Selection of WATERCOLOR TUBES (Do not buy gouache):

CADMIUM RED
ALIZARIN CRIMSON
CADMIUM YELLOW
LEMON YELLOW
ULTRAMARINE BLUE
SAP GREEN
YELLOW OCHRE
BURNT UMBER
BURNT SIENNA
PAYNE’S GREY
ULTRAMARINE VIOLET /PURPLE

• Watercolor palette
• 2-3 plastic containers for water (e.g. yogurt containers)
•Round watercolor brushes #2, #8, #12 (OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO THOSE SIZES) and 1” flat watercolor brush. Do Not buy long handle brushes. Synthetic brushes okay. Princeton Brush Company has a good starter set (e.g. Dick Blick: White Taklon Brushes, Set of 5 (#9152)) 
• Smooth Rag (smooth old t-shirt fine or tissues/paper towels)
• Board to tape your work to (White foam board is fine, can get at Michaels)
• Masking tape or blue painter’s tape
• HB pencil and kneeded eraser
• 9”X12” cold press watercolor paper 140lbs (pad, block or loose sheets fine, as well as other sizes) Strathmore 140lb is good, brown cover.
Other useful materials: toothbrush, salt, art sponges

Notes:
• Materials: You can order materials online at sites like DickBlick, Cheap Joe’s, Jerry’s Artarama.
• Paints: Grumbacher Academy Artists’ watercolor paints are good for beginners. Other watercolor brands include Winsor Newton, Daniel Smith, QOR, Holbein. Better paints are worth the investment; they last a long time and provide a better vibrancy of true watercolors.
• Palette: My favorite palette is “Robert E. Wood” (I do not recommend DickBlick brand pallets-I do not like the quality of the plastic–the paints don’t stick to the wells and the paint pools in mixing tray)
• Brushes: Princeton Brush Company has a good starter set (e.g. Dick Blick: White Taklon Brushes, Set of 5 (#9152)) Princeton Brushes/ 4050R series also good.
• Watercolor paper: I use Arches Watercolor blocks/cold pressed 140lb. Beginners often choose Strathmore, yellow cover (a little better than the brown).