My TOP Watercolor Recommendations for BEGINNERS!

My shop: www.arleebean.com/
Support me on Patreon: / arleebean
Here we go, guys! Let me know what you think about the supplies I've chosen. Do any of them make your list? Do you prefer something completely different? Below, you can find time stamps for everything I've talked about, a list of all of the supplies and some videos featuring them!
IN THIS VIDEO:
00:26 - How I rank watercolors
2:39 - Pencils
4:43 - Paper
6:37 - Brushes
9:00 - Top Watercolors
14:53 - Honorable Mention watercolors (+ giveaway!)
16:52 - Watercolors I DON'T recommend for beginners
THE AQUA COLOR GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. ❤
MATERIALS*
PENCILS
- Prismacolor Col-Erase Colored Pencils: amzn.to/2LtGxa4
- Prismacolor Verithin pencil in Crimson Red: amzn.to/2AdZxCW
- Blackwing Pencil (soft): amzn.to/2NZoqdy
- (Any mechanical pencil will do - harder is better here, HB - 2H)
- Kneaded Eraser: amzn.to/2NaLx5p
PAPER
- Canson XL Mixed Media Sketchbook: amzn.to/2NToPOR
- Canson XL Watercolor Paper: amzn.to/34EwEhb
- Stonehenge Aqua HP Paper: bit.ly/2lS4Svz
- Baohong "Fine Grain" Paper: bit.ly/2mf1Q57
- Arteza Expert 100% Cotton Paper: amzn.to/2QmuPCH
BRUSHES
- Silver Black Velvet Round Brushes: bit.ly/2kdh9KH
- Blue Heron Arts Calligraphy Brush Set: www.blueheronarts.com/basic-t...
- Princeton Real Value Brushes: amzn.to/2N9vZyI
- Royal Langnickel Taklon Brushes: amzn.to/2Nbx4WO
WATERCOLOR SETS
- Paul Rubens Watercolors: amzn.to/2NiJxIz
- Prima Marketing Watercolors:
Classics: amzn.to/2NXbHbu
Tropical: amzn.to/32B5MwK
Decadent Pies: amzn.to/2Lr8hfq
- Sonnet Watercolors: amzn.to/2AdiS7h
- White Nights Watercolors:
24 Set in carton: amzn.to/2LscDCP
36 Set with palette I love: amzn.to/2A9tx2K
Individual pans @ Jackson's Art: tinyurl.com/y2kbcpn8
- Aqua Color Watercolors (36): amzn.to/2NVYMX5
*I am an Amazon & Blick Affiliate, and purchasing ANY items using these links will help support this channel at no additional cost to you! ♥ Thank
Check out my newest class and try Skillshare free for two months: skl.sh/2RvDP52you.
Let's connect!
Instagram: / arleebean
My Amazon Wishlist: a.co/3Xwu82X
(See the things I'm interested in currently. You might enjoy them for yourself, or it's a good way to gift something to me if you've ever wanted to do that. Please don't feel obligated to do that, however. ♥)
MUSIC
"Ups and Downs" by Martin Klem
[www.epidemicsound.com] PO Box:
Arleesha Yetzer
PO Box 363
Bethel, PA 19507
United States

[@eleanoire4984]

She makes me feel so comfortable... like she’s such a loving mom teaching me art...

[@rhosey]

She definitely reminds me of my grade school art teachers. They were chill and gentle with their students.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Canson XL is a surprisingly good affordable non-cotton paper, it's what I started with and did not discourage me from watercoloring. Eventually I got the cheapest cotton paper I could find, Bee 140# cold press, and that was even better for learning. Now that I'm more confident it doesn't seem as scary to use up the pricier papers, though to beginners I feel like starting with the absolute best cotton paper can make you feel bad for making mistakes. I remember being amazed by the vibrancy and big pans in the White Nights set too, great recommendations!

[@joyfulldj]

I have two empty watercolor xl from the canson sitting on my shelve. Not Cotton be damned. I love m becaus euh. I love to doodle in those. or make tiny thumbnail paintings. Not like you will sell those. If pple want them I can always scan them in,lol.

[@ratherbfishing455]

@@joyfulldj What do you mean by scan them? Thanks

[@alylyu3659]

This probably means that she scans the paintings with a scanner and gifts or sells them as prints.

[@evanmlj3460]

They are super good but be careful the block bend easely

[@debisieger8299]

I started drawing and using watercolors after my son passed...nights became long. Now, I do it because it satisfies something in me. Came from a professional background (medicine) and the frivolity of "art" was never part of my life...lol older people ramble...I just wanted to say that I love your videos and binged on them one night...look forward to each and everyone...I did purchase the Kuretake set. I will purchase another beginner set just to get my art legs ( kinda like sea-legs)...again, thank u for sharing your expertise and your talent

[@BhappyD]

Debi Sieger I am so sorry for your loss, I can’t imagine. I’m glad to hear that art gave you the outlet you needed. God bless you sweet mama! 💕

[@kentaewonuxuxi432]

I am sorry for your loss :( It must feel terrible but it’s good that art has helped you de-stress. I wish you the best of luck in painting!

