Watercolor painting is a bewitching medium, admired by artists and enthusiasts worldwide for its fluidity, transparency, and luminosity. Several artists have given in to the allure of watercolors, including the likes of Paresh Maity and Paul Klee. Whether you’re a beginner dipping your brush into the world of art or a seasoned professional seeking the finest tools for your craft, selecting the best watercolor paints is crucial to achieving stunning results. Today, we explore options for both beginners and professionals. Moreover, you’ll understand what lightfastness means and the distinction between watercolor tubes and pans if you are to make the world best watercolor painting.
Selecting The Best Watercolor Paints
When it comes to choosing the best watercolor paints, several factors come into play, including pigment quality, lightfastness, transparency, and handling ease. For beginners, we recommend starting with paints that are easy to work with and offer good color saturation. Professionals, on the other hand, must use paints with superior pigmentation and lightfastness to ensure their artworks do not deteriorate over time.
Best Watercolor Paints for Beginners
Novice artists stepping into the world of watercolor painting may find themselves overwhelmed by the myriad options available. However, there are several brands known for producing high-quality watercolor paints tailored to beginners’ needs.
Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolors
They are known for their excellent quality and affordable price point. They come in tubes, pans, and even pencils. The brand offers good color payoff and decent lightfastness, ensuring beginners can experiment without breaking the bank. The range of 108 colors boasts a wide selection, allowing artists to explore.
Prima Marketing Watercolor Confections
The brand is known for its compact and portable design. These watercolor sets come in palette form, with each pan offering rich pigmentation and smooth application. The convenience of these sets makes them perfect for artists on the go.
Best Watercolor Paints for Professionals
For professional artists seeking the crème de la crème of watercolor paints, brands like Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and M. Graham stand out for their exceptional quality and performance.
Daniel Smith Watercolors
They are revered for their superior pigmentation and lightfastness, making them a top choice among professionals. They are available in tubes, pans, and sticks. These watercolor paints are offered in 266 vibrant shades made from high-quality pigments sourced from around the world.
Schmincke Horadam Watercolors
The brand is synonymous with excellence. Known for their finely ground pigments and outstanding lightfastness, these paints deliver unparalleled brilliance and clarity. The range includes single pigment colors and speciality hues, allowing artists to create complex artworks with confidence.
Graham Watercolors
Their honey-based formulation is the brand’s USP. It imparts a creamy consistency and enhanced re-wettability to the paints. This characteristic makes them a favorite among professional artists who value smooth application and blending ability. With a focus on using only the finest pigments, M. Graham watercolors offer exceptional vibrancy and permanence.
Understanding Lightfastness and Fugitive Colors
When choosing watercolor paints, understanding lightfastness is essential. Lightfastness refers to a pigment’s ability to resist fading when exposed to light over time. When using ‘lightfast’ watercolors, your artwork retains its original vibrancy and integrity for years to come. On the other hand, fugitive colors are those prone to fading or shifting in hue when exposed to light or other environmental factors. While some fugitive colors may offer unique aesthetic qualities, they are generally not recommended for artwork. Professional artists often opt for paints with excellent lightfastness ratings to ensure the longevity of their creations.
Watercolor Tubes vs. Watercolor Pans
One of the primary decisions artists face when selecting watercolor paints is whether to opt for tubes or pans. Each format offers distinct advantages and is suited to different preferences and painting styles. Watercolor tubes contain paint in a concentrated form, making them ideal for artists who prefer to mix custom colors or work on larger surfaces. Tubes offer excellent color saturation and can be easily diluted with water to achieve various effects, from translucent washes to bold, opaque layers.
Watercolor pans, on the other hand, consist of dried paint cakes housed in a compact palette. Pans are convenient for artists who value portability and prefer working with a pre-selected color palette. They are especially popular among urban sketchers due to their lightweight and space-saving design.
Image Courtesy – Art in Context
