My Favorite Supplies
Some of the most often asked questions I recieve are regarding my favorite and most used supplies. In the spring of 2025, there will be a couple new videos added to YouTube with an updated look at my favorite watercolor colors, brands, and supplies. For those who prefer a written blog post, this one is for you!
This website contains affiliate links for Blick Art Materials and Da Vinci Paint Co. Purchasing supplies after using these links helps to support me as an artist without costing you any additional fees. I am not associated with or compensated by any of the other art brands mentioned below aside from the aforementioned affiliates programs and my collaboration palettes with Da Vinci Paint Co. Thank you for your support!​
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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Watercolor Colors
There is a four-part video series on my YouTube channel featuring many of my favorite watercolor colors. While I do have several palettes with Da Vinci and love working with their paints, I believe that every brand has its own unique strengths. Some pigments are similar across brands while others can vary. If the brand is important to my preference, it is listed below. Colors that do not have a brand listed next to them are not brand dependent.
I've also listed alternate options for each color. These alternates may not be direct color matches, but they indicate what I would relace the color with if I were to exchange it for another in my collection.
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For a more detailed explanation of each color selection,
please see my Patreon companion post for this set of videos.
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Blick Art Materials and Da Vinci Paint Co. affiliate links are used below whenever applicable. To order on Amazon, please use this shopping list.
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Yellow Sophie (PY93) - Sennelier
Alternate(s): Lemon Yellow (PY175), Benzimidazolone Yellow (PY154)
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Hokkaido Orange (PY216) - A. Gallo
Alternate(s): Transparent Orange (PO107) - Winsor & Newton
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Alternate(s): Pyrrole Red (PR254)
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Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone (PV19) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Carmine (PR176) - Daniel Smith
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Quinacridone Rose (PV19) - Daniel Smith
Alternate(s): Red Rose Deep (PV19) - Da Vinci
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Perylene Violet (PV29)
Alternate(s): Napthamide Maroon (PR171)
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Galaxy Pink (PV16, PBr33) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): Rose of Ultramarine (PV19/PB29) - Daniel Smith
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Potter's Pink (PR233) - Roman Szmal or Schmincke
Alternate(s): Lilac - Da Vinci
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Manganese Violet (PV16) - Stoneground Paint or Roman Szmal
Alternate(s): Quinacridone Violet (PV19)
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Misty Morning (PV19/PG50) - Roman Szmal
Alternate(s): Lilac (PV19/PB29/PW6) - Da Vinci
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Shadow Violet (PB29/PV19/PG50) - Roman Szmal
Alternate(s): Moonglow - Daniel Smith, Artemis - Da Vinci
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Delft Cobalt Blue (PB36) - Stoneground Paint
Alternate(s): Mayan Dark Blue (PB82) - Daniel Smith​​
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Indanthrene Blue (PB60) - Da Vinci or Sennelier
Alternate(s): Anthraquinone Blue (PB60) - M. Graham​​
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Ultramarine Blue (PB29) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Ultramarine Deep (PB29) - Sennelier
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​Phthalo Turquoise (PB16)
Alternate(s): Phthalo Blue Green Shade (PB15) or Phthalo Green (PG7)
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Cerulean Blue (PB36) - M. Graham
Alternate(s): a more green-leaning, less granulating cerulean
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Cerulean Blue Warm Shade (PB35) - Winsor & Newton
Alternate(s): a more violet-leaning, granulating cerulean
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Cobalt Turquoise - Schmincke (PG50) or Da Vinci (PB36)
Alternate(s): Cobalt Teal (PB28) - M. Graham
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Cobalt Turquoise Deep (PB36) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Cobalt Green Turquoise (PG36) - Schmincke
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Forest Blue (PB36/PBk11) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): Vivianite - Stoneground Paint or Nila Colori
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Cobalt Green Deep (PG26) - Winsor & Newton
Alternate(s): Cobalt Green Dark/Deep - Schmincke or Roman Szmal
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Florentine Green (PG17) - Stoneground Paint
Alternate(s): Chromium Oxide Green (PG17), Zoisite Genuine - Daniel Smith
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Forest Grey (PBr7/PBk11/PG50) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): N/A
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Desert Green (PG26/PR108) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): N/A
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Perylene Green (PBk31) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Shadow Green - Holbein or Deep Sap Green - Daniel Smith
