How to Choose a Watercolor Palette When You Are a Beginner

One of the most exciting things in watercolors, at least for me, is the paints themselves. When I was starting out, I didn’t know much at all about the different types of paints, and, to be honest, didn’t want to spend too much time researching the topic.

I just wanted to get the best watercolors for the best price and get to painting as soon as possible.

That’s not to say learning about the different characteristics of watercolor paints is not important – just the opposite. There are even artists, who dedicate enormous amounts of time and effort in researching this same topic – for example, I have found handprint.com and Jane Blundell’s site extremely helpful in this regard.

But, if you get a bit overwhelmed by all the information that’s available and just want a quick and easy recommendation to get you started, here are my thoughts on this.

First, there are a few questions you have to ask yourself:

• How much money are you willing to spend?
• Are you getting into watercolor painting for the long run or are you just dabbling?
• What and where are you going to be painting?
• How willing are you to spend time researching the topic?

The major factors you have to consider are professional vs. student grade paints; which brand; tubes vs. pans; how many and which colors; and what kind of palette would you like to use.

Now, as I said, there’s a lot to be said on each of these questions, and you are welcome to visit the sites I recommended above for in-depth information. Our goal here is just to get you started with the absolute basics.

So, let’s go through each of the points shortly:

• Budget – the rule of thumb is: get the best paints you can afford. Many artists consider the quality of the paints the most important factor, followed by paper, and then brushes. Most watercolor brands have student and professional ranges. The difference is mainly in the brilliance and lightfastness of the colors, as student grade paints, although made with the same pigments, tend to have more binders and fillers. If you are like me and are just starting out, you may feel like using professional paints may be a waste when you are just practicing brush strokes, for example. In this case, the lightfastness is not an issue. Also, even the student grade paints from the most well-established brands tend to be rather good. I still like my Winsor and Newton Cotman palette, which was my first palette when I started. If you can only afford a cheap Prang or Crayola set, then, by all means, do it, and just get painting. Cause that’s what’s most important.

• There are many producers on the market, but the some of the most well known are Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, M. Graham, Schmincke, Sennelier. There are very heated discussions on the internet about which ones the best, but ultimately they’re all good, and it’s a question of price, preference, and availability which one you’ll choose. I’d love to try Daniel Smith and M. Graham, but they are not as readily available in Europe, and if available, they tend to be more expensive than the local European brands. That’s why I have Winsor & Newton, Sennelier, and Schmincke. When I bought my last Winsor & Newton paints, I compared the price for the same colors from Daniel Smith, and they would have been about ⅓ more expensive than what I paid.

You may also want to think about which paints will inspire and motivate you to paint – reading about your favorite artist using a particular brand may inspire you to use the same brand. Just don’t expect to start painting masterpieces right away – it doesn’t work, I’ve tried it 😉

• If you are serious about pursuing watercolors, then you may prefer investing in professional grade watercolors from the get-go. It may be a bit expensive to start, but watercolor paints, in general, are very economical, so they should last you a long time.
• Tubes vs. pans – I started with pans because I wanted a relatively large set (Winsor & Newton Cotman) for a relatively small price. Pans are very convenient when you want to take your paints on the go, and you can quickly switch and replace colors as needed. Also, I think not all student grade paints are available as tubes if that’s what you want to go with. On the other hand, I find tubes very versatile – you can squeeze enough paint for bigger washes or if you’ll be painting big. Empty pans are sold in all art stores so you can also fill your own pans. There are also portable palettes that have wells ready to be filled, so you won’t even need pans (see my Mijello palette here). If you’d like to buy tubes but you’re not sure you’d like to stick to this particular manufacturer – buy the smallest available version, and next time maybe try a different brand. Don’t forget to make swatches and take notes so that you can compare later.

• How many and which colors to choose – this is a very important question. You have to consider what you’ll be painting, and if you are willing to mix your colors. You can do a lot even with a set of each of the primaries (red, yellow, blue). The classic suggestion for a general palette is to have a cold and warm of each primary color and add some earthy and neutral colors. Of course, if you’ll be painting mainly florals, you will need a different set of colors than if you’ll be painting cityscapes, for example. If you’re like most beginners and are not exactly sure what you’ll end up painting the most, then choosing a bigger set of student paints (from a good brand) may be worth considering. You can see some of my palettes here, and here are some other recommendations for palettes: Handprint, Jane Blundell, Liz Steel.

To simplify even more, I would say: If you’re working with a teacher, course or book that has a recommended supplies list, and you have the budget for it – do follow it. It will make your learning experience much easier and more efficient. If your budget is limited, start either with just a few professional colors or get a student set from a well-respected brand. With time, more painting, learning and experience, you can gradually adapt and expand your palette by buying new colors and replacing with professional grade paints. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t or don’t want to afford professional paints from the beginning. At the end of the day, whatever gets you painting, is good enough.

What watercolors did you start with?