Welcome to

RyRy Paints

This is Ryan Martin’s education page, a dedicated space to explore the various topics covered during Ryan’s in-person lectures on art materials. Additionally, this page serves as a valuable resource for assets and other key information discussed on Ryan’s YouTube Channel: RyRy Paints.

Lectures & Demonstrations

Watercolor paintings, paint tubes, and brushes scattered on a wooden table, with a focus on a portrait of a young man with water dripping down his face, amidst various art supplies.

Watercolor Lessons

A collection of watercolor lectures, demonstrations, projects, and everything you ever wanted to know about watercolor.

(This is a work in progress, check back soon for more lessons)

Lessons
A young person with short brown hair and blue eyes, surrounded by colorful flowers, holding a round object with red writing on it, with two otters and various birds among the flowers, and large red orchids at the top against a backdrop of bamboo and blue sky.

Oil Painting Lessons

Coming Soon…

Youtube Channel - Watercolor

SUPPLY LIST

Everything you need to get started with Watercolor Painting. My recommendations.

$ I’m curious about watercolor, but want to spend as little as possible

  • Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour - Winsor Blue (Green Shade) 5ml Tube

    Why I recommend this paint tube? This color is dark straight from the tube (it has a dark mass tone). Dark colors give you more value range to use when trying watercolor. Why do I recommend a Professional Watercolour line instead of a student/entry level watercolor range like Cotman which is cheaper? The Professional Watercolour range has more pigment, and you’ll experience a better representation of what watercolor has to offer.

  • Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Synthetic Brush, Round #6

    Why I recommend this paintbrush? This is as close as you can get to a natural sable hair brush without spending the cost of a sable brush. To avoid the frustration of the brush not holding enough water, this synthetic sable brush will hold more water/paint than a typical synthetic brush.

  • This Gets Complicated…

    Strathmore 400 Series Tape Bound Watercolor Pad, 140 lb. Cold Press, 5.5 X 8.5 inches, White, 12 Sheets

    If you’re looking to stay within a tighter budget, this is a paper I would recommend. That said, I do want to share a bit of context. With watercolor, the paper plays a huge role in the overall experience. Unlike oil or acrylic, where you can use a cheaper surface and still get solid results, watercolor is much more dependent on the paper. The way the paint flows, granulates, lifts, and blends is all directly affected by what you’re working on. This paper is 100% cellulose, which means it will behave a bit differently. You may notice the paint absorbs more quickly, feels a little less forgiving, and can be more sensitive when reworking or lifting color. Ideally, 100% cotton watercolor paper offers the best experience—it gives you more control, smoother blends, and allows techniques to happen more easily and predictably. But if you’re just starting out or want to try watercolor without spending too much, this would be a solid  cheaper choice. It’s a durable cellulose paper that I’ve used quite a bit, and it can absolutely get you started. If you’re curious, I’ve included a few additional notes below on why I personally prefer 100% cotton paper, even for beginners, in case you’re thinking about upgrading down the line.

    Arches Watercolor Paper Block, Cold Press, 7" x 10", 140 pound

    or

    Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Paper Block, 9" x 12", Cold Pressed

    If you happen to have just a little extra $ to splurge on trying watercolor, I would highly recommend getting better quality paper, such as Arches or Winsor & Newton’s Professional Watercolour Paper, that is 100% cotton watercolor paper.  Why 100% watercolor paper?:

    • Watercolor will behave the way you expect.Water soaks in evenly, not patchy Paint spreads more smoothly instead of streaking. You get time to move the paint around 

    • Blending is easier. Colors melt into each other naturally. Edges stay soft longer. You don’t get that “hard edge too soon” problem

    • You can fix mistakes easier (huge for beginners). You can lift pigment back out more easily. Lighten areas after they dry. Even gently scrub without destroying the surface 

    • Handles lots of water without buckling. Stays flatter longer. Doesn’t wrinkle as much. You can do big juicy washes.

    • Colors look richer and cleaner. Pigment sits beautifully in the fibers. Less muddy mixing. Better luminosity. Colors look richer and softer

  • You might already have many of these items at home.

    Once a dish is used for watercolor, do NOT use it for food or beverage consumption. Some materials in watercolor can be hazardous if ingested.

    • 2 Old Cups. One for clean water, one for dirty water

    • Old towel, or paper towels

    • Old small ceramic or plastic plate to use as a palette

    • Pencil

    • Eraser

A pack of Strathmore watercolor paper, featuring an illustration of a purple thistle flower on the cover.
A tube of Winsor & Newton Professional Water Colour paint, specifically WINSOR BLUE (RED SHADE), with blue and white packaging and text in multiple languages.
A close-up of a paintbrush with a wooden handle, metal ferrule, and bristles. The handle has white text that reads 'Professional Watercolour' and other specifications.

$$ I’m wanting to try watercolor, but I’m on a budget

  • Winsor Blue (Red Shade) - Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor - 5 ml Tube

    Winsor Lemon - Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor, 5ml (0.17-oz) Tube

    Permanent Rose - Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor, 5ml (0.17-oz) Tube

    Why do I recommend a Professional Watercolour line instead of a student/entry level watercolor range like Cotman which is cheaper? The Professional Watercolour range has more pigment, and you’ll experience a better representation of the lovely saturation that watercolor has to offer. These three colors work as primary colors, to mix other colors. A great way to learn more about color mixing.