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Undersea Green (PB29/PO48/PY150) - Daniel Smith
Alternate(s): Aquarius Green (PB29/PY150/PBr25) - Roman Szmal
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Denise's Green (PY129/PB60) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Sap Green (PG36/PR101/PY150) - QoR
Green Gold (PY129)
Alternate(s): Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150)
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Quinacridone Gold (PR206/PR101/PY150) - Sennelier
Alternate(s): Quinacridone Gold (PY150/PR206/PV19) - Winsor & Newton
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Naples Yellow Deep (PBr24) - Stoneground Paint or Sennelier
Alternate(s): Buff Titanium (PW6:1) - Daniel Smith
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Golden Ochre (PY42) - Winsor & Newton
Alternate(s): Yellow Ochre (PY43) - Daniel Smith
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Raw Sienna Warm Shade (PBr7) - Stoneground Paint
Alternate(s): Raw Sienna (PBr7) - Da Vinci
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Spinel Brown (PY119) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): Aquarius Brown (PBr11) - Roman Szmal
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Tundra Orange (PR233/PBr7/PY42) - Schmicnke
Alternate(s): Goethite or Yavapai Genuine - Daniel Smith
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Dark Ochre (PY42) - Roman Szmal
Alternate(s): Raw Sienna Deep (PY42) - Da Vinci
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​Desert Brown (PY159/PR108/PBk11) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): Glacier Brown (PBr6/PG26) - Schmincke
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Mars Brown (PBr6) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): EF Red Iron Oxide (PBr6) or Burnt Sienna (PBr7) - Daniel Smith​​
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Mahogany Brown (PBr33) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): EF Red Iron Oxide (PBr6) or Burnt Sienna (PBr7) - Daniel Smith​​
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Terra Cotta (PR102) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Ginger Red (PR290) - Roman Szmal​​
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Terra Rosa (PR101) - M. Graham
Alternate(s): Indian Red (PR101) - Da Vinci or Roman Szmal
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Indian Red (PR101/PR206) - Schmincke
Alternate(s): Raw Umber Violet (PBr7/PV19) - Daniel Smith
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Violet Iron Oxide (PR101) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Caput Mortuum Violet (PR101) - Winsor & Newton
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Burnt Umber (PBr7) - Da Vinci or Daniel Smith
Alternate(s): Cypress Burnt Umber (PBr7) - Roman Szmal
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Raw Umber (PBr7) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Sepia (PBr7/PBk6) - M. Graham or Holbein
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Dark Brown (PY164) - Winsor & Newton (limited edition color)
Alternate(s): Manganese Brown (PY164) - Roman Szmal
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Denise's Gray (PB36/PR101) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Jane's Grey (PB29/PBr7) - Daniel Smith
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Stormy Blue (PB60/PR101) - Da Vinci
Alternate(s): Indigo (PB60/PBk6) - Daniel Smith
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Payne's Grey (PB15/PBk6/PV19) - Winsor & Newton
Alternate(s): Payne's Blue Gray - Daniel Smith, Payne's Gray Bluish - Schmincke, Shadow Grey - Roman Szmal, Payne's Grey - Isaro, Mayan Green Deep - Stoneground Paint (any blue-leaning, dark, transparent neutral will do!)
Watercolor Paper
The most important supply when it comes to you watercolor paintings isn't the brand of paint or colors you choose - it's your paper! This medium requires an understanding of how to manage the water between your palette, brush, and paper. To do that, I would recommend finding a paper you love and sticking with it! Every surface will require a slightly different technique to get the most out of it, which means re-learning every time you sit down with a new type of paper.
Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper, 140lb/300gsm
​This paper is my tried and true work horse. Anytime I am working on commission, a standalone project, or even just swatching new colors, this is what I reach for! Watercolors will look different on different types of paper, so I feel it's important to swatch on the same paper you paint on if you want an accurate representation of what those colors will look like in your paintings.
Blick Premier Hot Press Watercolor Blocks, 140lb/300gsm ​​
When I started painting with watercolors, I thought I severely disliked hot pressed paper. It turns out, I just didn't like the brand I was using! Blick Premier Hot Press Watercolor Blocks handle beautifully and are the perfect choice when you need a smoother paper texture. I reach for hot pressed paper when I need a clean scan for reproducing artwork or if I'm going to be using mixed media, such as pens or pencils, that have a difficult time on cold pressed paper.​
Fabriano Artistico Cold Press Watercolor Blocks, 140lb/300gsm ​
My experience with Fabriano Artistico is limited to the Etchr Perfect Sketchbook Signature Series, which is made using sheets of this paper. I am including it as my top vegan watercolor paper option, as the previous two I mentioned are not vegan friendly.
