Cindy Briggs 2021
Watercolor Supply List

Let’s get you started right. As you see on the left, this is all you need for most of my online, studio and plein air workshops. You are welcome to substitute your own supplies and use what you may already have. I recommend specific tried and true quality brands in bold because they are worth it. You will have a much better experience with quality art supplies. Most supplies are available online and/or at your local art store.

WATERCOLOR PAPER – 140# Cold Press

Arches, Fabriano or Dick Black 140 lb cold press watercolor paper in single sheets.
For online workshops I often use an 8×10 or 9”x12” Fabriano Studio Watercolor Pad that is reasonably priced (shown above). It’s up to you, just invest in good paper it will make a difference. While I demonstrate approximately a 6 x 8 to 8 x 10 painting size, you can paint whatever size you wish. Watercolor Postcards will even work. I use 300# Soft Press Fabriano paper for larger important paintings.

WATERCOLOR BRUSH

Dynasty Black Gold Quill Brush size 4 (similar to a size 8 round brush) This is the best brush I’ve ever worked with!!!! It holds the paint well, has a great point and is under $20. Get 5% off your entire order from www.The Brush Guys.com, enter code: cbriggs You can find me in the Teachers section and find all my brushes in there. You may want the size 2 and 00 Dynasty brush for smaller paintings or details. If the Quill suggested is unavailable – the Dynasty Black Gold 206R or Ultrecht 6150-R in size 12 or smaller is okay. Avoid a floppy Quill Brush, you want a brush that holds water well, bounces back and has a nice point.

WATERCOLOR PALETTE & PAINT

Choose a Watercolor Palette with a lid, generously squeeze in your watercolor tube paints & let fully dry a few days before painting. I use a Heritage Artist Palette 18 color wells. My select list of colors is provided on the next page for your convenience. For this workshop you could get by with whatever colors you already have or even just the 4 colors listed on the next page. Note: If the colors don’t mix well on your palette, try rubbing the white mixing surface with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser – also great for cleaning your palette.

How to Set up Your Watercolor Palette

PENS & PENCILS

Mechanical Pencil .7 and a Kneaded Eraser (your pencil eraser leaves fibers and bruises the paper. For my Quick Sketch paintings I use the Faber-Castell Artist’s Pen, Micro-line by Dainayw, in XF or Small Point in Black, or Sanguine. An extra fine point Sharpie will do.

WATERCOLOR Miscellaneous

Water Bucket, Paper Towels or Travel Towel, Holbein Squirt bottle or other small squirt bottle for spritzing your paint. White Artist’s tape or masking tape may be used. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (sponge or sheet/no soap version). Just for fun, buy yourself a swirly stencil and I’ll show you how I add patterns to my watercolors. I use the Fineline Masking Fluid pen Supernib Fine Tip with a rubber cement pickup.

Note: You can always use your own related reference photos in my classes. If you have any questions feel free to email me at
CindyBriggsArt@gmail.com and/or visit www.CindyBriggs.com

DANIEL SMITH EXTRA FINE WATERCOLORS

You can use similar colors in professional grade watercolors such as Windsor-Newton, Holbein, Cheap Joes. The watercolors come in a tube and you squeeze the paint in generously a few days before class so they are mostly dry. Colors listed in order of placement in palette above from right to left like a color wheel. If you have a limited budget you can use my 4 color palette in COLOR. Or my underlined 9 Color* palette. Any colors you already have will be fine.

• Lemon Yellow* – primary color – cool yellow mixes well with most colors
• New Gamboge – a warm sunny yellow, love it for sunflowers
• Naples Yellow – a warm creamy sunny yellow used on European Walls, sand & in portraits
• Yellow Ochre – warm earthy yellow great for landscapes and portraits
• Quinacridone Gold* – warm glowing yellow mixes well with greens and roses
• Permanent Brown* – warm earthy rich red brown, add some blue to mix Burnt Sienna
• Pyroll Orange – warm color that I often drop into shadows for reflective light
• Cadmium Red Hue* – warm traditional red – hue means it doesn’t have cadmium in it.
• Quinacridone Rose* – cool red primary color that mixes will with other colors
• Rose of Ultramarine – interesting violet that separates and creates unique effects
• Lavender – amazing color for shadows, French shutters, I use it in most of my paintings
• Cobalt Blue* – cool blue for skies and sometimes in shadows
• Ultra Marine Blue – traditional blue
• Phthalo Blue Green Shade* primary cool blue – mixes well with other colors
• Cobalt Teal Blue – cool opaque blue that you can drop in for a surprise accent
• Green Apatite Genuine* – earthy warm green, add Quin. Gold to make Rich Green Gold
• Phthalo Yellow Green – sunny green used where the sunlight hits trees, plants, etc
• Neutral Tint* – MIX with all your colors for rich darks and neutrals.

FYI Optional: Only used fresh out of the tube: Titanium White, Buff Titanium. Mix with other colors create more opaque
colors. Buff is a warm off-white great for sand and European walls, etc.

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