3 Watercolor Tools I Wish I’d Had in My Beginner Art Kit

When I started painting with watercolor, I had the basic supplies I needed: paint, paper, a round brush, water, and a small white ceramic palette. That was enough to begin, but as I worked through my early paintings, I kept running into a few practical problems that made the process slower and less successful than it needed to be. Looking back, there are three watercolor tools I wish I’d had in my beginner art kit from the start: a small heat gun, a flat brush, and a white ceramic palette with larger mixing wells.

None of these tools is required before you can begin painting. You do not need a large supply collection or a fully equipped art space.

But each of these additions solved a real problem in my early watercolor practice. One helped me make better use of short painting sessions. The other two changed my experience with washes, which had felt much more intimidating to me than simpler brushstrokes.

1. A Small Heat Gun for Drying Watercolor Layers

The first tool that made a major difference in my beginner watercolor practice was a small heat gun.

When I started painting, I often worked in short stretches of time — sometimes only 10 or 15 minutes. That was enough time to begin a small project, but not always enough time to let the main painted elements dry naturally before adding the finishing details.

I knew I was supposed to wait.

But I was impatient, and I wanted to finish the painting while I still had time available.

Too often, I decided that the paper looked dry enough and added the final details before the first layer was ready. The new colors would bleed into the damp paint underneath. Small shapes lost their definition. Darker details spread, mixed with the base colors, or created muddy areas.

The problem was not always that I had used the wrong color or made the wrong brushstroke. Sometimes I had simply moved on too soon.

A small heat gun changed that.

Instead of repeatedly touching the surface, studying it from different angles, or continuing because I was eager to move forward, I could use the heat gun before adding the smallest details. That made a 10- or 15-minute painting session much more workable. I could complete the larger shapes, dry the paper, and then add the lines, dots, centers, shadows, or other finishing touches without the colors bleeding together.

For me, the heat gun was not merely a way to avoid waiting. It helped me use the painting time I had more effectively.

It also created a clearer separation between stages of the painting:

• Paint the main elements.
• Dry the paper.
• Add the details.

That simple sequence would have prevented several of the problems I created by painting into a layer that was not ready.

💡Tip: A heat tool should be used with care. Keep it moving rather than holding it over one area for too long, and avoid placing it too close to the paper. The goal is to dry the paper, not scorch it or push wet paint around the page. A hair dryer can also work, although its airflow may be stronger and less concentrated. Whatever drying tool you use, it is still helpful to let freshly painted areas settle briefly before applying direct air.

The important point is not that every beginner needs to buy a drying tool.

It is that watercolor layers need to be dry before you add another layer or details that are meant to stay crisp and separate.

For someone who paints in short pockets of time — or is, like me, impatient — a heat gun can make those sessions more workable and effective.

2. A Flat Watercolor Brush for Washes

Like many beginners, I started with a round watercolor brush.

A round brush is versatile. It can make thin lines, broad strokes, curves, petals, leaves, and many of the other marks beginners commonly practice. It remains one of the most useful brushes in my watercolor kit.

But a round brush was not always the best tool for every watercolor technique.

When I wanted to paint a larger wash, I had to make more strokes and reload my brush more often. The painting area was larger. The paper began drying while I was still working. I had to think about the amount of paint, the amount of water, the speed of my brush, and whether each new stroke would connect smoothly with the one before it. 

When I tried to create a wash with my round size 6 brush, the process seemed to take forever.

The results were often blotchy and uneven.

At the time, I saw that as evidence that washes were difficult and that I was not very good at painting them.

Practice was certainly part of the answer, but so was using a brush better suited to the task.

A flat brush made a significant difference.

Because the bristles form a wide, straight edge, a flat brush covers more paper with each stroke. I could move across the page more efficiently and apply broader bands of paint without making so many small, overlapping marks. That helped me create washes that looked smoother and more consistent.

