Materials

To get you started on your road to painting for health you will need a few basic materials. These need not be expensive and you can add to your collection as your interest and passion for painting grows. You certainly dont need to rush out and spend a fortune on painting equipment.

Paint - I would suggest tube paint as you can squeeze out a big dollop onto a plate and not be scared of usng it. Student quality is fine to practise with. Winsor & Newton Cotman tubes of watercolour paint are fairly cheap.

8ml £1.65
21ml £3.50

Colours minimum 3 or 6 is better

1 x red
1 x yellow
1 x blue

but best to chose 1 each cool red,yellow and blue and 1 each warm red, yellow and blue.
All other colours can be made from red,yellow and blue.

Red and blue = purple
red and yellow = orange
blue and yellow = green
red,yellow and blue = black

When you get your paints just try them out on some paper and try mixing them together.

You need some paper. To start with a pad of watercolour paper is ok to suit your budget but as you progress a nice art paper will give you better results. Look in art books at various types of paper because there are hundreds to chose from and most books on painting will suggest papers to use. You can get books at the library or look online.

The same is to be said about brushes. You will build up a collection in time but a nice round brush with a good point on it, size 10 or 12 to start you off. Again, look in books to read up on all the different types of brushes. But you really dont need many. A round one and a flat one would do most things.