Give a gift subscription

Basic

Watercolor Paints

Each brand has student-grade watercolor lines, so if you’re a rank beginner and anxious about investing too much money, start with a kit. Daniel Smith has a nice one. Pan paint kits are handy, but I strongly urge students to get a selection of watercolor paint in tubes — particularly the primary colors —since it’s easier to mix colors from tubes. That said, pan watercolor kits are great for traveling, and my shop carries my favorite one to date. If you want to experiment with a color that you are unsure of, buy the 5ml size first before you invest in a bigger tube.

Watercolor Brushes

For this class you will need a minimum of three brushes.

1. A 1” wash brush,

2. At least one of these: size 6 , 8, or 10, 12 watercolor rounds

3. At least one of these: size 8, 10, and 12, 14 watercolor flats

Watercolor Paper

I will give a video paper primer when I launch the class on the 30th. For this class, you can choose loose-leaf cold-press paper or use watercolor blocks. I use Arches, but there are cheaper brands available. You will need to tear or cut down your paper to these sizes:
6 x 9 inches @ 25
9 x 11 inches @10
3 x 3 inches - optional for creating a color swatch set @ 25

Here’s a great tutorial on how to tear paper from Dragonfly Spirit Studio.

Starter Kits

My studio store has two starter kits with paint, paper, and brushes for this class. Other supplies not included.

Watercolor Supply Kit with 12 colors

Watercolor Supply Kit with 18 colors

Other Supplies

• I like using porcelain “snack” bowls from kitchen supply stores for mixing and holding watercolor. The white porcelain cups are easier to clean and hold more water. Ramekins work fine as well. Ceramic egg holders work well for small batches of pigment. If I’m working in a large format, I divert small condiment jars with lids from the recycling bin to store paint. Plastic palettes are prone to “beading” (when little drops of pigment sit on the plastic surface) but are portable and still fine.

• Use a big jug for holding water or a leftover vase with a wide lip.

• Painter’s tape – I don’t like watercolor tape – I prefer using painter’s masking tape, which comes in awful blue, less awful green, and even less awful yellow. I use tape to secure paper to my painting table or any hard surface to keep the paper from buckling.

• Roll of paper towels

• Colored watercolor pencils and an assortment of drawing pencils and oil pastels

• Sketch book

• Anything inspirational – photo, collection of colors, gourd, textile, etc.

• Above all, feel free to experiment with the supplies. If a particular color or brush strikes your fancy, try it out.

Beyond Basic

Watercolor Paints

I use Winsor Newton, Sennelier, and Holbein paints, but throw in other brands as well. Here are some of the colors I currently love, but not required for this class.

• Cadmium Lemon

• Cadmium Yellow

• Rose Madder Genuine

• Cadmium Red

• Permanent Alizarin Crimson

• Winsor Violet

• French Ultramarine

• Prussian Blue

• Cerulean Blue

• Olive Green

• Permanent Sap Green

• Green Gold

• Naples Yellow

• Raw Sienna

• Gold Ochre

• Burnt Umber

• Sepia

• Caput mortum

• Indigo

• Payne’s Grey

• Cinerous Blue

• Chinese Vermillion

• Pthalo Green Light

• Antwerp Blue

• Neutral Tint

• Opera Rose

Watercolor Brushes

These are the shapes and sizes I reach for most often— some synthetic, some natural. My favorite brands are Isabey and Princeton, and a new favorite is Biaelk — particularly their hake brushes.
ROUNDS
Round No. 6
Round No. 8
Round No. 10
Round No. 12
FLATS
Flat No. 8
Flat No. 10
Flat No. 12
Flat No. 14
WASH BRUSHES
Wash Brush 1”
Wash Brush 2”
Good brushes are an investment. With proper care, they will serve you for many years.

Watercolor Paper

I use Arches but also like Fabriano and have a variety of other paper brands in my flat file. There are many choices, so if you want to experiment, buy individual sheets first to avoid spending a fortune on a brand you don’t like. I use 300lb weight Arches cold press for most of my work, so I don’t have to worry about buckling— when the paper warps due to water — but 140lb weight is fine for this class. A 901b weight paper is the cheapest but does buckle.

Vendors

• Dick Blick

• Daniel Smith Company

• Art Tool Kit

• Isa Catto Studio

Thank you and looking forward to May 30th!

JOIN THE CLASS

Welcome to Living in Color, a one-month color class launching Saturday, May 30th

When: Every Saturday, May 30th-June 20th

What to expect: Weekly written posts on color theory, a video, inspiration, and a weekly color exercise. Daily prompts in chat that you can take or leave, along with invitations to share your work and, well, chat, and build community.

How to Join

• Here’s the official guide on how to “subscribe” to an individual section on a Substack website. Follow the directions to select Living in Color in your settings (see the pink oval below) and then you should receive the class newsletter.

• Preparing a class takes a great deal of time and resources, so this class is for paid subscribers, with some free content.

• I will also be posting reminders every Saturday in Notes and at the tail end of each regular bi-monthly Swimming at Altitude.

Refer a friend

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO SUBSTACK SECTIONS

Who Am I Anyway?

Good question. I don’t love left-brain bios or resumes, so I’ll keep it brief. I’ve been a painter for 35 years, working in watercolor and mixed media. I’ve exhibited nationally and internationally and have taught at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado, Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, The Art School at Laguna Gloria, and the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI, among others. I also founded Isa Catto Studio, a design studio for textiles, homewares, and paper goods, which closed in 2024.

I hope to see you and your colors online!

Resources, supply lists, and more are rolling out on May 16th to get you ready for May 30th. Meanwhile, check out the studio supply shop.

Isa Catto Studio Store