[@ratherbfishing455]

I'm sorry about your son. There are a couple of doctors in my family. They paint as a hobby. Other family members are professional artists. I want to start painting. However, I currently cannot afford art supplies. I have never attempted, because I want everything to look perfect from the beginning! Weird.

[@Rainlesslover]

To be honest I saw your comment and I’m so happy because I feel the exact same. I’m in the field of education and sometimes I feel very frustrated and stressed. I began watercolor after years and years of leaving it in the dustbin and began to start doing it again as a form of “art therapy” and it was excellent!

[@ratherbfishing455]

No, older people do not ramble. You are more intelligent than most. Younger generations were not taught to be gracious and thoughtful. Also, they are not as inforned eventhough they might be "educated."

[@cleo8587]

You and your husband look so cute together😊

[@arleebean]

Thank you so muuuuuuch. He's a pretty cute guy. :3

[@klauslindstedt3545]

arleebean und ich

[@derxderdraws]

I love that this review was done as a "paints that don't get in the way" kind of thing. While I absolutely love granulating colors now and even intentionally seek them out the first time I ran into watercolors that granulated I was soooo frustrated and gave up on watercolors for a hot minute because I thought it was an issue on my end and I was just too dumb to figure out how watercolor worked. :'D

[@tabbystangledart]

I feel ya. I thought I hated watercolor until, oddly enough, I found a set REALLY CHEAP with a coupon code. I purchased them just to have and eventually, like a year later, pulled them out to attempt a background on a piece. That background turned out miserably, but when I wet the paints I kinda became obsessed. I still pretty much suck with watercolor, but they're really really FUN!

[@applepie937]

“24 colors are the maximum” Me who has 36 colors: 👁👄👁

[@Oof-bp4wb]

Me who has 48 colors 👁👄👁

[@mlpfilmstarfun2867]

I have 36 too... I have the pretty excellent watercolour pan set before I move onto a better brand

[@ishitagupta5959]

Me who has 12 ;_;

[@LunaBianca1805]

I'm no better, either 😅

[@BelindaShort]

@@Oof-bp4wb It just means that there are probably more pigments being used that may or may not be colors you can just mix on your own

[@lovismoss7181]

Especially for the European market I would like to add the Van Gogh student grade 12 Color set. They are only between 13 and 17 Euros (in Germany) and I started with them and used them for half a year and upgraded to senellier after that. They are great for mixing and since this is something I would say is most important for learning how to use watercolours they have great value for their price.

[@arleebean]

That's a really great point! I haven't gotten to try Van Gogh paints myself, but I've heard really great things about them. :D

[@Oozaru85]

When I started with watercolors, I was contemplating between van Gogh and Sonnet. One of the reasons I chose Sonnet over van Gogh was the number of colors and the size of the pans. I got the 24 full pans Sonnet set on sale for €19 (also Germany). But even on their regular price they are still cheaper than van Gogh's 24 half pans set. I think the Paul Rubens MeiLiang 48 colors set for €30 is also a better pick for beginners.

[@rabidheartbeats5953]

The first set i got was the Cotman 45 set and i think having a lot of colors actually helped me learn which ones i use a lot and those that i don't need at all and how i can just mix them myself. Like how i realized i really really liked Raw Umber or that Dioxazine Violet is essential for my style of painting. Eventually i upgraded to professional paints but still use that set for reference.

[@aceclown9316]

I have the same set and yes dioxazine purple is an amazing color

[@randomunicorn-artsandcreat3460]

rabid heartbeats I originally bought the Artists Loft Tube watercolour set and realized I couldn’t make the purple/violet I wanted ,so I got the W&N Cotman in Dioxazine Violet. I recently made a piece where I mainly used it, and I could tell it was an upgrade from Artists Loft, from what I could tell, it was great for me!

[@labaccident2010]

I also really like raw umber.

[@theamateurartist3705]

As a first time watercolor painter, after watching many reviews, I started off using the Windsor and newton watercolor set. I paired this with an acid free cotton pad and am incredibly happy with the results! I painted a very vibrant parrot and i found the windsor set to have a vibrant but soft pigment, I've loaded the video on the page to see the colour intensity of the painting.

[@maddhappy2286]

I think that even once you start using nice watercolor paper you should always keep around a stack of cheap stuff for swatching, practicing color theory, and color thumbnails/mockups. Hell, i even use mine for things like birthday cards or other disposable gifts.

