10 best watercolors for artists

The Lefranc & Bourgeois Louvre watercolor set is a great choice to start your creative journey. These are high-quality and easy-to-use paints, the main advantage of which is high light fastness. They are created in 100% accordance with traditional recipes, so the watercolor is bright and juicy. All colors are well combined with each other, while the kit has an affordable price.

The kits include from 12 to 24 shades, available in metal tubes (10 ml). Each of them indicates the name and symbol of the color, which greatly facilitates the use of shades. Pros: palette, blotter and brush in the set, practicality and ease of use, reliable packaging. Minus - watercolor Lefranc & Bourgeois "Louvre" is not suitable for professional artists, so it is chosen only for training or practicing techniques.

Daniel Smith watercolors in pans are made from the finest pigments from across North America. Their main feature is a careful selection, consisting of several stages. In the production of pigments, semi-precious metals are also used to give the colors special effects. The sets are produced in a rich palette, which additionally includes mother-of-pearl and iridescent shades.

Daniel Smith watercolors are designed for professionals.It is used for artwork in a variety of painting techniques. Pros: sets of different configurations (the most popular is 24 colors), voluminous tubes (15 ml), a balanced and surprisingly beautiful palette. The downside is that watercolors are sold only in sets, so you won’t be able to buy individual cuvettes. It is inconvenient when the most popular shades end.

Unique transparency and a wide variety of colors are the main advantages of Pebeo "Studio" watercolors. They are often chosen for children's creativity, as the set includes 18 colors (12 ml). Watercolor paints are well washed out and retain the depth of tone. It does not disappear even after the painting is completely dry. The set is intended for drawing on special watercolor paper and cardboard.

The drying time of the paints is 4 to 6 hours, depending on the type of surface and the amount of water used. Plain water is also suitable for cleaning tools. Pros: large volume, excellent distribution on paper, high brightness of shades, ease of blending. Minus - not suitable for plain paper. An excellent choice for beginner artists.

Schmincke Horadam professional series of watercolors is 48 colors presented in a black metal box, and a small brochure with a table of shade names for coloring. In fact, there are not 48, but 47 colors in the kit.48 cuvette is ox bile, which improves the contact of pigments with water and ensures even application of paints on a sheet of paper.

If you remove the metal insert with cuvettes from the box, you get a large palette. To mix shades, you can use the area on the lid or a folding palette. The cuvettes themselves are half-shaped, while the name of the color in different languages, number, composition and additional symbols are indicated on the individual packaging. Pros: versatility of the box, silver and gold colors (non-standard for watercolor), dense and saturated shades. Minus - high cost.

Winsor & Newton's "Artist" set of watercolors and art supplies comes in a bamboo box. The kit includes 12 tubes of artistic watercolor (8 ml), an album with special paper A5 size and a density of 300 g/m², two sable brushes, a pencil and a stick designed to blend shades. The best choice for a gift to a professional artist.

The set is presented by Winsor & Newton, which has been working in this field since 1832. Today it is considered the founder of watercolor paints, therefore it offers products for high-level masters. Pros: Incredible ease of use, excellent lightfastness, a complete set for creativity. Minus - high cost. However, the reviews note that the quality of the watercolor fully justifies it.

The watercolor set "St. Petersburg" consists of 24 colors produced in individual cuvettes. One of its advantages is its high adhesion strength to paper, as well as its resistance to sunlight. Even over time, the drawing does not lose its original brightness, saturation and intensity.

The convenient form of release of the kit allows you to take paints with you to the open air. The interior has extra storage boxes for brushes, pencils and erasers. Pros: affordable price, saturated colors, pencil case packaging, a good set on a brush and application on a sheet of paper. Minus - the instability of the cuvettes in the set.

For those who prefer the ideal value for money, we recommend Mijello's Mission Silver Pen series of watercolors. It is widely in demand among professional artists, as it is made from finely ground pigments. The series consists of 20 shades released in cuvettes. They are ideal for wet watercolor painting.

The paints from this series are perfectly mixed on paper, dry quickly and do not fade over time. The reviews note that with a natural or synthetic brush, in just one touch, you can dial the right amount of paint. Pros: high quality pigment, good mixing, convenient delivery, customized cuvettes.

The main advantage of watercolors M.Graham "Pacific Northwest" - high pigmentation, due to which pure, saturated and bright colors are obtained. In total, the line includes 70 shades. Standard sets include from 6 to 12 colors. This is not enough, but there are all the main shades that can be mixed into additional ones. Most often, artists opt for individual colors produced in metal tubes.

The composition of the paints, in addition to the pigment and the binder, includes blackberry honey. It provides optimal moisture to watercolors, so when in contact with water, they activate very quickly. Pros: paints do not dry out in tubes, dissolve well, leave thin and smooth strokes. Watercolor wears out slowly, so one tube will last you a long time.

The White Nights watercolor set is the best choice for both professional and beginner artists. It includes 24 cuvettes of paint, branded paint paper and a removable palette designed to mix shades together. The watercolor is made from finely ground pigment and gum arabic binder. The reviews note that having tried these paints once, it will be difficult to refuse them.

Among the advantages are a wide range of colors. They are well combined with each other and washed out with water. If desired, empty paints from the general set can be replaced. Pros: high light fastness, a wide palette of shades, the ability to purchase a certain color, excellent workmanship. Minus - massiveness.The White Nights watercolor set takes up a lot of space on the table, so we recommend purchasing a special art table for drawing.

Van Gogh watercolors are the best choice for artists who value high quality. These are bright, intense colors with the highest possible transparency. They are made from high quality pigments that provide excellent light fastness. This will allow you to worry more about the safety of artwork. Van Gogh watercolors mix well resulting in clean and beautiful hues.

The set consists of 12 flowers, which include pure resin from acacia sap. The shades do not fade even after 10-15 years, they dry quickly and do not spread on the canvas. Drawings made with their use look clear and neat. The set additionally includes a brush made of synthetic material, which has a round shape. Pros: convenient compartment for combining shades, the ability to create truly flawless color transitions, brightness and saturation.