The 5 Best Watercolor Sets for Beginners

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Getting started with watercolor but unsure of what paint set is best for you? What are the characteristics to look for in watercolor paint to ensure you're investing in supplies that will help you progress your skills faster?


Choosing the wrong watercolor set as a beginner is not only a waste of hard-earned money, but it can also make your learning process way more frustrating than it needs to be. 
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I know this because, in the beginning of my own journey, I invested in several sets that contained paint colors which were hard to mix, looked chalky when placed on paper, and didn't create the effects I was seeing watercolor artists arrive at very easily. 

Once I discovered what "real" watercolors feel like, and how they are supposed to behave when placed on (cotton) paper, these bad watercolor sets just ended up sitting in drawers or in the back of closets. 

*If you want to learn more about watercolor paper types, you can find all the information you need in this blog post.

While you might be tempted to go for cheaper paints in the beginning, it's essential to make sure the paint you're buying shows the main characteristics of real/quality watercolor paint. 



What to look for in watercolor paint:

• High Pigmentation: It's made of richer pigments that result in more vibrant, intense colors. Because of this higher pigmentation, paint also lasts a lot longer because you can do a lot with a very small amount.
• Consistency: Cheaper paints are often created with cheap binder and there are inconsistencies between colors. This leads to colors having an uneven flow when placed on paper, making it harder to achieve smooth washes and beautiful wet-on-wet effects. It can also make blending colors difficult.
• Transparency:  Watercolors are transparent/translucent, not opaque. Though some colors are more opaque than others, this is inherently a transparent medium. This means you'll be able to see through your layers. This transparency is what provides watercolor paintings the unique glow that is so particular to this medium. 
• Layering: With quality paint, you’ll find that layering and glazing are easier to do, allowing you to build up colors without muddying them.
• Lightfastness/Durability:  Paintings created with quality paint will last a lot longer in better condition. Colors are more resistant to fading or changing when exposed to light. Though paint colors will have varying levels of lightfastness, your colors should stay true for a good amount of time.

For anyone on a budget, there are affordable student-grade paint sets that offer these qualities and I've included a few great options in the list below.

They are what I used when I was starting my own journey, and I still use these student-grade paint sets quite often, especially when I'm working on smaller pieces.

Here are two paintings that I created recently with watercolors from Van Gogh, which is one of my favorite affordable brands.

Red Barn With Flowers by Erika Lancaster.

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Fall Mushrooms With Bokeh by Erika Lancaster

*Get immediate access to both of these real-time/fully-narrated tutorials, and over 100 more classes for only $6 dollars, over on my Patreon site. 



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All of the options included in this list are currently available via Amazon, which is where I buy most of my art supplies. 
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Best Watercolor Sets for Beginners

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​Winsor & Newton Cotman 16-Pan Watercolor Set
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Pros
- Very affordable.
​- Great color vibrancy.
- Great variety of colors.
- Travel-friendly and portable.
- Smooth application.

Cons
- Colors are not as rich and easy to activate as professional-grade paints.
- White color is included, which is not necessary when painting with watercolor.

*Currently $29 on Amazon.

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​Van Gogh Watercolor 15-Pan Pocket Box Set

Pros
- Very affordable.
- Great pigment load and color payoff.
- Vibrant colors.

Cons
- There is more opaqueness to certain colors than professional-grade paint.
- Van Gogh has some paint colors which are difficult to replace by other brands such as Cobalt Blue (Ultramarine) and Cerulean Blue (Phthalo). 
- White color is included, which is not necessary when painting with watercolor.

*Currently $27.86 on Amazon. 

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​​Daniel Smith Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Set With 6 Tubes

Pros
- Extremely high-quality pigment.
- Highly pigmented and lightfast.
- This is a Split Primary set, which means it includes a warm and cool for each primary. This is great for beginners wanting to learn color theory and mixing. 
*I teach you about the Split Primary color wheel and everything you have to know about Color Theory as a beginner in this full course. 

Cons
- More expensive.
- Comes in tubes instead of pans, which might be more difficult for beginners. With tubes, it's easier to waste paint. 
- Because it is a Split Primary set, you might want to buy a couple of "convenience colors" separately, such as Payne's Gray, Burnt Sienna, and/or Burnt Umber. 

*Currently $38.68 on Amazon.
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​Schmincke Akademie 12-Color Watercolor Set

Pros
- Great pigment load and transparency.
- Professional results for a beginner set.
​- This set includes a great assortment of colors. 
- Tin box is durable and offers two separate areas for color mixing. 

Cons
- Pricey for student-grade.
- Some people may find these small pans difficult to work with. 

*Currently $49 on Amazon.

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Paul Rubens 24 Color Full Pan Paint Set

Pros
- High pigment concentration
- Excellent transparency and vibrant colors
- Comes in a beautiful, durable tin box.
- These are full pans.
- Large variety of colors.

Cons
- White color is included, which is not necessary when painting with watercolor.

*Currently $25.99 on Amazon.

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Whichever paint set you decide to go with, I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment, moving forward in your journey with watercolor.

I have tons of free tutorials and tips videos over on my YouTube channel that you can follow along with to improve faster. 

Thanks for reading!



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