[@sophieeggers3793]

What I just recently tried and really recommend as a student "learning" line of paints are the van gogh watercolours. Since they are available in different halfpan sets and tubes with all the information and performance needed for a great price, they are my top beginner recommendation. The Lukas studio fourteen halfpan set is a great value for money and near perfect colourselection to learn from as well, while they perform as great as van gogh in my experience. PS: I really enjoyed this video for beginners with a different approach than the basics that are everywhere on youtube👍🏻 PPS: I am really glad that I am not the only one who doesn't like the winsor and newton cotman paints. When I was relatively new to watercolours, the twelve colour cotman set frustrated me a whole lot. The tinting strength of the alizarin and the ultramarine were non-existend and it just couldn't get my head around the fact that it was so difficult to mix bright violets/purples or deeper darks when it's a recommended split primary set for beginners. Gladly, I had other watercolours already at that point and simply switched over. I love their professional line of paints though!

[@lindyashford7744]

xara art I have an old, maybe 10 or 12 years old small cotman set and loved it, also bought a 24 colour set around three years ago, was hugely disappointed. My professional set got around the same time has gfrown on me, and I have added to it, some colours really stand out as lovely, but the aureolin is visibly dulling and greying badly, I will replace it sometime and only save the empty half pan, as W&N pans are different sized from most sets.

[@hiddenshadow2105]

I love Van Gogh's. There are few paints (such as Turquoise Green and one of the browns) that don't work for me, but the rest are very good for what they are. I'll take them over Cotman any time of the day.

[@naboclare]

i really love van gogh watercolours! and i rarely see people reviewing/using it i used to paint with pentel and koh-i-noor watercolours and it was such an important step up for me when i bought van gogh’s because the quality its so much better! and i ended up finally painting something that i didn’t hate at the end lol

[@TheMelluuu]

Thanks for the tip, adding to wishlist.

[@justacatwhocantype]

I like the Cotmans. I only ever bought them to see if they are really as horrible as people say, and I ended up loving them. If I had to recommend paints to a beginner, I would have definitely included them in my recommendations, along with Lukas studio and Van Gogh. Schmincke Akademie is great, too, but it is kind of pricey in comparison to the other brands, even here in Germany. I think White Nights are really good, too, as are Sonnet, even though the latter feels a little weird to me sometimes. I found out that they use a synthetic binder, maybe that is why I find them a little different. And as for a good paper in the affordable range, I love Fabriano watercolour. The one that only says WATERCOLOUR , nothing else. I think it is a wonderful paper for the price. And for brushes, meh, I am fine with anything that holds enough water and has a good tip, as long as it is synthetic.

[@kristiw.1823]

Hooray for kneaded erasers! I was *that* child as well, in school, when it came to sort of compulsively kneading them when bored. :-D Thanks for the lessons and wisdom for today!

[@soon_to_emerge]

I tore them into smal pieces and then shaped each piece as a tiny cube, then smashed them into one whole eraser again and again xd

[@kiwimiwi5452]

a little tip, in case you store your kneaded eraser in one of these little plastic boxes, cut a piece of paper to size and stick it inside on either the top or the bottom of the box. That way the eraser won't stick to both sides and hinder you from opening the box, it'll be way easier. Just wanted to share that with you guys!^^

[@sxmplyblossom8048]

thank you!

[@artsygreendayfan]

I actually love my Windsor and newton watercolor set, although I do agree that they are not as pigmented as they could be, therefore I lose a lot of saturation in my artwork. But it was that or Artist Loft at my local craft/art store. I think I made the right choice :) but in the future I’ll be on the lookout for some of your recommendations ;)

[@kykyt-t6170]

urgh artist loft. I have so much artist loft stuff because for my birthday and christmas I always get the same stuff. Thankful to get art supplies, but three separate artist's loft water colour tube sets is a lot.

[@terjequaijtaal9079]

This is such a great overview and I agree with your paint selection. I started out with Derwent Inktense pencils and felt so fancy when I upgraded to a Cotman palette. The physical palette itself is still my favourite, it's so perfect for travelling. The paints however... I swatched out all my paints this week and was shocked to see how pale the Cotmans actually are. And it takes so much work to get the pigment out! Now I'm using van Gogh tubes and White Nights pans, as both are rather affordable in Estonia. They're all gorgeous and vibrant and exactly what I need at this stage. Plus I recently splurged on three tubes of Daniel Smith (they're really expensive here!) to get some beautiful granulating extras. I did learn a lot with my Cotman set, but now that I have used better ones, it's so difficult to do anything with them. Might just clear out that palette and use it with a self-made colour selection for travel paintings.

