Buy the best materials you can afford - and don’t be afraid to use them. Don’t keep them ‘for good’. Use them for practice. It’s better to buy three tubes of high quality paint in the primary colors then to spend the same amount on a set of inferior paints.

Paper:
Paper is the number one hindrance to watercolor. Arches paper is the only paper I've found that reliably performs. I could use other paints, other paintbrushes and still create good paintings, but without very good paper it just doesn't work.

Arches brand 140 lb cold press paper is ideal. I buy them in a pack of 5 - 22x30 sheets, about $40 at Blick. Buy the large sheets, fold them in half, and in half again to get smaller sheets, these are much more cost efficient than the blocks they sell. You do need a substrate to tape them to. I recommend gatorboard which are lightweight, durable and easy to cut to size. f it’s out of stock you can check Artist and Craftsman in Saugus. Wood panels work as well.

If you’d rather have them precut, this 12” x 16” 20 pack of Arches on Amazon might suit your needs better and comes already attached to a backing board, no gator board needed.


Colors:
Ultramarine blue
Alizarin Crimson Permanent / Quinacridone Rose
NIckel Azo Yellow (QOR brand)
(Don’t buy plain Nickel Yellow, it has white mixed in)

A Phthalo blue (green shade) and cadmium orange is occasionally useful as well.

These are the colors I use generally, both in teaching and in general painting. If you have other colors and want to use those, that's fine. If you want to get a full set of good colors this set by QOR brand has some excellent colors that are reasonably priced.

Palette

Ceramic palettes are the best I've found. Plastic (and some metal palettes) the water can bead up, not allowing you to see the strength of your washes, which is important in watercolor.
Here's one that you might consider.


Brushes
Rosemary company in the UK makes excellent brushes for reasonable prices.

I use a #8 and a #10 round, a larger brush ¾” or 1” for spreading large amounts of water, and a 30mm hake.

If you want to just get a set, this one is a nice one (hake sold separate)

Misc
Light tan masking tape - (no colored tape - can cause color/value errors) I use a lot so this 10-pack works for me

Ruler - I like a clear plastic one so I can see where I’m placing it.

Backing board - something to tape your loose sheets of watercolor paper to. I mention gatorboard in the paper section above.

Paper Towels - Viva brand are good quality

This lamp is excellent for still life and botanical subjects. It’s battery powered and has a nice brightness.

Portable Easels - When outdoors or in the studio I use a very portable easel called the Leder Easel. Combined with a good tripod like this excellent one you can have a great setup in a short time that packs away neatly.

The color chart
I recommend making color charts. It will help you see how colors are mixed. Any three primaries will work (blue, red, yellow), it's to see how those particular colors interact and what colors they create.

In each of the five squares, you start with purest tint at the top and going down, add more water until it's just a step above the white of the paper at the end.

Here are a couple videos I made to guide you.

https://youtu.be/lXF7Bsli3lg
https://youtu.be/kR-c1GMA16U

If are having trouble mixing colors or are new I really recommend making your own charts. Set aside an hour or so for each, it's very helpful.

If you have questions please feel free to reach out.

Join Adam for this three day outdoor workshop where he will show everything you need to know to paint outdoors. He’ll go over materials you need including easels, paper, panels, paints, umbrellas and more.

He’ll go over how to travel light, how to pick your subjects, what to look for, how to keep bugs (and inquisitive people) away and much more. Each day Adam will do a demonstration, showing various tips and techniques you can use both in and out of the studio.

We will meet in lovely locations like Beaverbrook park in Belmont, Monotony Park in Arlington, and Christian Herter park in Cambridge. Don’t miss this chance to learn all the basics and some advanced techniques.

Class runs Wednesday - Friday, June 5th-7th, 9 am - 4 pm.

Click the image above to register.

The fragile beauty of flowers and the vibrancy of watercolors go hand in hand. In this class, the instructor will guide you through painting several types of flowers from start to finish. He will provide color mixing, brushwork, and step-by-step instructions. He will also share tips and tricks for watercolor that you can use for a lifetime. Explore the finer details of nature in color, light, and form. All levels from beginners to advanced are welcome. Tuition includes a $15 materials fee to cover the cost of flowers.

Mondays 4pm - 6 pm

Class signup listing here. Non- Belmont residents can register starting March 19th.

For help signing up contact Heidi Barberio at Belmont Rec Department 617-993-2760 - HBarberio@belmont-ma.gov

Join Adam in this one day class as he guides you through the art of birds. He’ll show how to paint feathers, beaks, claws, and eyes, as well as giving them a setting and environment. Working from images, Adam will first demonstrate how to paint these birds, then offer individual guidance to each student. All levels from beginners to advanced are welcome so join us and paint these magnificent creatures in watercolor!

4/27/2024 - 10am - 4pm

Class signup listing here.

For help signing up contact Heidi Barberio at Belmont Rec Department 617-993-2760 - HBarberio@belmont-ma.gov

Join Adam as he guides you through the world of still life in watercolor. You’ll learn the composition
concepts of what makes a successful still life and how to use value & color theory, lines and
movement throughout the painting all while learning to paint a variety of different objects such as
fruits and vegetables, pottery, glass, reflections, flowers, and more.

Students will gain understanding
in how to setup their own still lifes. Tuition includes a $15 materials fee to cover the cost of still lifes.
Join us in discovery of new skills and how to create the watercolor paintings you’ve always wanted to
and have fun doing it.

5/13/2024 - 06/24/2024

Mondays 4pm - 6pm

Class signup listing here.

For help signing up contact Heidi Barberio at Belmont Rec Department 617-993-2760 - HBarberio@belmont-ma.gov

Join Adam as he teaches how to create forest scenes with watercolors. He will demonstrate 3 different forest scenes, starting with simple and moving to complex. He will show how to paint the different elements including trees, rocks, clouds, trails and streams. He will then individually assist each student in achieving the painting they want to create.

Class signup listing here.

For help signing up contact Heidi Barberio at Belmont Rec Department 617-993-2760 - HBarberio@belmont-ma.gov

In this 3 hour workshop Adam will walk you through how to create a mat for your print or watercolor painting. He will show how to measure and mark the mat board, the proper techniques for using a mat cutter, how to install into a frame and get the frame ready for hanging on the wall. Mat boards and mat cutter will be provided, you bring the painting or print and any frame you want to hang it in, up to 16” x 20”. $15 material fee included in cost of class.

Class signup listing here.

For help signing up contact Heidi Barberio at Belmont Rec Department 617-993-2760 - HBarberio@belmont-ma.gov

In this class Adam will show how to create seaside docks so ubiquitous to New England. He will demonstrate several elements including how to layout your painting, how to create the mast and rigging of docked ships, piers, and the various items you find dockside. He will also demonstrate one to two paintings depending on time, then have each student work from the same image to create a painting.

Class signup listing here.

For help signing up contact Heidi Barberio at Belmont Rec Department 617-993-2760 - HBarberio@belmont-ma.gov

My CCAE classes can be found here.