The BEST Watercolor Paints
Best Watercolor Paints
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As a professional artist myself I have spent years putting together my art supply tool kit to create beautiful fine art pieces and products that appeal to a wide range of customers. In the beginning I had no idea what to look for in good watercolor paints and succumbed to targeting instagram ads for mediocre at best watercolor palettes. I’m not going to lead you astray as someone who has been there.
Now that I have so much experience in this field I want to share with you my most loved watercolor paints and palettes that I use in my everyday for art business.
When to Invest in high quality watercolor paint
Honestly, when you decide that painting is going to be a daily, weekly, monthly or lifelong activity that you want to enjoy then you should treat yourself to quality materials. Nothing is more discouraging than poor quality materials that lead to poor quality products that don’t meet the expectations in your mind. If painting is something you want to thoroughly enjoy than I recommend making that investment in quality materials. Unlike Acrylics or oils, Watercolor paints don’t easily go bad. They can be completely crusty and dry and reconstituted with water. They are also very versatile. You will find liquid, tubes and palettes on the market.
Investing in the best watercolor paint brands is absolutely a necessity if you plan on selling your work.
Now let’s familiarize ourselves with what to look for when shopping for watercolors.
Shopping for the best watercolor set
There are so many places to purchase quality art materials and the best watercolor paints are accessible almost everywhere. When looking for the best watercolor paints you want to focus on three main things
Pigment
Color Range
Format
Pigment is going to be how saturated the color is. The more pigmented the paint the less you have to use increasing your return on investment.
Additionally, you will see many different color ranges. I recommend investing in a complete set if this is your first big watercolor purchase. This will give you the best unit price and the best versatility. You will also see smaller sets often times collections for warm tones, cool tones or primary color sets. When you run out of a favorite color or need to expand in one color range, individual tubes and liquids can also be purchased.
Next you will have a few formats to choose from. In my art business I use tubes and palettes.
For everyday I love the color range and accessibility of a complete fold up color palette. It’s easy to store and great for on the go. I also have a collection of tubes. You can squeeze out a pea size amount on an empty palette and let it dry. A little goes a long way. Liquid can also be used but it’s not my recommendation for a first time user.
My Personal Recommendations
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been painted forever and over the past 5 years I have sought out the best watercolor paints on the market and tried so many. My tried and true, love it forever, won’t do without, Best watercolor paints go to Daniel Smith Watercolors.
They are chef’s kiss and have the most beautiful deep pigmented colors that just bring life to the page. They are so smooth and have really good layering abilities. They blend like you won’t believe. What I love most about Daniel Smith watercolor paints is that you have so many options for colors, collections, and types of paints that there really is something for everyone. My first purchase with them was the complete watercolor palette. This palette is still my daily user and has lasted me an entire year! (I paint everyday if that tells you anything)
I also sprinkle in Windsor & Newton paints. Also a really stand up option and very accessible. You’ll find these in every craft and art store as well as online. They have been around forever and have a wide variety of paints spanning across all mediums even outside of watercolors. This is a great option if you want to find something and have brand loyalty, because they have something for everyone.
Why you should invest in High Quality Watercolor Paint
The best watercolor paints are going to give you the best product and experience. Whether you are painting as a hobby or running a business, investing in good materials is always the move. Because watercolor paint lasts (seem like forever) you could potentially have one of these watercolor sets for years and not have to replace. Although once you try them I’m sure you’ll get addicted like me and be adding to your collection way too often.
When you use the best watercolor paints you are also able to have higher level offerings. In return, this allows you to sell your offerings for a higher price. Above all other reasons it comes down to the joy of painting. It’s more fun to use good watercolor paint. Most projects take hours to make and investing that much time is worth something.
Conclusion
Stop your endless searching for the best watercolor paints and check out some of these options I have tagged here. They are ones I personally use and swear by. Being in the professional art space I feel very confident giving my recommendation on all of these products. You are going to love them!
