No. 01 · Ultramarine
Watercolor pan set
A compact travel set with a water brush. Paint anywhere, no water cup needed.
See it on AmazonThe paint box
Paper matters more than paint. If you only upgrade one thing, make it the paper.
No. 02 · Cadmium Yellow
Cold-press watercolor paper
300 gsm (140 lb) paper that won't buckle when it's wet. This is the biggest upgrade.
See it on AmazonNo. 03 · Cadmium Red
Synthetic brush set
A round, a flat and a detail brush cover almost everything. Synthetics are cheap and tough.
See it on AmazonNo. 04 · Quinacridone Rose
Gouache set
Like watercolor but opaque, with flat matte color for illustration and posters. Very forgiving.
See it on AmazonNo. 05 · Sap Green
Acrylic paint set
Dries fast, paints on almost anything (canvas, wood, shoes) and cleans up with water.
See it on AmazonNo. 06 · Burnt Sienna
Porcelain mixing palette
Paint beads up on porcelain instead of plastic, so mixes stay clean and readable.
See it on AmazonNo. 07 · Dioxazine Violet
Masking fluid
Paint it on to save the white of the paper for highlights, then rub it off when dry.
See it on AmazonNo. 08 · Phthalo Turquoise
Tabletop easel
Tilts your work toward you, so you stop hunching and stop distorting the drawing.
See it on AmazonColor finder
Pick the main color of your painting and get palettes that work with it.
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