Skip to main content
Pickspry
Buying guideArt Supplies section

Best watercolor set for beginners and artists: top picks on Amazon

A watercolor set provides transparent, water-soluble pigment in pan or tube form. Pigment quality, transparency rating, lightfastness, pan count, tube size and whether the set is student or artist grade determine how the paint performs on paper and how long finished artwork will last.

By Pickspry EditorialUpdated 4 picks

The short answer

Winsor and Newton Cotman 45-Pan Watercolor Set at $38 is the best watercolor set for most beginners: the student-grade Cotman formula uses dye extenders to keep cost down while maintaining workable transparency and the 45-pan count provides the full color spectrum without requiring color mixing from a limited palette.

Product buttons open Amazon search results. As an Amazon Associate, Pickspry earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

Quick picks

How we chose

Watercolor sets are evaluated by format (pan vs tube), grade level (student vs artist), pigment transparency, lightfastness ratings where published, pan or tube count, set size and price. Specs from manufacturer product pages. We did not test these products.

The picks, in detail

4 picks reviewed
01
Best watercolor set for beginners
Winsor and Newton Winsor and Newton Cotman 45-Pan Watercolor Set

Winsor and Newton Cotman 45-Pan Watercolor Set

Brand: Winsor and Newton

Best for

Beginning watercolor painters who want a comprehensive ready-to-use pan set covering the full color spectrum in a student-grade formula trusted for consistent performance at the student price point.

Skip if

Professional-quality lightfastness for finished artwork is required. Cotman uses dye extenders and less expensive pigment substitutes compared to Winsor and Newton Professional watercolors. For archival work, Daniel Smith or Winsor and Newton Professional tubes provide confirmed lightfastness ratings.

Check price on Amazon

Winsor and Newton Cotman uses the same production process as Winsor and Newton Professional watercolors with substituted pigments that reduce cost. The student-grade formula maintains good transparency and rewetting behavior, allowing dry pans to activate quickly with water.

The 45-pan field box includes a mixing palette in the lid and a water brush holder. The compact case format makes it suitable for field sketching and travel painting without additional equipment.

At $38 for 45 pans, Cotman provides 84 cents per pan for the most widely used student watercolor set in the market.

Specifications

Specifications for Winsor and Newton Cotman 45-Pan Watercolor Set
FormatPan set
Pan count45 pans
GradeStudent
Price$38

Specs from Winsor Newton Cotman, 45-pan watercolor set Amazon search

02
Best artist-grade watercolor tubes
Daniel Smith Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Set

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Set

Brand: Daniel Smith

Best for

Experienced watercolor painters who want artist-grade single-pigment formulations with published lightfastness ratings, where Daniel Smith Extra Fine provides the widest color range of any artist-grade watercolor brand at over 240 colors.

Skip if

Convenience and cost are the priorities. Daniel Smith 15ml tubes at $55 for a 6-color set provide premium per-tube quality but require additional mixing palettes, tube organization and a separate pen or palette to use compared to the ready-to-use pan format. For beginners, the Cotman pan set requires less setup.

Check price on Amazon

Daniel Smith Extra Fine watercolors use the highest achievable pigment concentration with single-pigment formulations wherever possible. The single-pigment approach provides more predictable color mixing, where mixing two Daniel Smith colors produces cleaner results than mixing multi-pigment paints.

Daniel Smith publishes lightfastness ratings for every color in the 240+ color range. The granulating colors (PrimaTek line with natural mineral pigments) produce distinctive texture that cannot be replicated with synthetic pigment watercolors.

At $55 for 6 large artist-grade tubes, Daniel Smith is the professional reference standard for watercolor pigment quality.

Specifications

Specifications for Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Set
FormatTubes
Tube size15 ml each
GradeArtist
Price$55 (6-tube introductory set)

Specs from Daniel Smith, watercolor tubes Amazon search

03
Best budget watercolor set for children
Crayola Crayola Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors

Crayola Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors

Brand: Crayola

Best for

Children, students and casual painters who need a large color selection for school projects and general watercolor exploration where archival quality and pigment purity are secondary to accessibility and cost.

Skip if

Developing watercolor technique as an adult artist is the goal. Crayola watercolors use food-grade dyes and lower-quality pigments that produce inconsistent transparency and do not mix cleanly. The results look different from professional watercolor behavior, which makes learning proper watercolor technique on Crayola paints less transferable to quality materials. Winsor and Newton Cotman at $38 is the better learning tool for serious students.

Check price on Amazon

Crayola watercolors use oval pans in a simple tray format without a lid palette or carrying case. The pans activate quickly with water and produce bright, vivid color for school projects and casual art activities.

The 24-color range covers the primary and secondary spectrum plus additional hues. Colors are not individually labeled with pigment codes, which is expected for a children's product line.

At $10 for 24 pans, Crayola is the most accessible watercolor option for children and beginners not yet committed to developing serious technique.

Specifications

Specifications for Crayola Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors
FormatPan set
Pan count24 pans
GradeChildren's
Price$10

Specs from Crayola, watercolor set Amazon search

04
Best value watercolor pan set for intermediates
Arteza Arteza Premium Watercolor Pan Set 36 Colors

Arteza Premium Watercolor Pan Set 36 Colors

Brand: Arteza

Best for

Intermediate watercolor painters who want a more pan colors than the 24-pan Crayola but at a lower price than the Cotman 45-pan, where Arteza provides 36 colors in a portable case with mixing trays at a mid-range price.