The flat brush did not replace my round brush. It gave me a more suitable option when the area I wanted to paint was wider than the marks my round brush could comfortably make.

Looking back, I wish I had understood sooner that choosing a watercolor brush is not only about quality or size. Brush shape also matters.

A painting problem is not always a sign that you need more practice. You may simply be trying to complete a task with a brush that was designed to work differently.

3. A White Ceramic Palette With Larger Wells

I did start with a white ceramic palette, and I still think white ceramic is an excellent surface for mixing watercolor.

The white background makes it easier to see the colors you are creating. Ceramic is smooth, stable, and easy to clean. Paint also tends to mix more evenly on ceramic than it does on some lightweight plastic surfaces.

What I did not understand at first was how much the size of the wells would matter.

My first ceramic palette had small wells. They worked fine when I was mixing a small amount of color and loading a round brush.

But once I began using a flat brush for washes, I encountered a new problem.

The wells were not large enough.

A wash requires more mixed paint than a few individual brushstrokes. For watercolor washes, the rule of thumb is to always mix more paint than you expect to use. Stopping to prepare more color mid-wash can lead to changes in the color, water balance, or timing.

The well also needs to have enough room to accommodate the brush itself.

If the well is too small or shallow, a flat brush cannot dip into the paint and load evenly across the full width of its bristles. You may have enough paint in the palette, but you still cannot access it efficiently with the brush you are using.

A white ceramic palette with larger wells made the difference.

The flat brush helped me apply a wash more smoothly.

The larger wells allowed me to mix enough paint and load the flat brush properly.

Together, those two tools changed my experience with washes.

Instead of repeatedly mixing small amounts of paint and working back and forth with a round brush, I could prepare a larger mix of color, load the flat brush, and move across the paper with fewer strokes.

That made the entire process feel smoother and more predictable.

Today, I would look for a white ceramic palette that includes both:

• smaller wells for individual colors, details, and compact mixtures
• larger wells or broad mixing areas for washes and larger brushes 

Well size is a palette feature that many beginner supply lists do not mention, but it makes a substantial difference once you begin painting larger areas.

What These Three Watercolor Tools Have in Common

A white ceramic palette with larger wells, a flat brush, and a heat gun may seem like three unrelated additions to a beginner watercolor kit.

But together, they support the same basic painting process:

Mix enough paint. Apply it with an appropriate brush. Let the paint dry before continuing.

Each tool addressed a point where I had been creating unnecessary difficulty for myself.

The larger palette wells gave me enough room to mix and load the paint required for larger areas.

The flat brush helped me cover larger areas more efficiently.

The heat gun helped me stop painting over layers that were still damp and to work within the time I had.

None of them changed the fundamental nature of watercolor. 

They did not remove the need to practice.

I still needed to learn how much water to use, how much paint to mix, how quickly to move across the paper, and how watercolor behaves as it dries.

But the right tools gave me a better way to practice those skills and a more predictable outcome.

That distinction matters.

Sometimes a beginner needs more time and experience. Sometimes the tool itself is creating an unnecessary obstacle.

The right tool can change the painting process.

💬 Closing Thoughts for Today

As a self-taught watercolor artist who, like many of you, had other calls on my time and my pocketbook, I started with the recommended basics.

I painted with what I had.

But then I started paying attention to the problems that kept appearing.

I struggled to cover a larger area before it started drying.

My mixing wells were too small for the amount of paint I needed.

I was forever adding tiny details and painting new layers before the paper was fully dry.

These repeated points of friction told me more about what belonged in my art kit than a general supply list ever could.

These are the three watercolor tools I wish I had added sooner — because each one solved a real problem in my early painting process and helped me make better use of the time I spent painting.

If you are experiencing these problems too, I recommend putting these watercolor tools on your supply list for the next time you add to your art kit.

And if you’re running into other problems and you’re not sure what might help, you are welcome to reach out. I’m always willing to help beginners troubleshoot what’s going on and identify a practical next step.

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