The Watercolor Artist's Guide to Paints
Mar 11, 2024High-quality watercolor supplies can be expensive, so you really don't want to play a guessing game when you're out shopping for paints!
This video and blog answers all your pressing questions about watercolor paint and offers you a nice starting point as you fill and refine your palette.
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Which Pigments Should Have a Permanent Spot on My Palette?
Sometimes too much choice is debilitating. And this, I think, can be true for the beginning watercolor artist familiarizing themselves with the many watercolor paint options on the market.
To set you down the right path, I'm going to give you a tour of my palette and answer some frequently asked questions about paints!
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A Sneak Peek at My Watercolor Palette
You might be the kind of artist who sticks to your trusted colors, or you may always have some experiments going on your palette. The array of pigments you keep on hand is a personal decision, and there are a lot of choices out there to diversify your spectrum.
So today, I'm going to share with you the paints I have on my palette - but not because I think this is the exact right setup for everyone or shouldn't ever change. No, I am sharing this because I have found it instructive for my own practice to see other artist's palettes and observe how they use certain pigments.
Below is a comparison chart that lists each of the colors I have on my palette with some basic information about each pigment:
Your collection of pigments is something that will likely change over time. As you can see, I have a standard set of pigments that I normally use, but occasionally I try something new and there are a few pigments that come and go that don't stick on my palette long-term.
I hope that you found this information helpful and it clarified some decisions for you as you put together your own palette!
Professional Paints vs. Student Paints
Who among us didn't use something like the watercolor palette on the left side when we were kids? This is my daughter's (well-used) paint set, and it works wonderfully for her 4-year-old paintings. However, their results fall short of those you get from professional watercolor paints (like the Daniel Smith watercolors on the right)
I know what you're thinking - but they're so expensive!
It can be tempting to cut costs and use a cheap student paint set from Walmart instead. And if that's your only choice, then don't fret. This is better than nothing. In fact, I did a little experiment not too long ago to see what I could do with a cheap set, and it turned out okay. When it really comes down to it, the quality of paint can't make up for skills that aren't developed yet. So if you're tempted to put off developing your watercolor skills because you can't afford professional paint, don't. Just get started with the paint you can afford!
Once you're able to move into using professional tube paint, though, you'll find:
- the colors more vibrant,
- the mixes less muddy,
- the consistency less chalky, and
- the overall experience more enjoyable.
What Watercolor Paints Should I Add to My Limited Palette?
Another cost-effective alternative is to invest in a limited range of colors rather than filling every last spot on your watercolor palette.
The painting above was created with 4 tubes of paint and 3 watercolor brushes. This shows you how far a limited palette can go!
This kind of a challenge is kind of fun, even for a seasoned artist. Sometimes when you limit yourself, you find new ways of doing things that you wouldn't have stumbled upon without the challenge.
The colors I used to complete this painting are:
- Cobalt Blue
- Cobalt Turquoise
- Raw Sienna
- Rose Madder Permanent
Of course, depending on your watercolor subject and the scenes you typically paint, you might choose different colors. And if you wanted to expand your choices with a few others, you could fill in some gaps with warm and cool primary colors.
How to Compare Watercolor Paints (And Decide What to Put On Your Palette)
So let's say you're ready to stock up on colors, but you're seeing all these words thrown around that you don't understand: transparency, granulation lightfastness. What do these mean?
Let's go term by term to make sure we understand what each classification says about a particular pigment.
Transparency refers to how much light is reflected from the white of the paper after the application of a pigment. A pigment will be classified somewhere between transparent and opaque. An opaque color will be more milky or chalky, while a transparent color will allow more light through. It will be clearer.
Granulation refers to the tendency of the pigments in a particular pigment to gather into small grain-like particles on the watercolor paper. This creates a unique effect that may or may not be desirable to an artist, depending on what they are trying to accomplish.
Lightfastness is a rating paints are given that grades them on how quickly they will fade in the sun. Each pigment is given a rating of I, II, III, or IV (I being the best and IV being the worst). If a pigment you're using has a lightfastness rating of III or IV, don't worry, though. Just hang your painting behind glass and in an area that doesn't receive direct sunlight.
Which Watercolor Brands are Most Trusted?
As you have probably already noted, I use Daniel Smith Watercolor Paints and don't stray too far from them. But this is not because they are the clear option for all watercolor artists. In fact, there are many trusted brands out there that successful watercolor artists use.
Among them are:
- Winsor & Newton
- Art Philosophy
- Schminke
- Rembrandt
With all of this information, I hope you can now confidently fill your palette with a curated set of pigments for vibrant and dynamic watercolor scenes to come!
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