Skip if

Consistent professional results are needed for display-quality artwork. Arteza watercolors are positioned between children's and professional student grades. For intermediate painters advancing toward display-quality work, the Cotman 45-pan set provides more predictable performance from the established Winsor and Newton brand.

Check price on Amazon

Arteza Premium Watercolor pans reactivate quickly with water and produce transparent color suitable for wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques. The set includes a hard-shell carrying case with integrated mixing trays in the lid, a water cup and two water brushes.

The 36-color range covers a broader spectrum than the standard student 24-pan sets. The pans are individually removable for replacement. Each color is labeled with a name.

At $25 for 36 pans with case and brushes included, Arteza offers 69 cents per color with the best-included accessories value in this guide.

Specifications

Specifications for Arteza Premium Watercolor Pan Set 36 Colors
FormatPan set with mixing palette
Pan count36 pans
GradeStudent (mid-range)
Price$25

Specs from Arteza, watercolor pan set Amazon search

Watercolor set comparison

Model Format Count Grade Price
Winsor Newton Cotman 45-Pan Pans 45 Student $38
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Tubes 6 (15ml) Artist $55
Crayola 24-Color Pans 24 Children's $10
Arteza Premium 36-Pan Pans 36 Student+ $25

Compare the picks

Side by side comparison of every pick
Specification
Winsor and Newton Winsor and Newton Cotman 45-Pan Watercolor Set
Winsor and Newton Cotman 45-Pan Watercolor Set
Daniel Smith Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Set
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors 15ml Set
Crayola Crayola Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors
Crayola Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors
Arteza Arteza Premium Watercolor Pan Set 36 Colors
Arteza Premium Watercolor Pan Set 36 Colors
Our verdictBest watercolor set for beginnersBest artist-grade watercolor tubesBest budget watercolor set for childrenBest value watercolor pan set for intermediates
FormatPan setTubesPan setPan set with mixing palette
Pan count45 pansNot listed24 pans36 pans
GradeStudentArtistChildren'sStudent (mid-range)
Price$38$55 (6-tube introductory set)$10$25
Tube sizeNot listed15 ml eachNot listedNot listed
BuyCheck priceCheck priceCheck priceCheck price

Questions people ask

Pan watercolors vs tube watercolors: which should I use?

Pan watercolors are dry pigment cakes that activate with water. They are convenient for travel, require no setup and never dry out or waste paint. The trade-off is that large washes require significant time to load the brush with enough color from the pan, and mixing large volumes of color is slower than with tubes. Tube watercolors are wet paint squeezed onto a palette. They produce large volumes of color quickly, making them better for large-format painting and bold washes. The trade-off is waste if paint dries on the palette before use, though dried tube paint can be reactivated with water. For beginners and travel painters, pans are more practical. For studio painters doing large-format work, tubes are more efficient.

What paper is required for watercolor painting?

Watercolor paper is rated by weight in pounds (lb) and texture (hot press, cold press, rough). The minimum recommended weight is 140 lb (300 gsm) cold press, which resists buckling under wet washes without needing to be stretched first. At weights below 140 lb, paper buckles when wet and dries warped, which makes flat, even washes difficult. Hot press paper has a smooth surface preferred for detailed work and pen-and-wash illustration. Cold press paper has a medium texture that suits most watercolor techniques. Rough paper has strong texture that creates granulation effects in washes. For most beginners, 140 lb cold press is the standard starting point.

How do I keep watercolor pans from drying out?

Watercolor pans dry out naturally between painting sessions, which is normal. The pans are designed to be reactivated with water before each use. To restore a dry pan, add a few drops of water to the pan and wait 2 to 3 minutes before using it. Trying to use a completely dry pan immediately results in rough, pigment-poor strokes. For travel sets used infrequently, dry pans are fine; the set can sit unused for months and still reactivate normally. If pans crack or become difficult to reactivate, they have dried too thoroughly. A drop of gum arabic mixed into the water can improve binding in cracked pans.

Keep reading

  • Buying guide

    Best acrylic paint set for beginners and artists: top picks

    An acrylic paint set provides fast-drying, water-soluble paint that works on canvas, wood, paper and most surfaces. Pigment concentration, color count, tube size, whether the set is student or artist grade and lightfastness ratings determine the value of a set.

    4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026

  • Buying guide

    Best sketchbook for drawing and art: top picks on Amazon

    A sketchbook provides paper weight, tooth and size suited for a specific medium and use. Paper weight in pounds (lb) determines how well paper handles wet media without buckling, tooth determines how pencil and charcoal adhere, and paper acid content determines archival quality.

    4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026

  • Buying guide

    Best colored pencils for art and drawing: top picks on Amazon

    Colored pencils vary by core hardness, pigment concentration, lightfastness rating, blendability and whether the wax or oil-based binder determines layering behavior. Artist-grade pencils have higher pigment loads than student-grade sets and produce richer, more blendable color.

    4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026

  • Buying guide

    Best paint brushes for art and painting: top picks on Amazon

    Paint brushes vary by bristle material (natural vs synthetic), shape (round, flat, fan, filbert), size number and ferrule construction. The medium being used (watercolor, acrylic, oil) determines which bristle stiffness and shape combination produces the best results.

    4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026