Material List for the Watercolor Artist

1. Canson  Montval / Saunders Waterford / Strathmore / Lanaquarelle / Cotman(300 gsm Cold Press Artist Grade watercolor paper pads 9"x12")

2. Brushes:W&N Kolinsky Sable Pointed Round # 6, Round #8, One Stroke 1/4"

3. Artist Grade Watercolor :12 or 18 tube set & a 12 Pan set

4. Palette: White plastic medium size

5. Pencils :(HB)1; (2H)1 ; 12” Transparent Ruler - 1       

6. Eraser - 1 ; porcelain mug – 1 ; Absorbent cotton rag
   EXTRAS: Watercolor Pencils, Pen with waterproof black ink

Different types of Watercolor Paper
The Watercolor paper you use can make or break your painting. It comes in a wide range of sizes, qualities and even colors. Whilst watercolor paper isn't overly expensive as painting materials go, in parts of the world where it has to be imported, its cost is proportionately higher.  By understanding a few, simple principles, you can keep this wastage to an absolute minimum - though I strongly suggest you never throw any of your 'spoilt' pictures away. Then they're always there to provide proof that you are improving! Don't worry, you will make mistakes with your watercolor painting! It's part of the learning process.  And you may not think so at times, but it is part of the fun! Any artist who has ever put paint to watercolor paper will lose a fair few sheets to experience. So what can you do to leapfrog at least some of the biggest obstacles?  Read on!

Paper Textures: Watercolor paper is put through different types of rollers during manufacture. Some of these – such as for Hot Pressed – may be metal, hence the smooth surface. Others have various textures of felt giving the paper its distinctive ‘grain’. The grain or texture allows the watercolor paints to settle in the hollows of the paper to varying degrees. This gives some very pleasing effects - especially when you know which colors are more prone to settle (granulate) in the paper... and as you learn to exploit this knowledge. Each brand has its own grain and many artists choose their paper for this reason alone.  There are three types of textures: Hot Pressed, Cold Pressed or 'Not', and Rough

1. HP (Hot Pressed) - a smooth texture ideal for detailed work or using a pen with your watercolors. Pen and wash incidentally, is very a popular and forgiving technique. (I’ve rescued many a picture that’s been consigned to the ‘Whoever Said You Could Paint?’ folder by the selective addition of some pen work!)

2. NOT (Cold Pressed or Not Hot Pressed) - has a moderate texture and is the most popular surface for beginners and experienced artists alike.

3. ROUGH - as its name suggests this is the coarsest surface and is ideal where you want to lightly run your watercolor brush over parts of the picture. This gives a lovely hit and miss effect where the brush bounces across the uneven surface. The white specks of unpainted paper add an unrivalled sparkle and with practice, you can really exploit the medium to the full.

Weight & Thickness : Watercolor paper is produced in various weights (thicknesses) - numbered either in lbs (pounds per ream) or gsm (grams/square meter). Most common is 90lb (190 gsm), 140lb (300 gsm) or 300lb (638 gsm). It looks and feels a bit like blotting paper. However, the big difference is that watercolor paper has a coating of size on both sides which lets paint soak in, but not get absorbed or spread uncontrollably, as it would on blotting paper.

• The most common (140lb = 300 gsm) is comfortable to use without stretching.

• The lighter 90lb will always need stretching if you're using heavy washes. The 90lb is cheaper, but can be more trouble at first for the beginner, until you learn how to stretch watercolor paper properly every time.

• The heavy (300lb=638 gsm) probably doesn't need stretching but it is quite expensive and doesn't always have the same texture of its 140lb equivalent.
  Note: Information sourced from the www