Watercolour has a reputation for being difficult, but it rewards a calm, patient approach - and it is one of the most rewarding media to learn. This is a simple, practical guide to getting started without wasting money on the wrong materials.
What is watercolour?
Watercolour is pigment suspended in a water-soluble binder (gum Arabic). You thin it with water and lay it on paper in transparent washes; the white of the paper provides the light. Unlike oil or acrylic, you cannot paint light over dark - you must preserve your highlights from the start.
A beginner's starter palette
You do not need many colours. A warm and cool of each primary - six single-pigment colours - is enough to mix almost anything and will teach you more than a big box of pre-mixed "hues". A good starter set might include Ultramarine Blue, a cool blue, a warm and cool yellow, a warm red and Quinacridone Rose. See the curated watercolour sets for ready-made starter palettes.
Paper and brushes
Paper matters more than paint - a cheap paint on good paper outperforms good paint on cheap paper. Choose a cold-pressed or rough paper of at least 300gsm so it can take washes and granulation. For brushes, a large round for washes and a small round for detail will do most of your early work.
First techniques
Practise three things: a flat wash, a graded wash (light to dark), and wet-on-wet blooms. These three cover most of what watercolour does, and mastering them teaches you water control - the real skill of the medium.
When to upgrade to professional
As soon as you can, move from student to professional single-pigment colours. You will spend less, not more: a small set of professional paints lasts longer (higher pigment load means you use less) and teaches cleaner mixing. Read our Best Watercolours guide and the comparison in Professional vs Student, then browse the full watercolour range.