[@juicyink]

How about this!!! I'll finally pick up the Decadent Pies in your honor and you the Tropicals :D Sending lots of love your way xoxoxoxoxox

[@arleebean]

:o!!! You should definitely give the Decandent Pies set a try! And gosh. I've been meaning to try that Tropicals set for so long. XD Trying something alongside you would be such a special experience!! 🥰🥰🥰

[@rekhamav]

Thank you for the video. I personally love my whitenights set so I was so happy to see that you recommend it as a good brand to have!

[@amberallen9287]

I just bought the 12 pan White Nights. They are so pretty! I can't wait to learn all I can about watercolor.

[@intertenera]

my first watercolors were the sonnet ones cause I watched your review and was pleasantly surprised since I live in Russia and they're really affordable. I love them. I love the 16 pan set so much. atm I'm slowly upgrading to white nights purchasing the individual pans one by one when I have some extra cash. thank you so much for your work, your tips and reviews, it makes me less scared to experiment and actually paint. from Russia, with love. (also the first white night colour I purchased was Payne's Grey and I'm in love)

[@vulnerablerummy]

20:30 dunno why, but that whole session of "bye-bye" feels so genuine to me, kinda makes me feel warm inside. thank you

[@ramyasrikanth9108]

I second that!

[@fetabrown]

One of the most helpful getting started videos on watercolours yet! Thank you for touching on the sketching, paper and brushes too. Subscribed after this one, thank you.

[@heatherh3457]

I have seen a LOT of watercolour instructional videos and I must commend you for the criteria for evaluating that you have chosen and your logical presentation. Great job.

[@emilyirlart]

Would love to see an updated video on what watercolors you love that shine by themselves!

[@hiddenshadow2105]

Yes, please, it would be nice.

[@lorettaclark5373]

This is the most concise & informative video I’ve found on watercolours for beginners. I’ve searched the internet for these answers. Thank you so much this has been extremely helpful 🤗

[@Alexandra-tc8rk]

I started with the “Jerry Q Art” watercolors on Amazon...super cheap and shockingly good, now I’ve updated to a custom palette with Q.O.R., M Graham, and Daniel Smith

[@RosieCarl]

Thanks for this video and for your clear explanations about why you recommend certain things over others. You are a good teacher! You are also easy to listen to and watch- your sense of humor is wonderful!

[@Lilyium]

I started with a Sakura Koi watercolor 12 set which was very easy to use and the pigments were lovely for a starter set, it really helped me develop a love for watercolours later on. I really appreciate you taking the time and telling us about the different benefits and drawbacks of each paint and why we should start off with a small set as it can really discourage beginners if they are overwhelmed. This was exactly what I was thinking when I first bought my Sakura Koi set... 😊

[@ArtWorkOfDR]

Great job Doll as someone still learning different things about watercolor this was a great video, what I would say about the amount of colors is I see having more colors in the beginning can make it hard to learn mixing but a thing to always remember is u can always challenge urself while learning by playing around with color pick different colors and try them out together don’t be afraid to “waste” the watercolor some of my favorite pieces have been ones where I had played with different colors I normally buy a few colors at a time and when I get them I would make a piece with only the colors I just got than slowly use those colors with other colors after learning how they did with other colors so anyway don’t be afraid to “waste” is what I am saying

[@pewpewcat7679]

I'm newly back to art again and trying to soak up as much info as I can and I'm so very much enjoying it and I've started to embrace the fact that I haven't settled on a medium of choice yet (I've only been seriously drawing and painting again for about 2 months not even). Your video will be going into my art tutorials playlist just because you've offered a good bit of extra information that I definitely want to take note of again at a later time. Thanks for your input, I really enjoyed your video

[@colombepetite]

I have watched quite a few beginner supplies videos and I think yours has been the best. Your reasoning was more relatable to me and although I have not heard of some of your selections, I am not upset for the MANY paints I have purchased since beginning (less then one year ago). Great video.

[@leahstanleighakakaratemama4253]

I enjoyed this video ☺️ I’ve been using the Winsor and Newton Cotman colours this past few months and agree. The colour pigment varies a lot colour to colour!! I just have the pocket sketch set (so 12 colours) and am also not in love with the colour selection in the set.

[@Rt66Gal]

This video is fantastic. Well done, put together, and so clear and organized. Thank you!

[@didiirwin]

I wish I had discovered you sooner!!! I just LOVED this video and am now going to power-watch everything else you have produced. Also, in reading most of the comments, it sounds like you have a great following of intellingent, informed, creative and upstanding folks so...I’d like to be a part of this. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us in such a happy format 😁 really did love your goodbye ❤️

[@whirlgirl1]

I took your recommendations and ordered my first set of watercolors set from sonnet :) I got the 24 color set. I appreciate your guidance on watercolors for beginners. I painted with oil and acrylic and even some cheap watercolors but I'm unsatisfied with cheap watercolors. I needed more pigment. I will definitely let you know how I like the sonnet watercolor! Yay so excited

[@kevinfrancisco4483]

thank you so much for this video. I started picking up watercolour painting again after a few years of disappointing results. I finally have made a few pieces that I am happy with. I didn't realize how much of a difference the paper made until I finally decided to try it out (both hot and cold-pressed cotton).