Sketchbooks
Over the past decade as a professional artist, I have filled many sketchbooks. As my technique improved and evolved, my preference in sketchbooks changed as well. I found myself growing frustrated with painting in cellulose sketchbooks. Even some of the ones marketed as cotton didn't absorb the water the way my usual cotton papers did. My search for the perfect sketchbook led me to finding a several different books that I use for different purposes.
​If you're looking for a hardbound book with paper that handles like high-quality cotton watercolor paper, this is the one! It's price tag reflects its quality, so I use this for watercolor studies more so than sketches. It's so satisfying to look through them when they're finished. I also love that the covers welcome stickers, so I can adorn them with artists' work I admire!​
Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Art Journal
With my expensive watercolor book in hand, I still needed to find a place where I could actually sketch and explore ideas. However, when I kept a basic graphite pencil sketchbook, it was disappointing when I finally sketched something that I wanted to render with water-based media. Sure, I could transfer it to watercolor paper to do a proper painting, but what I really wanted was something in between: a place to sketch mixed media and have the option to add water if the sketch beckoned me to do so.
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The Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media paper doesn't excel at handling large amounts of water and painting with many layers of watercolor, but it bridges the gap very well. I use mine regularly with graphite, colored pencils, water-soluble pencils and crayons, light watercolor washes, acrylic paint markers, and even gouache. ​
Stillman & Birn Nova Series Toned Softcover Sketchbook
As primarily a watercolor artist, I usually prefer to work on white or off-white paper. However, toned sketchbooks are a lot of fun for opaque mediums, like gouache and colored pencils.​ The Nova Series offers grey, tan, and black paper in their softcover sketchbooks.
Brushes
While I do hold paper as the highest importance for watercolor paintings, brushes are just as unique, and every artist will have their own preferences. For context regarding my favorite brushes, I primarily paint wildlife portraits using many layers and delicate details, and I rarely work larger than 9x12". My approach for working with gouache does differ, so my choice in brushes when working with gouache reflects that.
Silver Black Velvet 6, 8 & 10 Round
This brush has been my main squeeze for years on end. It is a very soft squirrel and synthetic squirrel blend that lends itself well to glazing and softening off washes. It has a large belly that can hold lots of water, but it also comes to an incredibly fine tip. It excels for my style of wildlife painting, but is not suited for artists who want a lot of spring in their brush.
The size 8 Round is my most used watercolor brush, and I can use it for an entire painting if needed. ​
​​Da Vinci Casaneo 6 Round & Jackson's Raven Mop Size 10/0
For a long time, I felt that none of the synthetic squirrel brushes could match the performance of a SBV. While I still feel that that is true in some regards, synthetics have come a long way, and I do have two favorites if you're looking for a soft vegan watercolor brush.
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Both the Da Vinci Casaneo (not the same company as Da Vinci Paint Co.) and Jackson's Raven Mop are beautiful to paint with. They both hold as much water as a SBV, though neither comes to as fine of a tip.
The Casaneo runs large, so the size 6 Round performs similarly to my SBV size 8 Round. The area of the handle you hold while you paint has three slightly flattened sides. This feels a little clunkier for the specific way that I paint (constantly rotating the brush between my thumb and forefinger to find the best angle) but it does prevent the brushes from rolling away on a flat surface.
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As a mop brush, the smallest Raven (10/0) is of similar size to the aforementioned brushes. Its handle is very thin, making it slightly more strenuous to hold in my larger hands, which results in reaching for it less often.
Silver Brush Golden Natural 12 Ultra Round
While my SBV's serve me well for the vast majority of my painting process, I have found a new favorite for painting whiskers and fine hair details on my animal portraits. ​Sometimes the larger SBVs can be a little clunky when it comes to painting whiskers specifically, and the smaller SBV sizes don't hold enough water for multiple long smooth strokes. However, I find that riggers and liners to have too little control for my preference.
