Advice for watercolour beginners?

Part of the fun of being a self-taught beginner in watercolours is the process of experimentation and learning at one's own pace. Inevitably, Internet surfing has featured in my quest for advice and information. One thing I do know: there is no substitute for practice. (As in the adage "Practice makes perfect.") This got me thinking as to whether the number of finished paintings could be used as a guide to a painter's progress?  As in:

• Beginner (the first 9 paintings)

• Novice (between 10 and 99 paintings)

• Intermediate (between 100 and 999 paintings)

• Experienced (more than 999 paintings)

(Mathematically, magnitude 0 is beginner, magnitude 1 is novice, magnitude 2 is intermediate, etc.) The scale is logarithmic, as the assumption is that each level is a step up in proficiency. It would be interesting to know how many paintings a trained artist completes in the course of their studies...

Much of my Internet searching has focussed on recommendations for paper and paint. Repeated advice for beginners seems to be "buy the best" or "buy the best you can afford". (Especially if you find yourself in the Wet Canvas forum!) But what is "best" to a  beginner, who knows very little and has little experience to compare with? "Best" usually equates to "most expensive" -- but why should someone who may not take to watercolour, spend a king's ransom for equipment and materials that they may throw away in frustration?

In general, I consider this to be poor advice, however well-meaning it might be. (Do we advise learner drivers to buy the most expensive car they can afford?) It is the same as telling someone that they need to buy an expensive camera in order to take photographs. Wrong! (Just ask Ken Rockwell.) I have no issue with upgrading to better paper, brushes and paints when experience dictates -- but I want to practise and learn without minding too much about the cost. Similarly, an up-market camera can be a delight to use once the basics are mastered.

Thankfully, there are a few people out there who take a more pragmatic approach to the learning process, and don't insist that starters rush out and buy professional grade materials and equipment. Special mention goes to John Lovett, Dave Hendry at the West Houghton Art Group, and Laura Jolliffe for some gentle beginner's recommendations. (These were the first matches in my Google search.)