[@nomisupernova]

What a nice video, I always look forward to seeing more of your content! I've been thinking of picking up watercolor again since it's been a few years since I dabbled in it and this just might be the push I need. :)

[@Tasmanianval]

I'm completely in love with white nights, I started with the 12 set and I'm slowly buying single pans of interesting colors. For me is the only brand that I really want to complete the entire collection 💕

[@suzettewilson7821]

Thank you so much for this video! I've been using the Winsor + Newton Cotman watercolours (I've only been taking watercolours 'seriously' for the past month or so) and found this really useful for taking the 'next step' and trying things out I've had my eye on the White Knight set but now I know about the Sonnet set I might have to treat myself! Love your videos I've been lurking for a little while and just wanted to thank you for all the info I've picked up from watching you ❤

[@a.patel1]

i love how much you care about the experience of people who wanna start!

[@Starr00117]

My aunt is bringing me to an art school, so thank you for this video, this helped me a lot

[@hanahle985]

I own the Van gogh watercolor set (the travel set in a plastic box) and I believe that they're really great for beginners. Rewet easily & very pigmented. They don't move a ton but they're super fun to play with as a beginner.

[@alessandrafryzel8201]

I’d definitely recommend the Mozart Art Supplies KOMOREBI watercolor set of 40. Half the colors are traditional and Half are neon and pearlescent so the add a little fun. They’re great for sketchbooks and scan work, they’re enjoyable to work with, half the palette isn’t so good for lightfastness rating, however I love them for fun quick work.

[@lesleyegbert4807]

Woman, you read my mind! Thanks for helping me find the middle ground between grade school and luxury materials.

[@northerngardengirl]

Fantastic video!! One watercolor paint option I would add to your list of "paint that doesn't get in your way" (love the categories by the way!) is the Pretty Excellent Paint. It's has fantastic colours that mix and mingle they travel like watercolor paints should, pigments are rich, there seem to be lots of single pigment paints in it as they don't muddy easily when mixing. The price is sensational! Half what Paul Rhuban is and they are made from the same company. Downside is they come in a tin of 36 colors and don't list the pigments. So it can be overwhelming and doesn't encourage mixing to gain understanding of how colours mingle. However, in conjunction with a book or some video tutorials this would be excellent for learning some mixing. Oh and I agree Cottman isn't my thing either. I did get that to start out with when venturing into student grade and nearly gave up on watercolor painting because it didn't work well with me. But luckily I tried other paints and discovered I adore watercolor painting and am not half bad at it... with decent brushes, paper and paint. :) I look forward to checking out more of your videos!!

[@boringlyfactual6368]

I have watched a number of your videos. How great to actually lay eyes on the person behind the channel. After just a couple of minutes it struck me how you seem comfortable in your own skin. Your presentation style is excellent in pace and content. Thanks. Really enjoyed it and learned a few things. I am retired and working on WC for the first time. It is frustrating and rewarding at the same time.

[@anadarchi6683]

Thank you sooo much!!! I’m a newbie water colourist & your video is by far one of my favourites. I’m grateful for your honesty & thank you for recommending using erasable pencils & kneadable eraser. It would make drawing then painting sooo much easier! Best Wishes 😊

[@kerih1785]

Love this! I am just starting out again! I picked up the Paul Rubens 12 colour palette and love it. ANNND started taking your courses on Skillshare. I am very grateful, thank you. My grade 1 son loves watching you too!

[@Zine2me]

Have been a White Nights fan for years and I'm so happy to see others using them as well.

[@thieleaf_the_shelf_dragon]

i super agree! when i first bought watercolours it was the winsor & newton cotman set of 36 or something and when i did use them i learned nothing about how to mix and i never got to know and understand each paint's properties.. i recently bought a select few white knights and schminke paints (because they were on sale) and i'm actually LEARNING so much! and inspired to paint much more often!

[@craftymeow4679]

Thanks for this! Really glad to hear your comment about Cotman. I got a Cotman set to start learning with and it is not a bad set, but I did have to move on to another set sooner than I anticipated because I got so frustrated with the inconsistent tinting strengths. I was starting to think I was just bad at watercolor! I got the full 45 set and I know that goes against most advice for newbies, but it was the best choice for me as I got to play around with a big selection of colors and find what I really love and what I just do not use much. It was easy to go to a smaller set of professional paints from there as I had a good idea of what I was looking for in a selection.

