At last, an artist who confesses to using student quality paints! There is no palette suggested for the reason outlined above, but a selection of the brushes you need is something to add to the shopping list. Apart from that there is not a lot else, and much of it you will already have, which is refreshing and the honest truth. Have a go at some techniques such as stippling and wet in wet, and get to grips with masking fluid. All this is outlined briefly and looks a lot less daunting than it might. On reading it through several times I could see that, hey, this is actually what you do, so the lack of verbiage is as uplifting as the stress on not emptying your bank account. It is the same with the staged projects, and I found I had better results than with other books with more diagrams and words, so maybe you will too. Is it for a beginner? Some previous experience with using watercolors is advised but not absolutely essential - it is very much a hands-on book and reminds me that art is about doing rather than reading, especially when you are drawing something that does not exist.

For a practical primer that will have you reaching for a pencil, this is a fine book. Check out Painting Unicorns in Watercolour by Rebecca Balchin (Amazon US|| UK) if your tastes run to the equine.