    OR

    Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint Set, Complete Pocket Set, 16 Half Pan w/ Brush, Eraser, Mixing Palette

    If you prefer, NOT to mixing all your colors, try a Cotman set. Just keep in mind, they are less pigmented than professional watercolors, so you’ll need to rub the brush on them longer to pick up more pigment, and be harder to to full saturation…but this set has a wide range of colors to paint from, if color mixing is discouraging for you.

  • Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Synthetic Brush, Round #6

    Winsor & Newton University Brush - Round, Short Handle, Size 2/0

    Why I recommend these paintbrushes? The synthetic sable brush is as close as you can get to a natural sable hair brush without spending the cost of a sable brush. To avoid the frustration of the brush not holding enough water, this synthetic sable brush will hold more water/paint than a typical synthetic brush. For a detail brush, I found the cheaper University Brush holds a point well, and is great for details. And as the tip gets worn on the detail brush, its cheap to replace.

  • Arches Watercolor Paper Block, Cold Press, 7" x 10", 140 pound

    or

    Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Paper Block, 9" x 12", Cold Pressed

    I highly recommend getting one of these quality papers, which are 100% cotton watercolor paper.  Why 100% watercolor paper?:

    • Watercolor will behave the way you expect.Water soaks in evenly, not patchy Paint spreads more smoothly instead of streaking. You get time to move the paint around 

    • Blending is easier. Colors melt into each other naturally. Edges stay soft longer. You don’t get that “hard edge too soon” problem

    • You can fix mistakes easier (huge for beginners). You can lift pigment back out more easily. Lighten areas after they dry. Even gently scrub without destroying the surface 

    • Handles lots of water without buckling. Stays flatter longer. Doesn’t wrinkle as much. You can do big juicy washes.

    • Colors look richer and cleaner. Pigment sits beautifully in the fibers. Less muddy mixing. Better luminosity. Colors look richer and softer

  • You might already have many of these items at home.

    Once a dish is used for watercolor, do NOT use it for food or beverage consumption. Some materials in watercolor can be hazardous if ingested.

    • 2 Old Cups. One for clean water, one for dirty water

    • Old towel, or paper towels

    • Old small ceramic or plastic plate to use as a palette

    • Pencil

    • Eraser

Packaging for Winsor & Newton professional watercolor block featuring blue watercolor washes with the Winsor & Newton logo in the upper left corner and product details in a gray band at the bottom.
A tube of Winsor & Newton professional water color paint labeled as Series 1, Permanent A, in shades Winsor Blue (Red Shade), Bleu Winsor (Nuance Rouge), and Azul Winsor (Matiz Rojo).
A tube of Winsor & Newton professional water color paint in yellow, labeled with color names in English, French, and Spanish, and the brand logo featuring a griffin.
Tube of Winsor & Newton permanent rose watercolor paint with pink and silver packaging.
A round tip paintbrush with a blue handle labeled "Professional Watercolour, Round, Windsor & Newton, England."
A makeup brush with a pink handle and white bristles.

$$$ I’m ready to start watercolor, but want to be mindful of costs

  • Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Paint Set, Black Box Set, 12 Half Pan

    Why do I recommend this set? The Professional Watercolour pans are easy to use, and easier to manage wasting paint (tubes sometimes are hard to squeeze at a minimal amount). This tin also has room to expand your kit as you find colors you want to try and add to your kit.

  • Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Synthetic Brush, Round #6

    Winsor & Newton University Brush - Round, Short Handle, Size 2/0

    Why I recommend these paintbrushes? The synthetic sable brush is as close as you can get to a natural sable hair brush without spending the cost of a sable brush. To avoid the frustration of the brush not holding enough water, this synthetic sable brush will hold more water/paint than a typical synthetic brush. For a detail brush, I found the cheaper University Brush holds a point well, and is great for details. And as the tip gets worn on the detail brush, its cheap to replace.

  • Arches Watercolor Paper Block, Cold Press, 7" x 10", 140 pound

    or

    Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Paper Block, 9" x 12", Cold Pressed

    I highly recommend getting one of these quality papers, which are 100% cotton watercolor paper.  Why 100% watercolor paper?:

    • Watercolor will behave the way you expect.Water soaks in evenly, not patchy Paint spreads more smoothly instead of streaking. You get time to move the paint around 

    • Blending is easier. Colors melt into each other naturally. Edges stay soft longer. You don’t get that “hard edge too soon” problem

    • You can fix mistakes easier (huge for beginners). You can lift pigment back out more easily. Lighten areas after they dry. Even gently scrub without destroying the surface 

    • Handles lots of water without buckling. Stays flatter longer. Doesn’t wrinkle as much. You can do big juicy washes.