[@lindsayjayne2169]

Thankyou for being so straight forward and honest. This video was super helpful, and incredibly informative, thankyou for creating it!!✌🏻

[@DebraDarkandTwisty]

I just discovered your channel & I thank you for this guide. Watercolour is my favourite painting style but I am clueless & there are so many choices! I will be making my way through your older videos & I hope you do a new version of your top watercolours of all. I love to know what people think :)

[@macijacobs5964]

I can’t stress enough how important kneeled erasers are for me! Plus they’re super fun to play with 🤗 although I’m not a beginner with watercolors now, I found this extremely helpful! I wish I could have had your knowledge and advice years ago when I began using watercolors!

[@verafernandes4913]

Thank you so very much for your video about watercolor recommendations for beginners. Just in the nick of time, I was about to purchase the Kuretake GANSAI Tambi 48 set, after watching your video, I changed to the Sonnet Watercolor Paint Set-24. I already knew about the quality of paper for watercolor, however, not the brushes, so I ordered the correct for a beginner for me. This video was so information for me that I have subscribed/notification so I'll be notified. Thank again for taking the time to do the research and post this information

[@cindyhorton6980]

I am looking forward to see your favorite top professional watercolors! Hope it's soon! Thank you! ❤️

[@sugurutoki7759]

Now I`m in love with Pinax watercolors! It`s russian company, but made in korea. I mix pinax and white nights!

[@RiddhiKandharkar]

Amazing video as ever... And I miss your watercolor making series they were so satisfing to watch and this video was very informative...💕💕 and you are very close to 100k yayy!!!! Love you from a small youtuber..

[@arleebean]

Thank you!! And the paint making series will be back. :D I just haven't been making much paint lately.

[@Obsidian_Iris_]

Thank you so much for recommending the Sonnet watercolors! They are incredible; the colors are so, so vibrant! I love them! They also mix very well. I was going to order one of the sets you recommended beginners *not* buy, mainly because of the number of colors offered. There are a ca-jillion colors in a super cute palette - they almost got me. 😊 I’m glad I took your advice to heart and opted to start learning how to mix colors. I’m amazed at the difference in mixing colors of opposing temperatures to mixing colors with similar temperatures.

[@sherryp7169]

Love your teaching style. Very informative while not having an overwhelming amount of information. Thank you 👏🏻

[@LizGridleyArtist]

Thankyou for going so indepth! I work in an art shop and as an oil painter it can be hard to finesse the differences in watercolors from the brands descriptions alone! ♡

[@emhuesart]

This might be the most informative and helpful art video I have ever seen! wish I could like this video more than once! I've been wanting to check out your skillshare classes for a while now and this video just makes me want to even more! Thank you for making such quality content 💕✨

[@greybrush]

Watching this at 12 am in Philippines I love your videos , You are the reason why I bought a 24 color set of Sonnet watercolors and I thank you for that😊

[@KatheeRN]

Great job on picking watercolor supplies for beginners..The Paul Rubens r fun to play with and an excellent choice for someone new to watercolor. I'm not familiar with any of the other supplies you've shown, but they all look great to start a watercolor journey.

[@npknscrb]

Thanks for putting this in one place and providing so much information. Good to know that I didn't do too horribly in choosing supplies with limited knowledge.

[@malinnlisl1677]

this video is very helpful, it's very clear so I got a nice overview. I'm pretty new to watercolour and only started getting into it at the beginning of last year. I have the small white nights set and I agree about the lack of mixing space. It has all the colours I need so far and it's convenient to use outside but I always havev to bring an extra watervolour palette to mix my colours in. Other than that I would definitley recommend the paints themselves to beginners, they're really good.

[@TheDaantje1234]

Helpfull video! I've recently bought the mixed media canson xl pad and so far as a beginner I was quite happy with it. But I started out in my regular basic sketchbook so having paper that could actually handle water was quite a fascinating thing haha! After buying the cheapest watercolor set in the stores around here I could find, which was the one from flying tiger for like four euros. I bought a set from prima and I was so happy with those I bought some more at a convention a couple months back. I'm so happy with them and I was really glad that you mentioned them as I barely hear a thing about these watercolors. Well, that was quite a rant. But I just wanted to say, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

[@akapoetry]

Thank you so much! I’ve had both the Paul Ruben and Sonnet in my shopping cart for a month because I didn’t know which was better. Now I know I can checkout with Sonnet!! I’m upgrading from Yarka semi moist (which I love).

