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Rosa Gallery Watercolors Set, Urban Sketching, 12 x 2.5 ml -
Colorino Watercolors, 18 pcs -
ROSA Gallery Monopigmented Watercolors 12x2.5 ml -
KREUL el Greco Watercolors / 12 x 12 ml -
Pebeo Set of Watercolors in a Metal Box -
Rosa Gallery Watercolors, Romantic Set of 21 x 2.5 ml -
SOLO GOYA Artist 1 Watercolors -
Rosa Gallery Watercolor Paints Half Pan 2.5 ml -
Rembrandt Granulating Watercolors Set of 12 Pans -
Rembrandt Monopigmented Watercolors, Box of 12 Pans -
Rembrandt Professional Wooden Watercolor Paint Case, 28 Pans and Accessories -
SOLO GOYA Artist Watercolor Paint Set -
Schmincke Horadam Professional Watercolor Set -
Nassau Fine Art Watercolors Set -
Nassau Fine Art Watercolors Set, 16-Piece -
White Nights Semi-Dry Watercolors 2.5 ml
Choose watercolor paints by format: tubes for mixing on a palette, pans for sketching and travel, liquid watercolors for illustration and calligraphy. For learning, a student range such as Schmincke AKADEMIE is all you need; with artist ranges like Schmincke Horadam or Rembrandt, check the lightfastness in the description. Pair your paints with watercolor paper of around 300 g/m² and a round brush.
Watercolor paints are thinned with water and are known for their transparency: the more water you add, the paler the tone; with less water the color is more intense. You’ll find watercolor in tubes, in pans, as liquid paint and as school paint cakes.
Watercolor paints by format: tubes, pans or liquid
| Format | Best for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tubes | Use the paint straight from the tube or thin it on a palette. White Nights has a paste-like consistency and doesn’t need to be soaked. | Schmincke Horadam 5 ml, Daler-Rowney 24 × 12 ml, White Nights 12 × 10 ml |
| Pans and half pans | Pick up the paint with a damp brush and simply rewet it once it dries. According to the description, the Schmincke metal box is ideal for travel. | Schmincke Horadam 12 × ½ pan, Van Gogh half pan 2 ml, Rosa Gallery Urban Sketching |
| Liquid watercolors | Ready to use, applied with a brush, pen or dropper; great for illustration, calligraphy and sketching. | Schmincke AQUA DROP 5 × 30 ml, Ecoline 30 ml, Pebeo Colorex 45 ml |
| School paint cakes | For school and painting at home; the lid doubles as a mixing surface and a brush is included. | JOVI 24 pcs, GIOTTO 24 pcs |
Student or artist quality
For learning, a student and beginner range is all you need. According to the description, Schmincke AKADEMIE is student quality, offers 24 colors with high lightfastness (4–5 stars) and can be mixed with the Horadam range. Pebeo in a tin box and KREUL el Greco are also made for students and budding artists.
With artist ranges, check the lightfastness of each color. Schmincke Horadam states a high pigment content, the highest lightfastness and 140 shades, including super-granulating ones. In the Rembrandt Monopigmented set, every color has the top lightfastness rating, meaning 100 years or more under museum conditions.
Watercolor sets: how many colors and what should be included
To get started, a watercolor set with accessories is well worth it. Daler-Rowney with accessories (25 pcs) contains 12 × 12 ml tubes, three brushes, eight sheets of watercolor paper, a pencil and a palette. The Nassau 13-piece set has 10 × 12 ml tubes, an A5 pad of 300 g/m² paper, a water brush and an HB pencil.
Some sets are put together around a subject, for example Rosa Gallery Portrait 14 × 2.5 ml for portraits. You can build your own palette in an empty Schmincke metal box that holds 24 full pans or 48 half pans. We also stock the Maimeri Blu, LUKAS Studio and Daler-Rowney Aquafine ranges.
Watercolor paints – how to use them step by step
- Activate pan paint with a damp brush; squeeze tube paint onto a palette and thin it with water.
- Control the intensity with water: with Rosa Gallery you can achieve transparent, semi-transparent and opaque shades.
- Paint on dry paper for crisper edges, or on dampened paper for soft glazes.
- Cover any areas you want to keep free for now with Schmincke masking fluid.
- Dried Schmincke Horadam or Van Gogh paint just needs rewetting.
- Wash your brushes in lukewarm water straight after painting.
Paper and brushes for watercolor
Thin paper can buckle when wet, so Pebeo recommends a weight of around 300 g/m². Choose from our paper and drawing paper or sketchbooks. With Schmincke granulating colors, the rule is: the rougher the paper, the stronger the granulation.
Round brushes with soft to synthetic hair work well – you’ll find them among our brushes. Van Gogh pairs well with watercolor pencils from our colored pencils, and Ecoline also works with water-based acrylic paints. For other techniques, browse artist paints: gouache and tempera or oil paints.
Frequently asked questions
How do you use watercolor paints?
Wet the pan with a brush, or thin tube paint with water on a palette. More water means a lighter tone. Dry paper gives you crisper edges; dampened paper gives soft glazes.
Are watercolor paints lightfast?
It depends on the range. Schmincke Horadam states the highest lightfastness, while with White Nights it varies by shade. Pebeo Colorex is sensitive to UV light, so protect it with an anti-UV varnish.
Which watercolor set is good for beginners?
A set with accessories is a practical choice, for example Daler-Rowney 25 pcs or the Nassau 13-piece set. If you prefer pans, Schmincke AKADEMIE is a student range that can be mixed with Horadam.
What paper do I need for watercolor?
A heavier watercolor paper, ideally around 300 g/m², so it doesn’t buckle when wet. For granulating colors, choose a rougher surface.
Are school watercolors real watercolor?
JOVI describes them as school watercolor paints in cakes. They are certified to EN 71 and are not recommended for children under 3.
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