Watercolour is the painting medium that punishes overworking and rewards confident first marks. Most beginner paintings die from being touched too many times. The discipline is to leave the paper alone.
Where to start
Paper is the most important variable. Cheap student paper buckles, beads, and absorbs unevenly. 300 gsm cotton paper costs ten times more and produces paintings that look ten times better.
What matters most
Two brushes and six pigments is the entire starter kit. A round 10 and a flat 1-inch cover most needs. Six pigments — three primaries plus three earths — mix everything you need.
What to skip
Paint loosely first, then tighten. Big shapes, big washes, then progressively smaller marks. Painting from detail outward almost never works in watercolour.