My students often ask me what colours they should buy when they are ready to invest in some professional quality watercolour paints. This is such a personal question and very much comes down to personal taste! I don’t believe there is a hard and fast number of paints or specific colours you should start with. I have spent 15 years honing my palette and continue to try new things and make adjustments. But, if I had to whittle down my palette to the absolute basics, I would choose these 7 colours.