will pay dividends sooner than you expect.

 

Book 2: Whimsical Architecture

Houseketching ($21), by Albert Kiefer, scratches that itch in my brain so good.  His work looks like doodling, but don't let that fool you.  There are so many levels to his paintings, that I'm sure started out as quick sketches, but ended up with hours of lighting, texture, and color work after.

He includes some basic gradient and tone exercises, and his book includes a scannable QR code that takes you to one of his online video tutorials.  This is exactly the kind of watercolor I want to master.  I like traveling, and I want to be able to do it quickly so that I don't miss all the crazy stuff my wife signed us up for.  

For someone who claims not to like spontaneity, she absolutely thrives on chaos, especially while on vacation.  I myself am a beer and hammock man, but that's what keeps it interesting.  We usually allocate small windows of photography room for her, and quick sketch time for me.

Book 3: Watercolor and Ink

Japanese Ink Painting: The Art of Sumi-e ($17), by Naomi Okamoto, is outstanding if you are also interested in ink.  After doing both for a while I now feel confident saying you should start with ink painting first before watercolor and use a simple black ink.  Sumi-e ink is very light, but layers incredibly.  NOTE: Do not grind your own ink early on, unless you have incredible patience.  Sumi-e techniques will make your watercolor pop by giving you a strong foundation in technique, with a laser focus on the use of negative space.  I took a Sumi-e class years ago at the Dallas Arboretum with my mother-in-law and had a blast.  We spent 30 minutes just learning how to space joints in bamboo with a flick of your wrist.  The rest of the techniques in the style are not intuitive and took hundreds of years to evolve.  Take advantage of their availability and help advance the discipline.  Be aware that Sumi-e requires rice paper and rounded brushes; however, such techniques will give you muscle memory that translates well when crossing over to watercolor.

In Summary

Draw, paint, draw on your paintings, paint on your drawings.  Just do it.  Stop hesitating.  Watercolor is and always has been a crutch in the best way.  It's one that grows with you.  It will supplement your lack of skill with tons of opportunities for people to believe you actually meant for that to happen, until you do.  It's a fantastic medium and will make you enjoy your travels more.  It forces you to slow down and appreciate what is right in front of you instead of taking a damn picture that a thousand people have already taken (and theirs probably wasn't blurry).

If this was any help at all, don't send me your masterpiece.  Send me the shit you felt like crumpling up and throwing at the wall, because I've been there.  I've been drawing, doodling, sketching, 3d modeling, and animating and haven't been happy with the results for over 40 years, and I love it.  I want to see your struggles, and I want you to know those moments are the ones you will look back on and sigh with longing, back when you had the balls to try something new, and to actually learn something because you wanted to learn it, not because some asshole paid you to learn it.

Motivational Addendum

I believe it is worth mentioning that everything these days costs a lot.  Ink especially is a great investment because it pays such wonderful dividends when compared to all the other more-than-likely dumb things you drop cash on: fast food, movie rentals that inevitably suck, cool gadgets that sound like a great idea at the time but turn into immediate red flags to people you wanted to impress.

You really want to woo someone?  Write them a letter.  Have good penmanship.  Use beautiful ink and a paper with so much texture they remember how it feels between their fingers fifty years from now.  You do not have to be a poet to be romantic.  You do have to show that you appreciate quality and are willing to put in the time and effort to show someone you love them.  Time is the only currency that matters in the end.  Spend it well.  Oh, and smell nice.  I think I'll make a post in the near future about penmanship vs. calligraphy, and where to get beautiful stationery without breaking the bank.