This Ultra Round has an incredibly fine tip, and its blend of natural and synthetic taklon fibers hold an exceptional amount of water for its size. Those qualities make this brush the perfect choice for these fine details.​
Jackson's Studio Synthetic 1/2" Flat
This guy has been such a workhorse for my many swatching charts (and even some stylized paintings!). Unlike the soft squirrel brushes I usually use for painting, this brush is better suited for holding less water and creating cleaner swatches. If you are looking for a similar brush from a U.S. seller, I'd recommend the Princeton Velvetouch 1/2" Wash or the Winsor & Newton Cotman 1/2" One-Stroke.
Princeton Velvetouch 4 Flat Shader
I've had this little flat brush for around a decade after picking it up in a local art shop for color mixing swatches. I still use it in my Color Spotlight videos to create a variety of mixes between two colors.
Silver Brush Silverwhite 6 & 10 Bright, 2 Filbert
For gouache, I enjoy using a stiffer synthetic brush. My gouache paintings look quite different from my watercolors, and I prefer using flat brushes for this look. The bright shape brushes have shorter bristles that are easier to control than a longer flat (though the trade off is that they hold less paint). When it comes to details, I prefer a small filbert over the flat or bright shaped bristles.
Graphite & Colored Pencils
My favorite drawing tools have changed over the years, but here are some of my favorite graphite and colored pencils for sketching and drawing the foundations of my watercolor paintings.
General's Kimberly Graphite Pencils
​When it comes to a basic pencil, I've been using Kimberly Generals for decades. They are easy to access in U.S. art stores and have never served me wrong. I prefer the softer, darker leads (4B-8B) for sketching and slightly harder leads (4H -H) as the base of watercolor paintings.
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Faber-Castell TK 9400 Clutch Pencil
The newest graphite addition to my collection is a clutch pencil. This functions somewhere between a standard pencil and a mechanical pencil. Like my standard pencils, I prefer using it with a softer lead. Faber-Castell also makes a tiny sharpener for this lead.
If you have trouble with graphite smudging or prefer a bit of color in your sketches, I'd recommend these erasable colored pencils. Unlike softer and more pigmented colored pencils, Col-Erase pencils are much easier to correct. If you'd still prefer the graphite pencil-like look, they even have the color "Light Gray" in the 24 pack. Limited colors are available as open stock.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
I had never gravitated towards colored pencils as a fine art medium due to my chronic pain and how hard they can be on the body. However, while working on concept sketches for my "Lesbeans" Pride piece in 2023, I inadvertently fell in love with using my colored pencils on toned paper. While I don't use them in light layers to create realistic portraits like many colored pencil artists do, the tactile feel of these soft colored pencils on toned paper scratches an itch I didn't know I had. I especially love working with the buttery smooth pastel colors that have white pigment added to them.​
Water Soluble Materials
I really came into my sketchbook era when I found the joy of water soluble pencils and crayons. Much like the Strathmore 500 sketchbook, these completely changed my relationship with drawing and boosted my confidence tenfold. As a watercolor artist, being able to use water and a brush to quickly create form and value in an otherwise ordinary sketch has brought me so much joy.
Faber-Castell Graphite Aquarelle Pencils
I've had these pencils for years, but I didn't truly utilize them until early 2024 when I took them to a live figure drawing class. I had been using an 8B graphite pencil to block in shapes and shade form quickly during timed sketches. I eventually found these in my stash and brought them with me to a session. I haven't put them down since!
Lyra Water Soluble Graphite Crayons
After unlocking the power of water-soluble graphite pencils, I continued looking for tools that would help me sketch loosely during my figure drawing sessions. These "crayons" proved to be perfect for quick warm up sketches. The 6B and 9B are absolutely delightful for blocking in dark values. They also have a large sharpener if you don't want to sharpen them by hand.​
Caran d'Ache Technalo Water Soluble Colored Graphite Pencils
When I'm looking for something a little more fun but not wanting to go full color, I reach for my Technalo RGB pencils. This tinted graphite comes in three colors: Carmine Lake, Dark Phthalo Green, and Prussian Blue. They are lightfast and contains 3B lead.
Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft Aquarelle Pencils
Have you caught on yet that I love soft leads? If I am looking for a colorful sketching experience, it's time to break out the Supracolor Soft pencils.
