Start with what you've got...

Hey Reader
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I just had to tackle this topic this week. I watched a Youtube video yesterday, from a pretty established watercolour artist and honestly their work is just beautiful. But...she was talking about supplies - paper, brushes, paints.
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The video kind of went like this...
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Buy the best if you wanna get better. Spend all of your spare cash on paper and that's the only way you'll make something from your art - I call a big bold BS to that - I really do.
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​And here’s why I feel so strongly about this…
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​This kind of advice shuts people out before they’ve even begun. It makes painting feel exclusive. Expensive. Like you need permission - and a big budget - just to dip a brush in water.
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​You truly don’t.
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​Honestly? Most people don’t quit watercolours because they bought the 'wrong' paper. They stop painting because they feel intimidated before they even start. Worried about 'getting it wrong' or worried about judgement!
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The truth is, improvement doesn’t come from expensive materials. It comes from time spent painting. From making marks. From disconnecting.
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From learning how water behaves.
From letting yourself play without pressure.
From JOY
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You can learn SO much with a basic set of paints – one decent round brush and a sheet of watercolour paper that can hold a bit of water.
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​That’s it. That’s enough to begin.
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​In fact, starting simple is often better. It keeps the focus where it should be - on the process, the curiosity, the feeling of the brush moving across paper - not on protecting “precious” supplies or trying to make something worthy.
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​It’s about sitting down and saying, “I’m allowed to try.”
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​So if you’ve been holding back because you feel like you need better paper, better brushes or new paints - just start!
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​That Spring floral above - I painted it on a Winsor Newton student paper, with a set of watercolours that cost barely twenty quid and a basic round brush I've had for years...what you already have is absolutely good enough to start.
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And if a gentle place to begin would help, I’ve created something exactly for that. A little starting point. No overwhelm. No pressure. No fancy kit required.
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Just a simple way to pick up a brush, follow along, and discover how calming and freeing watercolour can be.
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It’s called A Little Box of Joy - and it’s designed to help you begin to paint mini watercolour landscape without overthinking any of it.
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Because starting shouldn’t feel intimidating. It should feel inviting. And you’re more ready than you think.
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Til next time...
Sue 🎨💛

P.S. If you're looking for a bit of inspiration, joy and colour this week - give the tutorial below a try . A full video is already on YT.​
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​And...Please share with me what you paint @susanhaywatercolour. ​
Honestly - it makes my week when I see what you've all created. 🩷

“If you hear a voice within you say
‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint… and that voice will be silenced.” - Vincent van Gogh