The Next Best Paint
“What happens if I paint with this other brand of paint…?”
In the same vein as my post about different brands of paper, a common question is which paint brand to use. Professional grade paint is expensive…so what is the best paint for sudies, sketchbooks, or just messing around? I experimented with three different brands to answer that question.
Why does quality watercolor paint matter?
Professional watercolors should have less binder and more pigment. It’s kind of like how Crayola crayons have a bunch of wax to bind the color together. If you have more binder, the paint is less predictable, fades more, and is inconsistent. That being said, the student grade paint is great for the budget. For professional paint, most watercolor artists recommend either Winsor & Newton or Daniel Smith. I’ve also enjoyed working with QoR by Golden.
Let’s cut to the chase - which is second best to the professional series of Daniel Smith or Winsor & Newton?
For all artwork that I want frame, sell, or gift, I’ll always choose professional grade paint. I prefer Daniel Smith because I find the colors are more vibrant (but maybe that’s not actually true!). However, now that I’ve gone through this exercise, I see that I can use less expensive paint for my journaling, sketching, and mindfulness practices.
See my experiments below to decide which paper is best for you, because it ultimately depends on what you want your final paintings to look like. I recommend Cotman watercolor by Winsor & Newton. Keep reading to find out why.
Notes: All papers are Arches 140 lb. weight cold press. Paint prices are based on at www.dickblick.com at the time of writing.
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors
Professional grade paint
COST:
Series 1 - $11.18 for 15 ml ($0.75/ml)
Series 2 - $13.87 for 15 ml ($0.92/ml)
Series 3 - $14.97 for 15 ml ($1.00/ml)
Series 4 - $18.65 for 15 ml ($1.24/ml)
PROS:
Subtleties of wet on wet, intense and consistent color, ability to paint multiple layers, decent lifting
CONS:
Cost
Cotman by Winsor & Newton
Student grade watercolor paint made by Winsor & Newton
COST:
$3.49 for 8 ml ($0.44/ml)
PROS:
Cost, intensity
CONS:
Difficult to lift or get subtleties, inconsistent and unpredictable
Van Gogh
Student grade paint
COST:
$3.39 for 10 ml ($0.34/ml)
PROS:
Cost, vibrant colors, pretty consistent color blending
CONS:
Difficult to get the subtleties and water effects that watercolor painting is known for
All things considered, the combination of paint and paper gives you different effects because they’re two different variables. For the best predictability and consistency, I’m not alone in recommending Arches and Daniel Smith or Winsor & Newton professional. However, experiment with the others and see what fits your painting style best!
Happy painting!
- Lisa