Watercolour Paints

Tubes, Pans and Half Pans

With watercolour paints you can invest in tubes or pans in a huge variety of colours. For the uninitiated, pans and half pans are small, square cakes of pigment. These are held in small plastic or metal boxes. The lids of these small boxes can be used for mixing. So should you choose tubes of paint or pans?

Pans can be easier to use because you have quick and easy access to your colours. You won't have to put your brush down to open a tube or squeeze out colour. They are more convenient for painting in the field, being compact and portable. Pans also tend to be more affordable but are best suited to small paintings.

Tubes offer greater flexibility in terms of the amount of paint and sizes of brushes that you can use. Tubes are kinder to your brushes and enable you to tackle larger scale pieces.

Schmincke Watercolours

Schmincke have been producing the finest quality paints since the late 19th century. Their reputation for superior quality is well deserved and their collection features a wonderful array of colours. Schmincke Akademie watercolours have a high concentration of pigment giving you consistent brilliance and controlled flow to your paper. This range is suitable for students and is more affordable that the artist watercolour paint range, Horadam. Schmincke Horadam watercolours are available in both pans and tubes. Explore all the Schmincke watercolours paints here.

Winsor & Newton Watercolours

First introduced in 1830, Windsor and Newton watercolours offer consistency and excellent quality. The purity, quality and reliability is impressive and with their high concentration of pigment, these paints handle beautifully.

Cotman

With more than 40 colours to choose from, this range is certainly comprehensive. Cotman watercolours are a good choice for beginners. The quality is high but some of the more costly pigments have been replaced with economical alternatives to deliver an affordable collection with good working properties.

Daniel Smith

This excellent collection of Daniel Smith watercolours features only pigment and gum Arabic. With no fillers or extenders, these paints will impress serious watercolour artists. This innovative collection changed the world of watercolour and give artists new and exciting colour choices including quinacridone pigments with which you can achieve striking and original effects.

Gansai Tambi

These traditional handmade blocks of Japanese watercolours are vibrant and translucent. They exhibit a slight sheen and are ideal for creating both light washes and heavy layers. Similar to gouache paints but with a glossier finish, these paints are now available in individual colours.