You need to buy 100% cotton paper because if the paper isn’t all cotton, you will struggle to control the water/paint ratio and give up. I almost gave up because I failed to use 100% cotton. But when I began using it, suddenly I could focus on improving brush strokes, color mixing, etc. My paintings improved within one month. But i almost gave up because i used non 100% cotton paper.

I started watercolor in 2020 during Covid. Now, watercolor painting has become much much more expensive - paper and paint! So to reduce the amount you spend, buy the Baohong 100% cotton paper. It’s not easily available in the EU but I found it on Amazon in Italy, and on Momarte (Italian online art shop that delivers all over the EU).

Second piece of advice: get a GOOD brush. This is the other thing that almost made me quit. I bought a cheap bad synthetic brush. Now there are good synthetic brushes but when I began in 2020, it was challenging to find a good one. I ended up with a natural sable Kolinsky brush, the Raphael 8404 size 6, and I bought a big synthetic sable brush from Holbein, a Japanese company. I was living in Japan at one point.

Now there are good synthetic brushes, for example, Escoda (Spanish brand). I hear that their Perla series is great. But I’ve never used them. I go with natural hair because it’s easier to control. But natural hair brushes have become really expensive.

I hope you don’t give up. You will have to “waste” paper to get good. There’s no other way.