Rating of TOP 8 best watercolors: saturation, which is better, pros and cons

The first watercolors appeared in China in the second century AD. The peculiarity of watercolor painting is smooth transitions, a combination of transparency and color saturation, the absence of visible strokes. Watercolors are used not only by children, but also by professional artists, using various techniques for this.

On store shelves, you can see various sets of watercolors and at first glance it seems that their difference is only in the price and number of colors. But actually it is not. Therefore, in the rating, I will not only describe the popular watercolors, but also tell you how to choose them so that creativity is a joy.

Features and differences between watercolors and other paints

The main and distinctive property of real watercolor is its transparency. The paintings look airy, light and sometimes you get the feeling that they will melt when touched.

It's all about the special composition of the paint. It is water-soluble on an adhesive base. For example, in honey watercolors, honey acts as a glue. And the plasticity is given by glycerin.

Basic properties of watercolor paint:

1. Transparency gives the finished painting a feeling of lightness, tenderness and even a special shine. The effect is achieved by translucent paper through the color layer.
2. Saturation. It is not high in comparison with oil, gouache and other paints. This is the whole point.
3. Colour. The palette itself is rich, but when painting, the overlay of layers is carried out only after the bottom layer has completely dried. Otherwise, you will get dirt and there will be no effect of lightness and transparency.
4. Lightfastness. Watercolor paint is easily damaged by sunlight.
5. Physical exposure is also harmful. For example, you can easily damage the design by touching it with wet hands or dripping water onto it.

TOP 8 watercolors rating

Speaking of watercolors, we present the kits for children that we are familiar with from an early age. But watercolors can be different and, when making a rating, I took into account many parameters. I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of contestants that will be discussed in the review:

GAMMA Watercolor Country of Elves, 20 colors (212061)

Plastic pencil case will include 20 colors with the addition of mother-of-pearl. The range is gentle and includes all basic shades. But the only advantage is the price. Unfortunately, the mother-of-pearl effect is practically not visible here. The paint itself dries for a long time and there may be dirt when mixing. There is very little paint in the cells themselves and it quickly runs out. Rather, such a set is suitable for kids from 3 years old.

Bought for the price and miscalculated. Before that, there was a mother-of-pearl watercolor from another manufacturer, so this effect was visible there. Here it is simply not there, and the colors are kind of pale. The drawing dries for a very long time and if you fold the album, then the sheets will not be glued later.

GAMMA Orange Sun (212084)

There are two effects in this watercolor paint: a pearlescent sheen and a fluorescent glow. The palette is rich, consisting of 24 colors. The paints are transparent, which is natural for watercolors. Mother-of-pearl is finely dispersed and poorly visible, so it is better to use it as a second layer. Due to the fact that the base is honey, there is a sticky sensation. Many buyers complain that paintings take a long time to dry. Therefore, the set is more suitable for home art.

I bought watercolors over the Internet for a child to paint at home. The paints are sweet, apparently due to the fact that they are honey. The colors are good, vibrant and easy to mix. I liked the light pearlescent shine. True art dries for a long time and is sticky as if smeared with glue.

BRAUBERG (190554)

Honey semi-dry watercolors with a palette of 24 colors, where there are different shades. It dries very quickly and has good mixing and pigmentation characteristics, which gives good coverage on paper. They fit smoothly and without streaks, but there is no transparency. Therefore, they belong to the children's line. Non-toxic and safe for children. Produced in a cuvette with a compartment for one brush. True, it is difficult to find a short brush for such a length of a pencil case. Convenient for school use. The brand is German, but watercolors are produced in Ukraine.

I really like this brand, as all its stationery is of high quality. That is why, getting my child to school, I bought Brauberg watercolors. The packaging is plastic and convenient. A rich palette of colors, mostly bright, which is also pleasing. The paint lays down evenly and dries quickly, therefore, after the ISO, the sheets of the album are not glued.

Pentel Arts Water Colors (WFRS-24)

Usually watercolors in a tube are classified as a professional series, but this set is more suitable for home use or training at an art school. The set of colors is good, but in some you can see whitewash, which is unacceptable, and some green and yellow give off "acidity". In general, using such a set is quite convenient, since the paint does not crack or fade. It is easily diluted with water and has transitions from dense to transparent. Mixes easily with each other without forming dirt. The brand is Japanese, but manufactured in Taiwan.

