Best Watercolour Paints

Best Watercolour Paints


Want to try watercolours but don’t know which paints to buy!

It can be so hard to decide which watercolour paints are the best for you. There are so many brands and types of paint, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed but don’t worry, this article is here to help.

This article will show you a collection of some of the best watercolour paints available on the market to save you all that sweat and countless hours of research. While searching for good products you want to make sure you pick the best paints to make it worth your precious time and as such, I have found the following products to have all the requirements met, ensuring you have a great time working with them.

Watercolour paints are a super fun medium to play and create art with. From this article, I will be foreclosing all that you will need to look out for allowing you to pick and choose exactly what you’re looking for.

Check out my top 5 watercolour paints below:


01) Dyvicl Watercolour Paint Set

36 Vivid Colors in Pocket Tin Box with Water Brush Pen, Watercolor Paper, Watercolor Kit for Adults, Students, Beginners

Dyvicl Watercolour Paint Set main image

Features:

• 36 Vivid colours

• Dry blocks to be used with water and brushes

• Pocket-sized tin box

• Accessories included such as watercolor brushes and sponge

• Watercolor paper included

Description:

The Dyvicl Watercolor paint set, despite having a super difficult brand name to pronounce actually packs quite the punch for any carrier of this kit. If you’re a person that is ‘super on the move’ and likes to travel light while taking your hobby anywhere, this might be suitable for you.

The kit comes with everything you need to unpack and get straight into work on your projects. You might not have professional quality paper but it sure might come in handy for trying stuff out and such.

The kit is overall great except its lacking a practical mixing palette.

Pros
  • Vivid colours
  • Sensible accessories provided
  • Decent selection of colours
Cons
  • Dry blocks of paint requires water to get started
  • May make a mess during work

Review:

This might not be the best watercolour paint on the market but it sure is practical and handy for any artist to have. If you’re on the go a lot and like to take your art supplies with you then look no further, Dyvicl has got you covered.

Overall, a great purchase especially for the price and the portability.

Definitely a worthy purchase with great watercolour paints with hardly any drawbacks.


02) Bianyo Watercolour Paint Set

30 Assorted Colors Upgrade Paints – With WatercolorPaper, Brushes, Water Brush Pen for Adult&Kids

Bianyo Watercolour Paint Set main image

Features:

• 30 assorted colours of watercolour paint

• Paint blocks in packaging

• Water brush included

• Great for all age demographics

• Sturdy packaging avoids spilling or mishandling

Description:

The Bianyo watercolour set contains a selection of 36 essentials packed into one portable nice little box for you to take on the go. Within it, you will find one round brush for creating your masterpieces.

The package is great for those who want to get their kids into art or even for established artists that want to have a reliable and portable set.

The colours are high quality at an affordable price.

Pros
  • Compact
  • Sturdy packaging
  • Great quality paint
Cons
  • Dry blocks of paint requires water to get started
  • May make a mess during work

Review:

The Bianyo set is a decent purchase for any artist looking to invest in quality paints.

Overall, a decent purchase for anyone looking to carry a nice little portable watercolour paint set that comes with everything you need to be packed neatly.


3) Paul Rubens Watercolour paint Set

24 Colour Artist Grade Solid Paint with Portable Metal Case and Palette, Rich Pigment and Mix Well Ideal for Artists, Hobbyists, Beginners – Gem Series

Paul Rubens  main imageWatercolour paint Set

Features:

• 24 artist grade colours

• Comes in a portable metal case

• Rich pigment

• Versatile colour selection

• Lightfast

Description:

Paul Rubens is a name you’ve definitely heard before if you’ve ever worked with oil or acrylic paints or just art products in general. They are known for making great quality products at exceedingly reasonable prices.

In this particular set, you will find 24 high-quality artist-grade paints in half pans. You only need to dip your brush of choice in and get to work, whether you like synthetic brushes or normal natural brushes, your expectations will be taken care of.

Pros
  • Versatile selection of colours
  • Adequate sized half pans in each colour
  • Vivid and vibrant paints
Cons
  • Difficult to contain
  • Packaging is not on par with other watercolour paints

Review:

Paul Ruben has got you covered when looking for almost professional watercolour paints at a reasonable price. Their half pans contain a decent amount of paint well enough for you to last through several art project cycles.

Overall, a great purchase for anyone whose needs are required to be met at minimum costs with a good standard of watercolour to get the job done.

You may not get the best watercolour paints but you are surely getting what you are paying for.


