Recommended YouTube Channels
These are the most consistently excellent watercolor teaching channels available. Each has a distinct approach — find the voice that resonates with you.
Marco Bucci
Widely considered the best art fundamentals teacher on YouTube. His color theory videos are genuinely transformative. He paints in a sketcherly, expressive style with vivid hues. Essential watching at any skill level.
Visit ChannelMind of Watercolor (Steve Mitchell)
30+ years of experience delivered with a warm sense of humor. Excellent for beginners and intermediates. Clear, methodical technique explanations with emphasis on painting process over perfection.
Visit ChannelLiron Yanconsky
Exceptionally clear explanations of materials — paper types, pigment properties, brush mechanics. Excellent for Phase 1–2 learners who want to understand the science behind the medium.
Visit ChannelJames Gurney
One of the most knowledgeable art educators on the platform. Exceptional depth on color, light, and natural observation. Inspiring for intermediate–advanced painters, though his broader knowledge of light applies to all levels.
Visit ChannelJenna Rainey
Accessible, encouraging beginner tutorials with a focus on florals and a soft, contemporary style. Has an excellent crash-course video covering supplies, brush loading, and basic techniques in under 15 minutes.
Visit ChannelKaren Rice Art
256K+ subscribers, 800+ videos of beginner and improver step-by-step tutorials. Covers watercolor and acrylic, landscapes and flowers. Enormous archive of accessible guided paintings to follow along with.
Visit ChannelSupplies Checklist by Phase
Start with the Budget column. Upgrade individual items as your skills grow — not all at once. The single best upgrade at any phase is switching to 100% cotton paper.
| Item | Phase | Budget | Mid-Range | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | 1+ | Canson XL Cold Press 300gsm | Fabriano Artistico 300gsm (cotton) | Arches 640gsm (cotton) or Saunders Waterford |
| Brushes (Rounds) | 1+ | Princeton Neptune or Winsor & Newton Cotman | Da Vinci Casaneo Series 498 | Winsor & Newton Series 7 Sable |
| Mop Brush | 2+ | Cheap synthetic mop, size 20+ | Da Vinci Petit Gris | Silver Brush Black Velvet Mop |
| Paints | 1+ | Cotman or Van Gogh student tubes | M. Graham or Daniel Smith (key colors) | Full Daniel Smith / Sennelier professional range |
| Palette | 1+ | John Pike plastic slant palette | Mijello Mission Gold folding palette | Robert E. Wood ceramic covered palette |
| Masking Fluid | 3+ | Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid | Pebeo Drawing Gum | Schmincke Masking Fluid (color-tinted) |
| Stretching / Board | 1+ | Tape to a wooden board | Pre-stretched Arches blocks (gummed pad) | Watercolor stretcher frame system |
| Lighting | 4+ | Natural daylight near a north window | Daylight LED desk lamp, 5500K | Two Godox daylight panels for flat-lay photography |
Recommended Books
Watercolor Painting: A Comprehensive Approach
Tom Hoffmann
One of the clearest and most logically organized watercolor textbooks available. Excellent for understanding value and decision-making as a process. Essential reading for Phases 2–3.
Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter
James Gurney
The definitive reference on how light actually behaves in nature. Not watercolor-specific, but indispensable for understanding why colors look the way they do at any skill level from Phase 2+.
Watercolor in the Wild
David Rankin
Inspirational plein air watercolor photography with thoughtful notes on composition and spontaneous technique. Excellent companion for Phase 4 plein air studies.
Experimental Watercolor Techniques
Jenna Rainey
A modern approach to contemporary watercolor with exercises for loosening up your technique. Practical, approachable, and well-illustrated. Good companion for Phase 5 expressive work.