Such a set is not suitable for professionals, rather for pampering at home or for an entry-level art school. It is convenient to use and the paint is thick, which means that the consumption is slow. But the quality of the pigment itself was not pleasant. White is visible in some colors, while others are clearly acidic. Not bad for cartoons, but something else is not with this set.

ErichKrause ArtBerry (41725)

An excellent solution for children's creativity, as the watercolor paint is bright, the colors are rich and the palette is rich. It has dark, bright and even custom colors. Several shades of green and yellow are also presented, which will allow older children to develop in creativity. Present in a watercolor set and white, which allows you to achieve shades. The pigmentation is good and does not need to be soaked with water for a long time. There is room for two brushes. But many buyers complain about the cap that breaks quickly.

Decent watercolors in the budget category. They are perfect for both children's creativity and for lovers of watercolor painting.She worked with them in the technique of glazing and showed herself well, of course, far from professional sets.

GAMMA Studio (215003)

A budget paint that is suitable for amateurs and students of art schools. Available in sets of cuvettes. Therefore, if necessary, there is always the opportunity to purchase the desired color. Despite the fact that the palette consists of 18 colors, most of them are dark. Blurring often leaves the borders of the dark pigment, which is unacceptable for watercolors. Also, when mixing, dirt can turn out. It dries quickly, but some customers noted that gloss is visible on the finished work. Despite the fact that the series looks like for professionals, in the end it cannot be attributed to such.

Nice watercolor. I used it as a hobby to paint at home. When I saw it, I thought it was for professionals and decided to buy it. But after working with this paint, I realized that for such a price you can buy better. For example, blurring often leaves a clear edge, and some shades are very similar to each other. In general, it is convenient for her to work.

Nevskaya palitra St. Petersburg (1942017)

This set is positioned as a professional one, but it has its pros and cons. Because of what it can be more likely attributed to the amateur series. The packaging is very convenient and has a groove for cuvettes, then the lid opens tightly, and the cuvettes practically do not hold. In this regard, they often fall out and mix. But there is room to buy more flowers. Speaking about the palette, it is worth noting that the colors have different color fastness. And also some are insufficiently pigmented or difficult to type, and lie unevenly on the paper. The cuvettes are filled in differently, that is, they have different paint weights, which is unacceptable for a professional series.

Bought several brands of watercolor paint to find my own. I won't say that this one is perfect. Rather, it is good and with its own characteristics. I noticed that European and Russian brands are different. I work in different techniques and use each set for something. I liked the fact that the colors mix well without dirt, they can convey shadows and get dark shades.

Sonnet (3541139)

This set is perfect for beginner artists. It is produced in a different number of colors, but it is better to buy for 24 pieces. In this case, you get a large palette with different shades and you do not need to mix them. The watercolor is highly pigmented and gives good blur and transparency. However, when mixed, some colors can give dirt, so it is recommended to paint. The set itself consists of cuvettes, and some artists manually rearrange them to make it easy to select the desired colors. Economical consumption.

My child went to art school and the teacher asked me to buy this set. We liked the Sonnet series both in terms of price and quality. The most is for novice artists. Watercolors are easy to brush, which means they are well pigmented. Blurring results in excellent transparency, and when the dense layer dries, they are quite bright.

How to choose a watercolor and what are the differences?

We rarely think about the fact that watercolor paint is different. Nevertheless, there are three types and each of them has its own differences and purposes.

1. Dry. Used for graphics or small sketches.
2. Semi-dry. It belongs to the universal and it is her that we buy for children to draw at home or at school for art.
3. Liquid. It is used for airbrush and has a higher saturation and colors are much brighter.

In addition, watercolor paint is available in different versions. If you are planning to paint in the open air, it is better to buy watercolors in cuvettes.

If you are planning a large painting, then it is worth buying watercolors in tubes. Such paints do not mix with each other when working with them.

Remember that watercolor loves kolinsky or squirrel brushes that have a fine tip. So you can correctly distribute the color, make drawings and stains. And also it should be borne in mind that the paint is water-soluble, which means that the paper must be thick. Buy a drawing paper or special watercolor sheets.

I hope that my article helped you in choosing watercolor paint and now you can completely immerse yourself in your creativity. Experiment and embody your dreams and fantasies on paper, and watercolor will become a real helper in this. And let it not immediately turn out as you want, the main thing is to get pleasure from the process and believe in yourself.