What are the best watercolour paints?

Listed below are some of the best watercolour paints as recommend by other artists.

Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours.

Firstly, and a popular choice among watercolour artists are Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour paints. The paints are good quality, available at an affordable price and recommended by both students and beginners.

What was said about Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolour paints?

Many commented that the paints go down smooth. They also layer and blend well with no granulation of the pigment, bloom, chalkiness or grain. Strong pigments give intense even concentrated vibrant colour. Colour saturation is excellent and they have good lightfastness ratings. To view Winsor & Newtons colour range, composition and permanence table for Cotman paints Click Here.

On the negative side, a few comments suggested that the cadmium’s were hues and not real cadmium. On the plus side, they did still look close to the real thing. Also, a few suggested that the pan paints were hard to re-wet. However, with that said, this can easily be overcome by lightly spritzing the paints before use.

All agreed that regardless of the quality of the paint W & N Cotman paint doesn’t come close to professional-grade paints. However, that doesn’t stop them from being an excellent purchase for anyone interested in learning watercolour painting.

What happens when Winsor & Newton Cotman paints mix with water?

Colours mix with water easily. Colour transparency is excellent and the colours stay vibrant, no matter how much waters added.

Who uses Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolour paints?

Winsor & Newton Cotman paints are available in both pans or tubes. This makes them an excellent choice for anyone who is experimenting with, or new to watercolour painting. Also, anyone looking for a good quality student grade watercolour paint.

Winsor & Newton professional artists watercolours.

Second, are Winsor and Newtons professional artists watercolours. Much used and highly recommended within the artists commuty they can be purchased seperately in both pan and tubes.

What was said about Winsor & Newton Professional watercolour paints?

The main thing commented on about Winsor and Newton professional watercolour paints was that they were great value for money. The colours are rich, highly pigmented and provide deep intense colour. Colours mix well together, blend beautifully on the paper and are really easy to work with. Several commented on the excellent quality of the paint, and that for their cost they were a great deal for any artist wanting better than student grade quality watercolours. The permanance and lightfastness ratings for Winsor and Newton professional watercolour paint can be seen here.

What happens when Winsor & Newton professional watercolour paints mix with water?

When waters added the colours become creamy providing a quality that some said was far superior than other brands. The colour quality and flow is amazing and you don’t need to use a lot of water to get the pigment as a little goes a long way.

Who uses Winsor and Newton Professional watercolour paints?

Due to their excellent quality and resonable price, beginners, students seeking a higher quality than the Cotman range and professional artists who seek both quality and exceptional performance use them.

Sennelier l’Aquarelle Watercolor.

Third, are Sennelier l’Aquarelle Watercolor paints. Claimed by some watercolour artists to be the best there is. These are professional grade watercolour paints and are far superior to Winsor & Newton Cotman paints. Unfortunately, however, this does reflect in the price.

What was said about Sennelier l’Aquarelle Watercolor?

Despite being more expensive most agreed that the price reflects the quality of the paints. They are excellent value for money and the quality of the product reflects in their finished work. Also when artists compared them with Daniel Smith and Schmincke watercolour paints they were as good if not better.

The colours load onto your brush very easily and lay down smoothly on the paper. Colours also have a lot of pigment, are super vibrant and creamy. Also, due to the honey content, they remain fairly moist. The ability to apply multiple layers make it easy to add depth and detail to your work. Glazing is also very easy. Paints have excellent lightfastness ratings along with 98 shades. See here for details.

On the negative side, several artists have commented that the colours are not as vibrant as some other brands. A few even stating that they are more suited to fine art or landscapes but not illustrative art.

What happens when Sennelier l’Aquarelle Watercolours mix with water?

Due to them having a honey base they activate easily, flow really well, and a little goes a long way. Also, unlike many other products, colours left dry for long periods of time become easily reconstituted as soon as waters added.

Who uses Sennelier l’Aquarelle watercolour paints?

Available in both pans and tubes Sennelier L’aquarelle watercolour paints are a popular choice among both students who are seeking a high-performance product and professional artists for their superior quality.

Daniel Smith watercolour paint.

Forth, and another very popular watercolour paint is Daniel Smith watercolours. Available in pans or tubes the Daniel Smith watercolour paint ranges are another popular choice among artists.

What was said about Daniel Smith Watercolor paints?

Most artists commented on the colours for having great saturation, high pigment content and that they flowed beautifully. They also mentioned the creaminess of the paint, how well they blended and how easy they were to work with. Also, colour vibrancy along with ease of mixing allows for a plethora of colours using only the three primary colours. Lightfastness ratings and granulation are excellent and can be viewed here. Several artists also commented that Daniel Smith watercolour paints were the best paints they had ever used.

On the downside, a few artists complained that Daniel Smith tube paints turn solid after about a year. This is unlike Winsor & Newton which stay useable for a lot longer. Some artists, saying over 6 years others including myself, over 10 years. Others also complained that the paints they purchased were gloopy and exploded from the tubes causing some waste. This also occurred after the initial use of the paint which when considering their price it’s not a good thing. Several artists also commented on the filling of the pans in the half pan sets. Many complained that some pans came only half-filled with paint and that others were filled sloppily.

A lot of artists mentioned that Daniel Smith paints are also very pricey. Especially when considering the amount of paint you get in either the pans or tubes. Most, however, agreed that the paints provide excellent value for the money stating that a little goes a long way.

What happens when Daniel Smith Watercolours mix with water?

When mixed with water the colours flow beautifully. Re-wetting colours are easy and the paints react immediately.

Who uses Daniel Smith watercolour paints?

Mostly intermediate and professional artists use Daniel Smith watercolour paints mainly due to their price. Some artists also mentioned that they were unsuitable for beginners who were inexperienced with handling watercolour paint. However despite this several beginners also commented on the quality and usability of the paint.