Supplies checklist
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Supplies checklist
A supplies checklist for online courses where students need materials or equipment before they begin. It sets out the essentials as a checklist, compares a budget kit with an upgrade kit in a table, explains which items matter most and which can wait, and answers common questions. The sample lists watercolor supplies for a beginner painting course. Replace the items and prices with what your own course needs, link to the stores you recommend, and send new students here from your welcome email and course overview.
Watercolor supplies checklist
You do not need an expensive art store haul to start painting. Here is exactly what to get for Watercolor Foundations, what is worth spending a little more on, and what can wait.
The essentials
- Paper: a pad of 100% cotton, 140 lb (300 gsm) cold-press paper, 9 x 12 inches
- Paints: six artist-grade tubes: a warm and a cool yellow, red and blue, plus burnt sienna
- Brushes: a size 8 and a size 12 round, and a 1 inch flat
- Palette: a white plastic palette with wells, or a white ceramic plate
- Water: two jars, one for rinsing and one for clean water
- Tape and board: low-tack masking tape and a piece of foam board or plywood
- Paper towels or a cotton rag
- A pencil and a kneaded eraser for light sketches
Cheap paper buckles, streaks and will not let you lift color. Good cotton paper makes even student paints behave well, and it makes the lessons much easier to follow.
Budget kit or upgrade kit?
| Item | Budget choice | Upgrade choice |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Cotton blend pad, about $15 | 100% cotton block, about $35 |
| Paints | Student-grade set of 12 half pans, about $15 | Six artist-grade tubes, about $45 |
| Brushes | Synthetic set of three, about $12 | Synthetic-sable blend rounds, about $30 |
| Palette | A white dinner plate, free | Folding plastic palette, about $12 |
| Total | About $45 | About $120 |
What can wait
Skip for now
- Masking fluid
- Large mop and rigger brushes
- Specialty granulating colors
- An easel
Nice to have later
- A spray bottle for re-wetting paints
- A hair dryer to speed up drying
- A small travel palette for painting outdoors
- A second pad of rough paper
Common questions
Can I use the paints I already have?
Almost certainly. Start with what you own. If your colors look chalky or will not mix cleanly, upgrade one or two tubes at a time.
Do I need exactly the same colors as Maya?
No. Any warm and cool version of each primary will do. The course shows you how to mix the colors you need from what you have.
Where should I buy supplies?
Any local art store or large online retailer. Members get a discount code for our partner art supply store in the members area.
Use this page
Make it yours in a few minutes
- Find it in your Control Panel. Go to Content > Page Library and search for "Supplies checklist".
- Add it to your site. Choose a title and a department. The page arrives as a draft, with its pictures copied to your site and your site's name already in place.
- Change the words and pictures. Open it in the Membergate editor, replace the sample text and images with your own, and make it live when you are ready.