Kuretake watercolors are my absolute favorite. It's a dry palette available in various color counts and set sizes. What I love most is how beautiful the colors are and how convenient they are to use. Just a bit of water and the color becomes so fluid and vibrant, letting me quickly render layers of detail. It comes in beautiful packaging, each color slot holds a generous amount of paint, and it's super durable and lasts a long time. It is a worthy investment.

This watercolor set comes with a brush set and a beautiful case that's perfect for traveling. It's lightweight, has many colors, is easy to use, and features a beautiful palette. I love this affordable set, especially for beginners and plein air painting.

Quality paper is absolutely essential for watercolor! Many beginners give up because they use cheap paper, get discouraged by the results, and think they have terrible skills, not realizing the paper is the real culprit. I went down the same path, until I tried Arches paper, which made a huge difference. This paper absorbs pigment beautifully, making blending, washing, and other techniques so easy and predictable. Cold press has a rough texture that shows beautifully, great for landscapes, loose subjects, and abstract work.

Hot press paper has a flat surface with no bumps or dimples, making it ideal for botanical illustrations, portraits, and intricate linework. Its smooth texture is also friendly to mixed media, since pens, inks, and markers glide easily over it without catching or breaking lines, which is perfect for pen-and-wash techniques. Because the paper is less absorbent, paint sits longer on the surface, allowing artists to easily lift, wipe away, or correct mistakes. Pigments also reflect more light off the flat surface, making colors appear bright and vivid. Finally, reproducing or scanning the artwork is simpler, since there is no bumpy "tooth" or texture to catch the light or show up in the digital file.

In addition to the premade palettes I listed above, I also like to curate my own palette using this small, travel-friendly empty palette. I put my favorite tube colors in here and use it both in my studio and while traveling as a complementary palette. I can always switch out colors to try different combinations. It's super cute, and comfortable to hold and use.

A great starter set with all the basic sizes you'll need, at a great price. I've bought so many different brushes and brands, and I'm very impressed with this set. The hair is natural fiber that's absorbent with the right amount of softness, and the brushes are well made, durable, and perform well.

I love the quality of these brushes at this price. They are perfect and a must-have for details, as the hair is longer, which absorbs and stores a good amount of paint while remaining flexible for painting. I use them all the time, and the hair holds up well and is comfortable to hold.

Hake brushes are so helpful with watercolor! This set has four sizes, useful for so many applications, such as wetting the paper, background washes, or bold strokes. It's well made and durable, and the hair is nice, soft, and absorbent.

In my opinion, ceramic is the best material for watercolor palettes. This product has a simple white background, making it easy to see the colors you're using and mixing. This two-pack set has a total of 10 stackable wells and two lids, making it easy and versatile to travel with, wash, and organize.

A great tool for creating detailed renderings, blocking highlights, and more! This brand has the best consistency among the ones I've used. Pair this with a ruling pen to apply the masking fluid effortlessly.

!This is my secret to applying perfectly shaped masking fluid! The ruling pen can draw tiny dots, lines, and other precise shapes without mess or ruining your brushes. This pen is adjustable: simply dip it into your favorite masking fluid and start painting. It can also be used to draw with ink and other liquid medium. Try it and you'll be amazed.

I love painting on an angle, as gravity pulling on the watercolor can create nice effects, and it's also more ergonomic and easier on my shoulders, neck, and hands. This board is beautiful beechwood, easy to adjust and clean, super sturdy, and a staple in my studio. I actually have two of them—a small and a large one for different projects.

Did you know you can protect your finished watercolor pieces with cold wax medium, which creates a water-resistant, satin-like seal that protects the surface from moisture and handling without needing glass framing? I use this on my smaller pieces or things like painted bookmarks and cards. Simply take a paper towel or soft microfiber cloth, get a small amount of wax, and start gently rubbing it on your painting in a circular motion. So easy to use, and each jar lasts a long time.