When it comes to watercolor supplies, the options might seem endless. Most of us are familiar with the classic watercolor pans, but what about watercolors in tubes or liquid watercolors? How do these compare, and which one is right for you? In this guide, I'll walk you through the differences between watercolor pans, tubes, and liquid watercolors to help you decide which might best suit your artistic needs.
Watercolor Pans: The Go-To Starter Set
Watercolors in pans are one of the most common and accessible options. They’re compact, easy to store, and ready to use on the go. Made of pigments, binders, and additives, these paints come in small plastic containers (half or full pans) that you can buy individually or in sets.
How to Use Watercolor Pans:
- Activate the Paint: Add a little water to the paint in the pan to pre-wet it. You can either load your brush with paint and start painting or transfer it to a mixing palette to adjust the intensity or mix colors.
- Building Color: One thing to keep in mind is that working with pans can take a bit longer. You’ll need to go back and forth between the pan and your palette until you have the right amount of paint.
- Brush Care: Be gentle with your brushes! Scrubbing the paint in the pans too hard can wear down your brush bristles.
Pros of Watercolor Pans:
- Easy to use and portable.
- Great for beginners.
- Allows for mixing and adjusting color intensity.
Cons:
- Takes time to load enough pigment.
- Pans can get messy over time, leading to colors blending unintentionally.
- Less paint in a pan compared to tubes, so you may run out quicker.
But if you do run out of paint in a pan, you can always refill it by squeezing tube paint into the empty pan and letting it dry.
Watercolor Tubes: Rich, Vibrant Colors
Watercolors in tubes are essentially the same as pan paints, but they come in a creamy consistency. This makes them easier to work with if you need a lot of paint or want to mix large amounts of color. Tube watercolors are also highly pigmented, giving you rich, vibrant colors straight out of the tube.
How to Use Watercolor Tubes:
- Squeeze and Mix: Squeeze the desired amount of paint onto a palette. You can adjust the intensity by adding water to the paint.
- Quick Color Mixing: Because the paint is already soft, it’s easier and faster to mix colors compared to pans. This makes them ideal for large art pieces where you need consistent, large amounts of paint.
Pros of Watercolor Tubes:
- Highly pigmented and easier to mix.
- Ideal for large artworks.
- More economical in the long run because you get more paint for your money.
Cons:
- Harder to estimate the right amount of paint, leading to possible waste.
- Tubes can dry out if not sealed properly.
Liquid Watercolors: Vibrant and Fast, But Watch Out for Fading
Liquid watercolors come in bottles and are ready to use without any additional prep. They’re perfect for hand lettering or fast, vibrant painting. However, most liquid watercolors are dye-based, meaning they will fade over time and stain the paper, preventing techniques like lifting.
How to Use Liquid Watercolors:
- Pour and Paint: Use a pipette to place some liquid watercolor onto your palette. Mix with water to adjust intensity as needed.
- Mixing Colors: Mixing liquid watercolors can result in duller colors because they don't reflect light the same way as traditional watercolors.
Pros of Liquid Watercolors:
- Instant paint, no need to activate with water.
- Great for illustrations and hand lettering.
- Easy to pour excess paint back into the bottle for reuse.
Cons:
- Less versatile compared to pans or tubes.
- Can’t use regular watercolor techniques and approaches (e.g. adjusting paint to water ratio to get the right consistency of paint)
- Dye-based colors can fade, making them less ideal for long-lasting pieces.
- Not as travel-friendly, though you can add liquid watercolor to an aqua brush for on-the-go sketching.
Which One Should You Choose?
At the end of the day, choosing between watercolor pans, tubes, or liquid watercolors comes down to your personal preferences and painting style. If you're just starting out, pans are a great, budget-friendly option that’s easy to work with. As you advance, you might want to experiment with tubes for larger projects or invest in higher-quality pigments.
Pro Tip: If you're worried about paint fading, avoid dye-based liquid watercolors and always check for lightfast ratings on your paints.
I personally started with watercolor pans and then gradually moved to tubes for more vibrant colors. Remember, it’s all about what works best for your process and your art!
Ready to Dive Into Watercolors?
If you’re still not sure which watercolor supplies to start with, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered with a comprehensive guide to watercolor supplies. You can download my free watercolor supplies PDF guide here to get started on your watercolor journey.
Thanks for reading, and have fun painting!