A Professional Set of Watercolor Supplies for $25?

When I began painting, buying my first supplies was one of the most difficult parts of getting started. Between the sticker shock of professional quality materials and the plethora of choices, I didn’t know where to start – but in order to afford my new hobby, I had to pick the right tools the first time. When I teach classes, I do my best to remove supply acquisition as a barrier by making kits of best-quality materials at the lowest possible price. This should be useful for anyone who’s starting out in watercolors or shopping for someone who’s just getting started – or who just loves a bargain. All these supplies are professional quality goods that I use for art that I sell. I’ll be making up kits like these for my upcoming watercolor class series at VT Creative Works in March and using these supplies for my beginner workshop on February 8!

The Paint

Professional quality paint is less frustrating to use and a must for learning good technique – and even the beginner-iest beginners deserve to make art that won’t fade after a few weeks on the refrigerator. What you don’t need is a lot of pigments. The absolute essentials (in my book) are a warm and cool blue, a warm and cool red, a yellow, and an earth color. If I was putting together my own set, it would be:

• Pyrrole Red (PR254)
• Quinacridone Magenta (PV19)
• Ultramarine Blue (PB29)
• Phthalo Blue (PB15)
• Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150)
• Burnt Sienna (Pbr7)

The QOR Introductory Set of 6 5ml tubes for $33 (from Blick, Jerry’s Artarama, or Amazon) comes pretty close to this line-up and fills all the same niches on the color wheel. What’s more, QOR paint has less drying shift than most brands, which makes learning easier, and it’s made by an employee-owned company in upstate New York. It will also mix well with other brands. A final perk: it comes packed in an enameled tin that makes a good palette.

For a bit more money, DaVinci’s Mixing Set of 6 15ml tubes for $40 (from Jerry’s Artarama) gives you more paint per dollar. Though it doesn’t include Burnt Sienna, the warm red is close enough to Burnt Sienna orange that you won’t miss it. If you go in on this set with two friends, you’ll each get a full 5ml pan of each color for just a bit over $13. This is what I do for my students, and it works great. DaVinci paint quality is as good as any of the most expensive brands, and it’s made in California.

The Paper

Good, 100% cotton paper makes painting easier, and colors brighter. To save money (and learn faster) I recommend painting small to start. Go with cold press, 140lbs. Blocks of paper are glued on four sides so there’s no prep needed before you start painting, a big plus in my book. Otherwise, you’ll need to tape sheets to a waterproof board (a cookie sheet works) using painter’s tape. Baohong Academy paper blocks from China are an excellent option – the quality and price are exceptional. The same paper is also sold as Meeden 100% cotton. 5×7″ blocks are available on Amazon, Temu, and Alibaba from $7 – $10. If you don’t want to scour the underbelly of the internet, New York Central 100% Cotton paper handles as well as expensive brands, though it has a repetitive texture that I don’t love. Available from Jerry’s Artarama, you can get it in packets of 5×7 sheets for just $5 or in blocks for twice that. If you’re buying for a class, there’s an excellent bulk discount on five or more.

The Brush

You only need one brush to get started. The Durahandle Round size 6 or size 8 – $3 at Jerry’s Artarama, is a great brush on an ugly handle. But you don’t paint with the handle, so who cares what it looks like? I first bought these for my students, but it’s become one of my favorite brushes as well. If you’re feeling flush$13 will get you a four brush set, which might be all the brushes you ever really need. There are bulk discounts for this brush also.

The Palette

A white ceramic plate or enameled pan makes a great palette. I can score a plate at my local thrift store for $2 or less. If you bought the QOR paint, it came with a palette. If I’m sharing a set of DaVinci paint, however, I’m going to need pans to divide it into and a box to keep them in – so I might as well get one that’s a palette! A small, enameled folding tin palette box is great in the studio and for travel. I use mine all the time. Right now I’m finding them for $4 on Alibaba, $6 on Temu, and $10 on Amazon. I like ones like this with removable, refillable pans so I can move them from one palette to another. If you stick a magnet on the back of your pans, you can stick them to any metal palette.

Adding up the least expensive options, that comes to $25 if you can share the paint. If you’re on your own, you’re looking at at least $41, $63 max if you buy all the most expensive items mentioned. There aren’t many hobbies where you can buy a full starter set of professional gear at that price (she says to her husband while checking out the cart).

If you’re looking for more info on best-value watercolor supplies, you can check out this guide I made for my students.

What are your favorite bargain watercolor finds? Share in the comments! Don’t forget to subscribe to receive watercolor articles in your inbox every Sunday.