[@tabbystangledart]

I really enjoyed your video. I pay the bills making adult coloring books, but I've recently become obsessed with watercolor. My first decent set was Eachgoo. I bought them thinking I'd never use them but after they sat around for a year I finally pulled them out to attempt a background on a page. The background sucked, but I fell in LOVE with watercolor after years of thinking I absolutely HATED the medium. I'll admit, I'm a bargain shopper so I've tried every affordable set out there and SO SO many different papers. My absolute favorite set is Quinshan. They're really really affordable and I'm always pleased with the results. :)

[@Angela-jy8um]

Great video! Side note and compliment: You are very likable and you speak very well, saying things in a way that wont upset the easily offended. That's definitely a talent! I've never heard of any of these brands your talking about. Thanks for sharing!

[@funkentanz]

I love the Sonnet Colours and draw with them a lot. I also bought them for my daughter (11), because they are so affordable, especially here in Europe. She likes them the same much better, then normal school watercolours. For my professional drawings I use my Schmincke Horadam Colours, but for practise alone, the Sonnet are perfect.

[@lesterbangs]

Thank you so much! I find your channel to be so inspiring for a beginner! I wish I had watched this before I got the winsor newton set because you are SO right about the tinting. I have had it for a couple of months and my yellows are almost gone and I feel like I have nothing to show for it but lots of attempts at color mixing ;) I have White Nights on the way! Thank you so much for all this great info and beautiful art

[@dustbunnydraws3000]

Stone Henge aqua hot press paper is the best paper! Buying a dot card from daniel smith on blick is like $4.00 and a fun cheap way to test good watercolors.

[@user-iq3vu2ne2r]

Thanks so much for this video! I've been using Koi watercolors for a few months and have been looking for something that's an upgrade, but still on the relatively affordable side. It's really difficult to make a choice when there are so many different sets at this price point with all different pros and cons. It was great to see a compiled list that I can consider choosing from! :)

[@sallycooley7650]

hey yall! just wanted to say how much i LOVE the white nights watercolor, theres a set of 12 for around 20$ that great for beginners ( i got mine for 18.50) and now that im an intermediate-ish painter i still find myself reaching for them, only downside is the packaging, bulky plastic

[@vicsartlife]

I actually am using the Miya/Himi gouache set for my “beginner” watercolor journey. I started out painting with acrylics and wanted to begin using watercolors because I absolutely LOVE the way watercolors change the mood and texture of your artwork. The Himi gouache set is super affordable and it takes literally a tiny dab of paint in a good bit of water to create a wonderfully pigmented “watercolor” look. And because of its price point plus the large amount of paint in each pan, I felt it would be a fantastic start. So far, I actually do love them despite my struggle with my “mixed media” paper pilling and warping on me. I plan to invest in the Senelier watercolors because after all of my researching watercolors, I think they are what I am looking for. Maybe I’m not the only one starting my watercolor journey making gouache watercolors lol

[@sillysuzy631]

Thank you so so much for your opinions! You almost read my mind on things I thought I wanted! Like the Gansi set!! I think I will go for the Paul Reubans and I totally agree with the W&N Cotman set which is one I purchased at “ Cheap Joes” at their recommendation. You are so real and knowledgeable- thanks again I think I found a new teacher in YOU!😊

[@nicoleyahc]

I love the information in this video! Thank you for pros and cons and dos and donts. On a superficial note, you have a nice voice to listen to also🌻☺️ thanks for sharing!

[@jamiegraham9008]

Thank you for recommending the White Nights! I purchased a set and just did a swatch and I love them!

[@wendybaryl6867]

Thanks so much for your time and talent ❤️ super helpful.. and I agree totally, Arteza is my basic.. gansai is so beautiful

[@eldaped77]

Thank you for such a useful video! I'm new at watercolor so I nerd a lot of help at what to have As a beginner!

[@leahevergreenart]

I still love me my Canson XL, I find it interesting how bright and vibrant colours can be on it vs 100% sometimes. It really is good for beginners and I totes agree with you about Winsor and Newton. I think their pocket box set is good but there are colour strength differences that can be frustrating for brand new to watercolour beginners. Great list :)

[@jessbarry4644]

Im an acrylic artist trying to love some watercolors i won. It bugs me how the tutorials always have *attitude and superiority* THANK YOU FOR BEING HUMAN!!!first tutorial i ACTUALLY watched to the end ! Thank you i learned FINALLY!

[@B1ackDahlia767]

I started with the Canson XL paper too, also the Strathmore 400 which is also cellulose/pulp. As I've improved, Saunders Waterford has become my favorite. I one hundred percent agree on the St. Petersburg White Nights, & even though I utilize a lot of Daniel Smith & Sennelier now, I still often reach for my White Nights set. Silver Brush Black Velvet & Silver Brush Golden Natural are my favorite brushes as well as what I started with. (I've many Princeton synthetics such as the Neptunes & Elites, but the ends curl & make me crazy.) Wonderful video with fantastic information, especially letting beginners know you can have the greatest of paints & still be absolutely foiled by undesirable paper! 💜🎨

[@devanshi2193]

That is exactly what happened!! I bought cotman in 2017.. and it just didn’t make me love watercolours in general.. so I didn’t explore the medium, but i recently bought white nights, and they are getting me super excited

[@lindyashford7744]

So agree about white nights, they have this 'come use me' kind of quality, and I too reach for them often as a first choice. Maybe their price point make them less intimidating, I certainly am less inhibited about using them. Besides the colours are just gorgeous.

