Art Supplies I Use & Recommend
I've accumulated quite a collection of art supplies over time. I'm still figuring out what I actually need, and I'm learning that having more materials doesn't necessarily mean making more art. These days, I'm trying to focus less on collecting and more on using what I already have.
Watercolour Paints
I began with Jackson’s Art watercolours because they offered an affordable way to get started with urban sketching. Over time, my palette has grown to include Holbein, Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton and Daler Rowney. I’ll share the colours and paints I use, along with where I buy them and what I’ve learned along the way.
My Watercolour Palette
Although I've accumulated quite a collection of watercolours over the years, I find myself coming back to a core 21-colour palette for most of my work. I also have several smaller palettes that I use when I'm working in another part of the house.
Watercolour Paints I Currently Use
🟡 Yellows
Cadmium Yellow Light — Jackson's
Indian Yellow — Jackson's
New Gamboge — Daniel Smith
Naples Yellow — Jackson's
Yellow Ochre — Jackson's
Quin Gold — Jackson's
🔴 Reds
Cadmium Red — Jackson's
Venetian Red — Jackson's
Pyrrole Red — Holbein
Permanent Rose — Daler-Rowney
Alizarin Crimson — Jackson's
🔵 Blues
Cerulean Blue — Jackson's
French Ultramarine — Daniel Smith
Cobalt Blue — Cotman
🟢 Greens
Viridian — Jackson's
Hooker's Green — Jackson's
Sap Green — Jackson's
Olive Green — Holbein
🟤 Earth Colours
Burnt Sienna — Jackson's
Raw Umber — Jackson's
Raw Sienna — Jackson's
Brushes I Use
Over time, I've tried a number of different brushes, but I've settled on a selection that suits the way I sketch and paint. Some are favourites that I use regularly, while others are brushes I've kept because they have a particular job to do.
Silver Black Velvet
Series 3000S — Rounds #6, #8, #10, #12, #16
Series 3008S — ½" Flat
Petit Gris Pure Squirrel Mop
Mops #3/0, #6, #8
Jackson's Art Supplies
#4 Mop
Series S.503 — Rigger #4
Rosemary & Co.
Kolinsky Sable Series 8 — #5
Sable Series 88 — #2/0
Riggers
A.S. Handover Series 299 — #6, #8
Cotman Series 333 — #3
My First Brushes
Princeton Neptune Series 4750R — Rounds #4, #6, #8, #10, #12
½" Oval
¼" Dagger
¾" Flat
Travel Brushes
Escoda Versatil Travel — #8, #10, #12
Pentel Water-Filled Brushes
Sketch Pads & Watercolour Paper
I use both loose watercolour paper and sketchbooks, depending on what I'm working on. I don't always reach for expensive paper, especially when I'm experimenting or simply practising.
Watercolour Paper
Fabriano Cold Press — 140 lb, 22 × 30" sheets
Fabriano 25% Cotton - 98 lb, 18 × 22" sheets
Arches Rough — 140 lb, 22 × 30" sheets
Sketchbooks
Dollar Store Sketchbook — 6 × 9", ideal for pencil, pastel, charcoal, crayon and ink
Canson Mixed Media — 6 × 9", works well for drawing and light washes
Canson Mixed Media — 9x12", works well for drawing and light washes
Kraft Paper Sketchbook - 6x9"
Palettes I Use
I use a few different palettes depending on where and how I'm working. My larger palettes are useful at home, while the smaller tin palettes are convenient when I want to keep things compact.
Ceramic Watercolour Palette
33 wells
Liz Deakin Watercolour Palette
15 wells
Tin Watercolour Palettes (Travel)
2 × 12 full-pan wells
My Travel Palette
I use a few different travel palettes depending on where and how I'm working. I prefer using Travel Palette 1 over 2—no particular reason.
Travel Palette 1.
New Gamboge
Green Gold
Pyrrole
Venetian Red
Permanent Rose
Cerulean Blue
French Ultra Marine
Sap Green
Burnt Sienna
Yellow Ochre
Burnt Umber
Payne's Grey
Travel Palette 2.
Lemon Yellow
Indian Yellow
Raw Sienna
Aliz. Crimson
Magenta
Cadmium Red
Viridan
Cobalt Blue
Raw Umber
Sepia
Indigo Blue
Neutral Tint
Drawing & Colouring Supplies
Along with watercolour, I use a variety of drawing and colouring materials. Some are part of my regular sketching kit, while others are useful for experimenting, adding detail, or simply trying something different.
Watercolour Pencils
Derwent
Staedtler
Caran D'Ache
Pastels
Pentel Art Sticks Oil Pastels
Pencil Crayons
Crayola Coloured Pencils
Drawing Pencils
Staedtler
Pens & Inks
Micron
Uni-ball
Lamy Fountain Pen
Sailor Fude
Platinum Carbon Pen
Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen
Sharpie
Sakura Gelly Roll
Platinum Carbon Ink
Rohrer & Klingner Sketch Ink
Alcohol-Based Markers
Laurentien
Ohuhu
Prismacolor
Erasers
Faber-Castell Dust Free Eraser
Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser