Brushes
Until you develop your skills it is best to buy a few brushes and learn how to make the best use of them. There is no need to invest in expensive sable brushes from the outset but these will make very nice presents later. You will need a flat (half or three-quarter inch), a rigger (No. 1 or 2) and a round (about No. 6) as a basic kit.

Some artists prefer to use a No. 16 with a very fine point to do most of their painting.

Other Items
The obvious essentials are pencils - I use "F" grade pencils because the mark is very difficult to see after it is painted over. You may want to make your drawing marks more obvious, in which case you can use softer pencils, charcoal or graphite sticks. You may find that using a pen over the top of watercolour is an enjoyable and effective means of depicting an image.

A putty rubber may be needed - do not use a harder rubber because it lifts the size off some papers and will leave a mark when you paint over it.

Masking fluid is a very useful addition to the painter's kit. I recommend the use of a draughtsman's ruling pen for applying the masking fluid - brushes will be ruined if you allow masking fluid to dry on them. The pen is also useful for drawing narrow lines with paint instead of using the rigger brush.

The other essential is a supply of tissue paper or kitchen towel. An old jar or plastic container will do as a water container. A piece of plywood or MDF which has been given a coat of varnish will make a drawing board.