04) Watercolour Paint Set by RATEL

Premium Watercolour Paint Box -48 Colors Solid Pigment+3 Painting Brush Pen+2 Water Tank Brushes+10 Watercolor Papers. Water, Soluble and Mix Well Watercolour Paints

RATEL Premium Watercolour Paint Set main image

Features:

• 36 colours

• Versatile colour selection

• Non-toxic

• Watercolor papers included

Description:

Ratel is often thought of as the underdog in most lists of paint and art products. They are extremely affordable and yet at the same time, just as reliable in terms of quality and usability.

This pack contains most of what you need starting from brush pens to watercolour paper. The pack isn’t as portable as you would expect but with 36 colours included in the set, that’s not much of a drawback.

Pros
  • Various colours
  • Vivid and bright colours included
  • Non-toxic
Cons
  • The paints may spill into each other causing a mess as they are closely packed

Review:

Ratel is known for giving great service to entry-level artists. They aren’t super concerned about the neat details of their products but that does not go as to say they do not care. With RATEL you are in safe hands and your pockets are safe too.

Overall, a great buy for you if you are just looking to dip into the market of watercolour paint (please excuse the pun).

Working with these will pave the way for you to perfectly understand what professional watercolour paints have to offer.


05) Winsor & Newton

Cotman 45 Half Pan Studio

Winsor & Newton main image

Features:

• 45 half pans of watercolour paint

• Excellent and sensible packaging

• The paint holder doubles as a brush holder and mixing palette

• Contains natural pigments

• Vivid and transparent colours

Description:

Winsor Newton Cotman is incredibly well-reputed among the artists of this generation with their amazing product quality.

Alongside their quality, they also maintain a healthy balance between quality and price making Winsor Newton professional watercolour one of the best in the game.

Pros
  • Professional grade paints
  • • Natural pigments that give incredible end results
  • • More than an adequate collection of paints
Cons
  • Does not come with any extra equipment

Review:

Winsor Newton Professional watercolour paints are easily one of the best professional watercolour paints on the market at the moment, and as such, they are the easiest to recommend when it comes to suggesting the best.

Overall, a great purchase for anyone who aspires to have only the best of the best in their arsenal.

Definitely, a great buy and you are absolutely certain to not have any buyer’s remorse if you do decide to invest in a set of Winsor Newtons.


General Information About The Best Watercolor Paints

The best watercolour paints are not that far from your reach in terms of availability and pricing.

You may have to do some digging to get the ones that best suit your needs, however, this article was set in place to save you most of that digging by picking out the best for you.

A crucial thing to remember when it comes to picking out things from a list is to keep an open mind.

Sometimes, you win it all and other times you find something that bothers you and the point is to settle on what is the closest to your needs.

The best watercolour paints will have all that is mentioned within this thread in terms of pros with the least amount of cons.

Quality assurance is guaranteed with each product if you purchase from the right buyer.


Conclusion / Roundup

Hopefully, this text brought you closer to finding the best watercolour paints for your arsenal but to keep it on par with everything else, it’s best to invest in great paints and better brushes.

Purchasing and keeping handy a selection of brushes which include, a natural brush and a square wash brush for your watercolour paints will elevate your painting experience tenfold.

So be inspired, make that purchase, and get watercolour painting – we guarantee you won’t regret it!


FAQs

Are watercolor paints washable?

Depending on the medium of surface you are painting on, they are washable to an extent.

Once dried they either stain a lot or they don’t.

More often than not great quality watercolour paints do not stain and can be washed to a point where previous paint layers are visible if any.

Are watercolor tubes or pans better?

The simple answer to this is, to each their own, from students to professional artists alike.

You may enjoy working with an already moist medium or you may enjoy the traditional pan dipping with water method.

Either way, it is safe to say it is quite easy when it comes to tubes instead of pans.

Is Arteza watercolor paint worth a mention?

Arteza watercolour paint is known to be one of the most affordable options without comprising on quality.

They are a great addition to any beginner’s arsenal and with time you will be able to tell if they suit your needs or not.

Had there been more room for reviews, they certainly would have made the list for best watercolour paints…

What is the difference between student grade paints, artist quality paints and professional watercolor paint?

The difference between student quality paint, artist quality paint and professional paints usually comes down to the pigment load and the binder used.

With high-quality pigments, along with the higher pigment load, the results tend to be a richer and more intense colour.

Professional watercolor paints also have a stronger binder which allows for better lightfastness and permanence.

What color is yellow ochre exactly?

Yellow ochre is a light yellowy-brown colour. It is generally made from clay that has been tinted with iron oxide.

What is the best paper for watercolor painting?

There are a few good papers out there, but it really depends on what you want to use it for. If you want something that’s going to stand up to a lot of wet washes, then you’ll want something like Arches hot press watercolour paper.

If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, then you can try Canson or Strathmore.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.