[@rikkus]

Hi Arleesha's husband! I recently bought some White Nights watercolors and I absolutely love them. It seems like everything is just easier to control with them

[@koschke3909]

My starter was a smaller Schmincke Akademie set ( I am from germany so this is seriously my favorite choice:)) and my „on top“ choice is now single horadam paints or Daniel smith specials since DS is really expensive here in germany. I even got a nearly new but used Schmincke set on ebay, so I was able to save alot of money at the beginning! I dont regret my choice at all and watercolor is just one of my favorite material to use:)

I have same feeling about Cottman's. They were my first "pro" watercolors, but I've quickly switched to Aquarius watercolors. Those I love to use

[@DrJones-nh4my]

Excellent review of everything you need to start watercolor painting 👍

[@drbettyschueler3235]

This was a nice overview of the materials most people, who want to learn to watercolor, need to get started. I own most of the watercolor sets available at Jacksons, Amazon, and the big US art retailers such as Blick. My favorite set is Holdbein's but I also play around with many of the more affordable sets you recommend as, now that I'm retired, most of my work is in watercolor sketchbooks.I think the White Nights watercolors are probably the easiest to use for most beginners but the other sets you mention are quite similar. The first set of watercolors I learned to use, at the University of Maryland, were the Winsor & Newton water colors. I agree with you that the Cotman set isn't nearly as good as using the sets you recommend. I might have given up on watercoloring if I'd started with the Cotman set.

[@dianebishopdesigns]

Like a lot of people I have mostly used the Winsor & Newton Cotman sets because they were affordable and easy to get hold of. I started with the travel set and then purchased the large 45 half pan studio set. It was nice to have a lot of colours but I later chose the colours I found most helpful and used them in the little travel set. This year I bought myself some tubes of Holbein watercolours and started building my own palette with space to add extra colours later. I feel like I should go back and try the Cotman's again now I actually have something to compare them to!

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

Great video! I agree, and I wish I would have listened when I first started watercolor, START WITHA LIMITED PALETTE!!! Getting a big set, no matter if it’s the best paint on the market, will confuse you and impede your ability to not only learn color mixing, but learn your paints and their properties as well. Getting to know your paints is huge, and color mixing is vital if you want to grow as an artist. Personally, I recommend a split primary (2 yellow, 2 blues, 2 reds, warm and cool,) yellow ochre, sap green, burnt sienna, burnt umber or sepia, dioxazine violet, and phthalo green. 12 colors. From these 12 colors you can mix just about any color under the sun. This is my opinion only, but I think sticking to a limited palette will be the most effective way to learn and grow.

[@ElisaHowl]

This is the first video I watch from you and I have to say it was a great review! I just started with watercolors and I'm most of the time very confused about the technique and the multiple brands of watercolors. I had the "brilliant" idea to get the cheapest ones to try if I was going to like to paint and now I decided to buy something a bit better (and not paints for school hahah), so you video was very useful. Thank you! :D

[@jengoodwyn2715]

I am very much in love with my White Nights paints!

[@emilyshmemily8252]

I know that obviously this isn't the topic of the video but like Omg freckles! She's so pretty!

[@Millemmia]

This was a great helpful video :D Thank you! I usually do custom palettes myself

[@loati94]

I really like the Van Gogh watercolors as an affordable line from Royal Talens. The are pigmented, flow pretty nicely and rewet very easily

[@RogueA007]

My first 'artist' sets of watercolors were the Sakura Koi 12 color pocket field sketch box. They also have a love-hate relationship with some artists, but a small kit like it is so easy to keep around. I'm not sure I'd really want the bigger boxes, as sure, more premixed colors are nice, but I do agree with you in how fewer colors to learn color mixing and theory is better. A 12 kit can give an artist a cool/warm of each primary, and then the other six can be 'convenience' colors plus a white (the Koi does include black...which...I used a lot as a kid but not so much anymore.) W&N Cotman...I also own a set of those, mostly because in the early 2000s when I was in art school, student grade sets were limited and W&N was actually one of the better ones. Better choices out there now. Oh, and for dye based watercolors, I point young kids to Prang non-washable watercolors. They're somewhat easy to find at a craft store but arent soapy or too chalky like the $5 Artist Loft or whatever kits....

[@gemedwards3066]

I love the Daler rowney travel set it's so pigmented also the mozart watercolour set.... The colours are so vibrant but a little chalky