🌿 19 Watercolor Sets On Amazon: Pros and Cons

🌿 Amazon offers dozens of watercolor pan sets ranging from craft and student grade to high quality artist grade paints. I've tried nineteen of them. Let's look at the pros and cons of each.

As you grow in your watercolor journey, you'll learn to seek out individual pigments from a variety of suppliers to build your own custom palette.

However, when you're a beginner or would like an easy, breezy set for convenience or gift giving, it's nice to purchase a ready-made set which won't get in your way.

These are things I personally consider when shopping for watercolor pan sets:

The paints should not be chalky
I prefer transparent colors
Pigment information (e.g. PV19 or PY154) should be provided so we can better understand the chemistry of mixing as well as each color's lightfast qualities
Highly pigmented paints are better for my workflow than anything dye-based; I rarely like my watercolors to look "inky"
A good, transparent mixing yellow is necessary
I need a Quinacridone Rose or another cool red color to paint flowers and mix purples
I paint a lot of botanicals and landscapes, so a good quality Sap Green is a must
I can mix but often paint in a hurry and prefer to have several convenience colors already provided for me
Although I don't sell my work in galleries (yet), I do enjoy giving paintings as gifts so I need to keep lightfastness in mind; I aim to find sets with over 80% lightfast colors overall and try to make sure the most important colors aren't fugitive
Ideally, I select sets manufactured by respected companies in countries which protect workers; many sets listed here were sent to me for review and do not meet this goal

When compiling this list, I considered lightfast ratings offered by the companies themselves and cross-referenced with Kim Crick's problem pigment lists and her extensive independent testing. I also used a UV flashlight to check for fluorescent brighteners which can cause fading in a short time. In some cases, I conducted my own summer window tests.

Watch my YouTube video accompanying this post.

watercolor pan sets I've tried from Amazon

ART WHALE - 48 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in China
Company based in Miami, Florida
Friendly, helpful customer service
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
Fantastic, sturdy tin with rolled edges
Excellent color selection
83% single pigment
69% lightfast (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Tend to stay where you put them rather than dispersing wildly in water
"Heavy" and highly pigmented colors, but not particularly opaque
The tin reminds me of Paul Rubens, while the paint itself performs more like Roman Szmal or White Nights
Not inky at all
Chinese Red (PR254) is especially nice
Burnt Sienna and Umber seem to have flip-flopped labels
Note: these paints are completely different than Art Whale's tubes

ART WHALE - 24 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in China
Company based in Miami, Florida
Friendly, helpful customer service
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
Fantastic, sturdy tin with rolled edges
Excellent color selection
88% single pigment
79% lightfast (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Tend to stay where you put them rather than dispersing wildly in water
"Heavy" and highly pigmented colors, but not particularly opaque
The tin reminds me of Paul Rubens, while the paint itself performs more like Roman Szmal or White Nights
Not inky at all
Chinese Red (PR254) is especially nice
Burnt Sienna and Umber seem to have flip-flopped labels
Note: these paints are completely different from Art Whale's tubes

COTMAN SKETCHERS' POCKET BOX, 12 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon | Blick
Manufactured in China
Company based in London, UK
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
Pans arrived loose, falling out of the box; box leaks on table during use due to insufficient seal
Color selection was not what was shown in the Amazon listing; I did not receive quin rose and payne's grey as advertised; fine print says colors may vary which seems like a ridiculous policy for paint where colors are prized
67% single pigment
100% lightfast
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Tend to stay where you put them rather than dispersing wildly in water
Some difficulty in re-wetting
Not highly pigmented overall; can seem subdued compared to other sets listed here
Sap green and browns are weak
Not inky at all

GENCRAFTS, 24 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Made in China
Clever box which includes a lift-out mixing tray and movable pods housing six colors each
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
No pigment information
One color (lavender) pings on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse decently in water
After using, paints cracked with an earthquake pattern of little fault lines across the top of each pan
Very difficult to re-wet
Color names aren't consistent with watercolor terms (e.g. dark green, ink blue, tangerine, etc.)
Very "inky"
Overall, there are much better options within this price point

LUKAS AQUARELL Studio - 16 HALF PANS

Available at Amazon
Made in Germany
Half pans of standard size
Basic tin provided
Interesting color selection including a nice magenta (PR122) and handy olive green (PG36, PO36) but missing important choices like a lightfast mixing yellow and any sap green
75% single pigment
56% lightfast (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test
Re-wet easily
Wonderfully pigmented colors which are not "inky" at all
As much as I like several of the individual colors and would recommend Lukas Aquarell Studio open stock, I don't care for this particular set because it's missing necessary colors and they've made the bizarre choice to add fugitive alizarin crimson hue (which fades when diluted) to all the earth tones; this drops the lightfastness rating