    • Colors look richer and cleaner. Pigment sits beautifully in the fibers. Less muddy mixing. Better luminosity. Colors look richer and softer

  • You might already have many of these items at home.

    Once a dish is used for watercolor, do NOT use it for food or beverage consumption. Some materials in watercolor can be hazardous if ingested.

    • 2 Old Cups. One for clean water, one for dirty water

    • Old towel, or paper towels

    • Old small ceramic or plastic plate to use as a palette

    • Pencil

    • Eraser

Open white watercolor paint tin with 12 color pans arranged in a row, including yellow, red, blue, green, orange, black, and brown, with a white lid and a colorful box in the background.
A thin, pointed makeup or nail brush with a red handle and white bristles.
A round, pointed paintbrush with a black handle and silver ferrule, labeled "professional watercolour round, winsor & newton, england."
Watercolor art supplies packaging by Winsor & Newton, labeled for professional watercolor blocks, size 22.9 cm by 30.5 cm, made of 100% cotton, with four sides glued, in a package of 20 sheets.

$$$$ I’m a watercolor enthusiast!

Open watercolor paint set with 24 colors arranged in two rows, inside a white plastic case with a lid.

$$$$ I’m a watercolor enthusiast! BUT, I prefer using tubes not pans

I use a porcelain palette with my watercolor tubes to minimize waste: I let leftover color dry in the wells and rehydrate it when needed. The large wells simplify mixing with big brushes, which is particularly useful for larger paintings and broad washes.

Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolours

Jackson’s 32 Well Porcelain Palette

Color chart displaying various shades of paint, including blue, green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and gray, with each color labeled.

Youtube Channel - Color Pencil

Holbein Artists’ Colored Pencils - Permanence Chart

A chart of Holbein artists' colored pencils with various color swatches, names, and codes.

Holbein Artists’ Colored Pencils - Color List Chart, per set

Color chart with labeled swatches and illustrations of a tiger under moon and a person holding camera in front of mirror.

Holbein Artists’ Colored Pencils - Swatch Chart + Light Permanence

Color swatches with labels and numbers circled in green indicating color codes and names, such as Azalea, Amethyst, Burgundy, Navy Blue, Ultra Blue, Royal Blue, Viridian, Malachite Green, Holly Green.
A color chart for Holbein Artists' Colored Pencils with 150 different color options, arranged in rows and columns. Each square displays a color swatch with a label indicating the color name and code.

I hand-wrote the Holbein Light Permanence “star” rating number beside the color information, as seen circled in green.

College Lectures & Retail Demos +

Delta Art & Drafting Supplies

Supply List

  • Brushes: Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Synthetic Sable Round (Size 6) for all painting, and Winsor & Newton University Round (Size 000) for details

  • Paint: Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolours (pans or tubes). Any colors you already have will work.

    • If you’d like a recommendation of colors:

      • Class 1 – Abstract Stones: one granulating color (French Ultramarine, Ultramarine Violet, Permanent Mauve, Manganese Blue Hue, Aqua Green, or Raw Umber)

      • Class 2 – Landscape Blooms: one dark, vibrant color (Ryan will use Smalt-Dumont’s Blue)

      • Class 3 – Floral Blooms: Your favorite floral colors; Ryan will use these primaries: Permanent Rose, Winsor Lemon, Winsor Blue (Red Shade), and Permanent Rose

      • Class 4 – Lionfish: This project can be done in one dark color (but Ryan will use Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber and Cerulean Blue Hue)

  • Mediums & Tools: Winsor & Newton Art Masking Fluid, plus a toothpick or paper clip for applying it.

  • Paper: Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Paper, 140 lb (300 gsm), cold press (pad or loose sheets) 7 x 10 inches or 9 x 12 inches. Note for students: High-quality paper is important for blooms, granulation, lifting and masking fluid techniques.

  • Studio Basics: Palette or mixing surface, water cup (two recommended), paper towels or cloth, pencil and eraser for light sketching. If you have a hair blow dryer on hand, that can speed up the layering process.

Tulip Example and Reference

Watercolor painting of three tulip flowers with red and white striped petals and green stems and leaves.

Lion fish Example and References

Watercolor painting of a lionfish with red and brown stripes, spiky fins, and flowing tail on a white background.
Close-up of a colorful lionfish with spiny fins and striped pattern.
A botanical illustration of four tulips with red, white, and gray streaked petals, accompanied by a small butterfly near the first flower and a green grasshopper near the third flower. The illustration includes handwritten notes in a script below each tulip.
A watercolor painting of a butterfly with a pattern of brown, black, and light blue markings on its wings, set against a white background.
A lionfish swimming underwater against a blue background.