Princeton Neptune Round and Quill Brushes are my brushes of choice for most watercolor work. They hold water beautifully and simplify the painting process. I also appreciate their soft, slightly velvety wooden handles.

• Round brushes can do most anything you need and a set will give options. I own this set of size 2, 6, and 10 round brushes with ¾ wash brush.

• Quills are excellent for washes and larger paintings (I prefer them to flats). I use a size 4 and a size 8.

Princeton Snap Brushes are an excellent option for beginners. When I first started painting in watercolor, I struggled to get it to behave the way I expected and a slightly stiffer brush gave me more control. You can try:

• ‍ Size 0 for fine detail

• Size 4 or 6 for most things

• Size 10 or 12 for larger strokes

Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolor Paper (140 lb)

This is a high-quality paper with a nice finish and comes in many shapes and sizes. I think 9 × 12 is a good basic size unless you are painting something large. I’ve used this paper a lot and I like the texture on the paintings (used in Nuthatch painting here)

Hahnemuhle Collection Watercolor 300 Block Cold Pressed 9x12 300gsm, 9-x-12-Inch, White‍ ‍

This paper has really been growing on me. Similar to Arches above. I used this to paint Summer Nasturtiums and the egret in my Birds and Pollinators Gallery.

LED light pad, A4 Ultra-Thin with Dimmable Brightness

Obviously, this isn’t paper, but it was an absolute game-changer for me. Before I got a light pad, I was so too cautious about drawing directly on watercolor paper. I was afraid to mess up my drawing and waste expensive watercolor paper, to mess up the tooth of the paper if I needed to erase, etc. That limited what I was willing to try. Now, I work up designs on basic Strathmore Sketch paper and then use this box to trace my design directly (and lightly) on watercolor paper. It’s easy to use, less expensive than many, and works well with the 9 × 12” sketch and watercolor papers I recommend. For me, this was an excellent purchase.

Kingman Turquoise Watercolor Paint by Daniel Smith is a beautiful granulating paint made from one of my favorite stones. The color shifts and separates in fascinating ways as it dries and was central to my painting Maple Leaves with Kingman Turquoise.

Aureolin W239 Watercolor Paint by Holbein is a paint I learned about this color when I attended a workshop by Margie Samuels. It’s a calm, glowing yellow that tends to push away other colors (at least the paints I use). I used this plus Quinacridone Gold by Daniel Smith for the background on my Summer Nasturtiums watercolor painting.

I highly recommend these quality Meeden Palettes with Mixing Trays for their well sizes and mixing tray. The paint has never beaded on these when I’ve used them and the mixing trays are quite large. Both of these things matter when you are trying to see your mixes and dilutions. These trays are a basic, daily-use supply and worth the money. Don’t go for the cheaper trays you see.

Cyanotyping is more approachable than you might think. In addition to the items below, I also use inexpensive plastic trays that I got with cut fruit.

Beyond trays, you will need:

• Jacquard Cyanotype Kit — This kit contains everything needed to begin experimenting with cyanotype on paper. I used it for my earliest prints and did not need any additional supplies until I decided to continue with the process.

• Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag Fine Art Paper (8 x 10", 25 Sheets) — I use this is paper for both traditional and wet cyanotype processing. The 8 × 10 size fits the glass and backing included in the Jacquard starter kit, and the heavier paper stands up well to wet techniques. I used this for my Japanese Anemone in Wet Cyanotype.

• Jacquard Cyanotype Sensitizer Set — Once you're finished with the starter kit, these solutions allow you to continue making your own coated papers. You can purchase the chemicals individually or as a set.

This list may seem long, but these basics last a long time and will really help you get better results. Some are quite inexpensive, and I use all of them to create drawing like you see here.

• Strathmore 200 Series Sketch pad — This inexpensive sketch pad is where many of my ideas begin. I use it to plan compositions, practice techniques, and prepare drawings before transferring them to watercolor paper.

• Strathmore Drawing Pad, 9x12 inches — This is a basic artist paper with nice tooth. I like it very much for finished work (e.g., Skipper Butterfly on Key).

• Faber-Castell Castell 9000 Artist Pencils in Metal Tin — This set provides a useful range of hardnesses for everything from light construction lines to deep shadows. I've used mine for years in drawings such as Dogwood in my Botanicals Gallery and the Wren and Chickadee in my Birds and Pollinators Gallery. The tin is convenient for keeping them organized and the hexagonal barrel prevents them from rolling away. The range of hardnesses lets you vary the degree of softness or sharpness by changing the pencil. That lets you flex across crude lines, shadows, mid-tones, etc.

• STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph HB Graphite Art Drawing Pencil, 6 Pencils — These are my favorite pencils for preliminary sketches and planning drawings. The hexagonal barrels are comfortable to hold and stay put on the table instead of rolling away.

• STAEDTLER Double-Hole Tub Pencil Sharpener: Dual Size Manual Sharpener for Standard Graphite & Colored Pencils — This is by far the best sharpener I've found for both graphite and colored pencils. It sharpens cleanly without breaking delicate colored pencil cores. Highly recommended.

• Lyra Drawing Art Kneading Erasers with Case - Gray — These work beautifully for lifting graphite, softening edges, and even removing transfer lines from watercolor paper before painting.

• Pentel Super Hi-Polymer Eraser, Large, Nonabrasive, White — Sometimes a simple white eraser is exactly what is needed. This one erases cleanly without discoloring the paper.

Colored pencil work can be amazingly elegant and realistic. Depending on your budget and how far you want to take it, I have these recommendations.

• Caran d’Ache Luminance colored pencils — I use these colored pencils for high-quality finished work. The colors are rich and complex, though I suspect many artists would be perfectly happy starting with a smaller set before committing to a larger collection. The handles have a beautiful, comfortable wood exterior. They are available as a set of 100 or a smaller set of 40. I used the set of 100 to make my Skipper Butterfly drawing.

• My oldest set of colored pencils in the Derwent 12 Artists set. I can take you very far. I used it for my drawing 1998 Pansies.