Juliet Edwards

Seconding student-grade pans: look at Cotman or Van Gogh 12-pan sets with warm/cool primaries plus a burnt sienna/ultramarine pair and skip sets loaded with white and black or lots of mixed pigments. The brushes that come in kits are usually throwaways; grab one decent synthetic round (size 8) and a small flat and you’re set. The biggest quality jump comes from paper - if you can swing a 100% cotton pad, blends and blooms will look like the videos. Pre-wet your pans for a minute before painting and make a quick swatch card so mixing feels predictable.

My little one has reactive skin and petroleum jelly alone never did enough. What finally helped was switching to warm water for cleanups, patting dry, then using a plain zinc paste with no fragrance and no plant extracts. Fewer ingredients meant fewer chances to irritate. I put on a thick coat at every change and an extra thick coat before naps and bedtime so moisture never touched that model sore patches. I also gave five to ten minutes of diaper free time twice a day during that model worst of it. If you try plant oils,, be cautious because a yeast rash can flare with them. If you see that beefy red with tiny dots nearby or things are not better after a couple of days, check in with that model pediatrician for guidance. Total game changer.