 Watercolor paper comes in different sizes and weights. I prefer 300 lb smooth paper
 300 lb watercolor paper is my favorite for portraits and realistic paintings
 Invest in good watercolor brushes that spring back and come to a chisel point
 Lowell Cornell round brushes can be used complete an entire painting
 Investing in artist grade watercolors will give you the best results
 Make a color chart using your watercolor paints. I keep all similar colors on the same page and list the manufacturers name and color. I have used my color charts before choosing my colors for a painting. This saves so much time.
 Invest in a good watercolor mixing guide available at most art stores
 To get intense color and pure deposit in your watercolor paintings, I recommend artist’s grade pigment. Use straight out of the tube without re-constituting dry paint
 Two containers of water are useful when applying dark washes. One container is used for rinsing brushes and one for thinning pigment.
 A color wheel is handy to have in your paint box
 Salt sprinkled into wet paint will give interesting texture to a watercolor painting
 Other effects on watercolor paintings can be achieved with plastic wrap or flicking paint with a stiff toothbrush with paint
 Alcohol can be spritzed onto a background for another interesting effect
 A fishing tackle box with slide out drawers makes an excellent storage and travel kit for artist
 Masking fluid is wonderful to use when trying to achieve a fluid, dark background