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While I don't use these water soluble pencils for fine art pieces, I will happily pair any of them with a 1/2" synthetic flat brush in my sketchbook. My favorite tip for working with them comes towards the end of a sketch. You can dip the tip directly in water to add strongly contrasting marks in areas of emphasis or shadow.
Finally, the last one isn't quite as convenient as a pencil, but it's close! ArtGraf Viarco Tailor Shape blocks come in 12 colors. They activate like any other watercolor pan and can be used to paint. My favorite color is what they call Sepia. This color is not a darker brown, like I usually think of Sepia, but instead is reminiscent of Goethite in watercolors.
Miscellaneous Drawing Supplies
Here are some of my favorite supplies I use both in the studio and on the go!
Faber-Castell Dust-Free Eraser (white)
I'd guess that every artist has a favorite eraser, and this has long been mine. It's soft enough that it doesn't damage watercolor paper, and the eraser debris clumps together in larger pieces instead of flaking off in dusty shavings.
I was introduced to kneaded erasers when I was a kid, but my appreciation for them snuck up on me in recent years. For watercolor paintings, they've always been useful to lighten sketches before applying paint. However, they're also incredibly useful for on-location sketching, as they can be stuck to and stay on your portable working surface. I recommend purchasing one with a case or storing it in an existing case so that it isn't exposed to dust, pencil shavings, pet hair, etc. That way it will stay nice and clean!
Tombow Mono Zero Refillable Erasers
These Mono Zero erasers come in both rectangular and tiny round tips, allowing for precise erasing. Many artists use them for lifting highlights in graphite pieces. I find them particularly helpful when drawing small or detailed subjects.
Faber-Castell Double Hole Sharpener
I'm not sure why I love this little guy so much, but he travels with me any time I take a pencil out on the go. It's helpful to have the different size options, and it folds up compactly to take up less space. Due to the design, I've never had it open unintentionally inside my travel bag and spill shavings everywhere - something that is not true of many other sharpeners I've used.
Faber-Castell Clic & Go Artist Water Cup
Speaking of on the go... There are many collapsible water cups available to artists, but this is the sturdiest one I've come across. It collapses down to take up minimal room in a travel bag and expands to a decently sized water container.
Miscellaneous Studio Supplies
Rounding back to the studio, here are a few more of my miscellaneous most used supplies.
I go through a decent amount of masking tape, not only to hold down my watercolor paper but also for swatching and mixing charts on my YouTube channel. After my local art store closed down, it became more and more difficult to find tape that was the right balance of "keeps water out" and "doesn't tear the paper when you remove it." I'm glad to say my search is over! Blick's tapes work great in watercolor applications, and that 1/8" tape is perfect for masking off color charts.
Sunstar Kadomaru Pro Corner Cutter
When I first bought this, I thought it might be a rather frivolous purchase... but boy do I use this thing often! Mini paintings? Round the corners. Limited edition art prints? Round those corners. Sketchbook pages? Round 'em so they don't get dinged! D&D character sheets? Round them too! I also really like that this model has a tray for the scraps.
I use this stamp to date my sketchbook pages.
This is the sharpener I use for all the standard sized pencils in my studio. It can be a little fiddly sometimes, but it creates such a beautifully sharp tip.
I have no idea why it took me so long to get one of these. They are incredibly helpful for marking color charts or cutting paper down to size. If you have the money, I'd spring for a metal one so that it can be used with a craft knife! This little guy is okay for smaller pieces of paper, but I'll be saving up for one that is at least 18" to be used with larger paper.
This sturdy little phone stand has served me well. It's height is adjustable, and it folds flat. It has a solid base that isn't prone to tipping, and it easily holds my references on my phone while I am painting.
Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White
It's often considered best practice to use the white of the paper as the highlights in a watercolor painting. When I lose my details, I turn to this very opaque white gouache. If it begins to dry out, you can add distilled or filtered water to reconstitute it, and I often use the lid as a mini palette to dilute the paint to the desired consistency.
I use empty Talenti gelato containers for water cups and paint waste collection.
This website contains affiliate links for Blick Art Materials and Da Vinci Paint Co. Purchasing supplies after using these links helps to support me as an artist without costing you any additional fees. I am not associated with or compensated by any of the other art brands mentioned below aside from the aforementioned affiliates programs and my collaboration palettes with Da Vinci Paint Co. Thank you for your support!​
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As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.