Getting Started with Watercolor as a Total Beginner

Supplies, guidance, and what actually helped me begin without feeling overwhelmed.

Starting a new hobby can sound fun, but figuring out how to actually begin can be surprisingly hard.

It’s easier and more enjoyable when you have guidance, which is why I got one of Alyssa’s watercolor workbooks. They include step-by-step tutorials and pre-drawn line art printed on proper watercolor paper.

This is perfect for beginners because you don’t need to worry about sketching, just focus on painting. This also helps you with the frustration of finding or using the wrong paper which can tear or be unforgiving (believe me, I know).

The guided approach teaches you where to start, how to layer colors, and helps build confidence with every stroke. It really is like having a patient art teacher right by your side.

‘Tis the season so I picked out the Winter Watercolor Workbook; all of her Workbooks include 10 pre-drawn images each with video directions.

TIP: Her blog post How to Paint White with Watercolor was really helpful for this workbook, and beyond for other winter-related projects.

I suggest picking up the Beginner Paint Palette (which includes a brush) that Alyssa recommends. At first, I thought, “I probably have one somewhere”, and when I didn’t I grabbed the cheapest set I could find while wandering the craft aisle during grocery shopping.

No big money spent, no harm, right? Well… not exactly.

The brush that came with my budget set started shedding bristles into the paint and water before it even touched the page. The paint colors all had neon or warm tones, what appeared to be brown was actually neon orange, what looked black was actually warm brown!

While I don’t believe you need to spend a lot to start a new hobby, lesson learned: it’s worth spending a few extra dollars for the proper materials so you can actually enjoy it. Alyssa’s palette comes with a quality wooden brush, and the eight included watercolor paints are washable and non-toxic.

It’s the exact set used in all the demonstration videos for the Watercolor Workbooks, which makes it a great place to start (and the perfect add-on gift) because it gives you that reassuring feeling that no colors will be 'off' and you’re using the same tools as the pros.

Materials Needed:

Watercolor paints

Water

Small round paintbrush, any small paintbrush if you've got one already

Pencil

Fine tip pen

Towel, paper towel, or tissue for blotting

Optional: Cardstock or watercolor paper for freestyle painting (I used scrap cardstock)

Optional: White gel pen (if you're feeling fancy) for reflections and details

Then just start painting!

You've got this.

-Lauren