Prairie Arts Center
Beginning Watercolor Workshop Supply List
Information prepared August 14, 2020
Please feel free to use whatever materials or supplies make your painting experience the most
comfortable for you, but as a general rule, keeping materials to a minimum will make for a more
enjoyable time. This list is aimed at the less experienced painter.

The following information outlines the supplies necessary for the Beginning Watercolor Workshop by Jeff
Williams, which is scheduled to be held on August 14-15, 2020. While there are a myriad of supplies that
are marketed to the watercolor painter, you will find that there are some very basic supplies which
provide the main supplies needed for painting. My personal opinion is that it is better to invest in quality
basic supplies than to buy all sorts of equipment that is not really needed. It should be noted that the
following supplies will provide you the materials to continue painting for months or more after the class is
completed. Please review the materials below. I have provided links for ordering these supplies online
later in this handout. Please allow ample time to order whatever supplies that you require, and feel free
to contact me at the contact information below if you have further questions. I

Paints
To me, regardless of brand, the most important point is that artist/professional grade paints produce a far
superior result than student grade paint (FYI we absolutely cannot work with those inexpensive ‘schooltype’
watercolor sets that are sold for children). My preferred brand is Daniel Smith. I always order 15 ml
tubes, although for the purposes of this workshop, you may order the smaller 5 ml tube if budget is an
issue. For this workshop we will use a limited palette of Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, and
Yellow Ochre.

Brushes
There are many types and sizes of brushes, and it can often be confusing to the beginner. I typically only
use 3-4 brushes when doing a painting. These are: a large flat or mop brush for doing big/general washes;
round brushes with a good point (8, 12 or 16 point, depending on the size of the painting); rigger brush for
fine lines/detail.

Paper
As with paint, quality paper makes a big difference! I began painting on Arches paper, which is generally
considered a high quality professional grade paper. I now typically work on Saunders Whatford paper.
Paper is graded by some or all of the following: type, color, weight, and texture. The most common
weight is 140#, which is what you should use in the workshop. Rough texture is preferable because it will
help you with some of the textural effects that we experiment with, but cold-pressed is also acceptable.
It does not matter whether you have white, bright white, natural white, off-white, or any of the other
‘white’ colors that individual brands may offer. Make sure you do not buy ‘hot press’ paper or ‘Yupo
paper’ for this workshop!

You will need a pad/supply of 9” x 12” paper (140# rough or cold press). It is fine for now if this is an
inexpensive brand or pad of paper, but I suggest not buying a pad with a spiral binding. You will also
need postcard-sized (4” x 6”) paper. This is typically sold in a pack.

Miscellaneous
Palette (with numerous mixing wells if possible; however, for this workshop you could get by with a
white non-absorptive surface like a plate or butcher tray)
A lightweight board (non-absorptive; plywood, particle board, gatorboard, sign board, etc.) on which paper may be taped and propped up at an angle is essential (it would be helpful is you had more than one of these that are slightly larger than your paper)
Water Container (this can be any type of cup or container)
Small water mister/spray bottle
Masking tape
Pocket knife (for scraping)
Paper Towels (Viva is my currently preferred brand)
2B Pencil
Vinyl Eraser
Small towel
Suppliers

I typically get my supplies from Dick Blick, a quality art supply store that is located in many urban markets, has a strong online presence, and usually has good prices. Their website is located at: https://www.dickblick.com/ . Here are links to the products that are necessary for the workshop:
Paint (one of each color required):
https://www.dickblick.com/products/daniel-smith-extra-fine-watercolors/
Cobalt Blue $14.52/15 ml; $8.60/5 ml
Ultramarine Blue $10.86/15 ml; $6.13/5 ml
Burnt Sienna $10.86/15ml; $6.13/5 ml
Yellow Ochre $10.86/15 ml; $6.13/5 ml
Brushes (one of each required):
Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush - Round, Size 12, Short Handle
https://www.dickblick.com/items/05472-1012/ Round #12 $18.40
Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush – Rigger Size 8 $9.43
https://www.dickblick.com/items/06295-1008/
Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush- Wash, Size 3/4'', Short Handle $14.13
https://www.dickblick.com/items/05475-1034/
Paper Options (one 9”x12” pad required; one postcard size required):
Arches Watercolor Pad - 9'' x 12'', 140 lb, Cold Press, Fold-over, 12 Sheets $14.43
https://www.dickblick.com/items/10183-1009/
Canson Montval Watercolor Pad - 9'' x 12'', 140 lb, Tape Bound, 12 Sheets $7.49
https://www.dickblick.com/items/10111-1003/
Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor Pad - 9'' x 12'', 140 lb Cold Press, Tapebound 12 Sheets $4.19
https://www.dickblick.com/items/10148-1023/
Fabriano Studio Watercolor Postcard Pad – 4” x 6”, 140 lb, Cold Press, 20 cards $9.50
https://www.dickblick.com/products/fabriano-studio-watercolor-postcard-pad/
You may be able to get some of these supplies at Hobby Lobby, however, I typically cannot find all of the supplies necessary and the products are often more expensive and of lesser quality there. However, here are some other online suppliers that are sometimes less expensive that you might be interested in comparing:
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/
https://www.cheapjoes.com/
https://www.plazaart.com/
Final Note:
Of course, you will also need to have a clean place with good lighting to spread out an work, and access to the Zoom video feed.

jeff@jeffwilliamswatercolor.com
http://www.jeffwilliamswatercolor.com