LUKAS AQUARELL 1862 - 24 HALF PANS

Available at Amazon
Made in Germany
Half pans of standard size
Tin provided
Interesting color selection including a magenta (PR122), may green (PY175, PG7), and chromium oxide green (PG17) -- but missing a lightfast mixing yellow and any sap green
75% single pigment
71% lightfast (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test
Re-wet easily
Wonderfully pigmented colors which are not "inky" at all
As much as I like several of the individual colors and would recommend Lukas Aquarell 1862 open stock, I don't care for this particular set because they've made the bizarre choice to add fugitive alizarin crimson hue (which fades when diluted) to all the earth tones; this drops the lightfastness of those important colors

MEI LIANG PRETTY EXCELLENT, 36 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in China
Made by the same company as Paul Rubens
Extruded "half pans" which are not typical size and cannot be moved around within the box
Newer sets have movable half pans, but depending on which seller you purchase from, old stock might still be shipped
Fantastic, sturdy tin with rolled edges
Excellent color selection
50% single pigment (no pigment information provided in this set, so I'm using the 48 set for reference)
47% lightfast (no pigment information provided, so I'm using the 48 set for reference; the company is not truthful about the number of fugitive colors included; I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Three colors (Alizarin Crimson, Mauve, and Dioxazine Violet) ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse well in water
Re-wet fairly easily
Vibrant colors
Several colors are extremely "inky" with a high proportion of dye present
Fun to paint with thanks to the cute tin and loads of convenience colors, but only use these on watercolor paper or heavier journals and planners (several colors will bleed through a typical 80gsm notebook)
I cannot call these student grade because they don't offer pigment information to help new artists learn how to mix properly

MEI LIANG PRETTY EXCELLENT, 48 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in China
Made by the same company as Paul Rubens
Extruded "half pans" which are not typical size and cannot be moved around within the box
Newer sets have movable half pans, but depending on which seller you purchase from, old stock might still be shipped
Tin is not as nice as the one included in the Mei Liang 36 Half Pan set, and it's a large footprint on your work surface
Excellent color selection for standard colors; shimmer colors are not strong
38% single pigment
50% lightfast (the company is not truthful about the number of fugitive colors included; I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Three colors (Deep Magenta, Fresh Purple, and Deep Violet) ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse well in water
Re-wet fairly easily
Vibrant colors
Many colors are extremely "inky" with a high proportion of dye present
Fun to paint with thanks to the loads of convenience colors, but only use these on watercolor paper or heavier journals and planners (several colors will bleed through a typical 80gsm notebook)
There are too many fugitive colors for this to be a universally useful set; I would not choose these for painting anything to be given as a gift or sold

PAUL RUBENS ARTIST, 48 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in China
Made by the same company as Mei Liang Pretty Excellent
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
Fantastic, sturdy tin with rolled edges
Excellent color selection in the 48 set (I do not recommend the smaller sets as they leave out too many essential colors)
79% single pigment
73% lightfast (the company is not truthful about the number of fugitive colors included; I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
One color (Yellow Green) pings on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse well in water
Re-wet extremely easily
Vibrant colors
Several colors are extremely "inky" with a high proportion of dye present
Satisfying to paint with, but I am frustrated that some of the most useful colors like Permanent Lemon Yellow and Tree Green (Sap Green) are not lightfast

PRANG, SET OF 16 SQUARE PANS

Available on Amazon | Blick
Manufactured in Mexico
Parent company Dixon Ticonderoga based in Florida
Extruded "half pans" in a unique size
White box offers a small mixing area; pans can carefully be moved around within the box but are not interchangeable with other brands
Included brush performs poorly
Decent color selection, but only one earth tone (a very weak brown)
No pigment information
No color names
No idea how lightfast these are (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
One color (I call it "mauve") pings on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse well in water
Re-wet fairly easily
Colors are not particularly vibrant
Reviews from years ago are usually complimentary, but more recent reviews indicate quality may have dropped
I cannot call these student grade because they don't offer pigment information to help new artists learn how to mix properly

PRANG, SET OF 8 OVAL CAKES, WASHABLE

Available on Amazon | Blick
Manufactured in Mexico
Parent company Dixon Ticonderoga based in Florida
Extruded oval pans in a unique size
Clear box offers a no mixing area unless you put white paper behind it; pans cannot be moved around
Included brush performs poorly
Decent color selection, but only one earth tone (a ridiculously weak brown)
No pigment information
No color names
No idea how lightfast these are (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
One color (I call it "orange") pings on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse fairly well in water
Re-wet fairly easily
Colors look washed out; far too faded to be used as a primary set
Most colors are extremely chalky to the point they may rub off on your fingers when dried on the page
Reviews from years ago are usually complimentary, but more recent reviews indicate quality may have dropped
I cannot call these student grade because they don't offer pigment information to help new artists learn how to mix properly

SAKURA KOI, 24 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon | Blick
Manufactured in China
Company is headquartered in Japan
Made by the same company as Holbein
Extruded half pans in a smaller chicklet size
Pans cannot be moved around
Box includes an extra lift-out mixing tray
The set I purchased included a fantastic Sakura water brush
Excellent color selection in the 24 set
No pigment information
No idea whether they are lightfast, though I did my own window test and noted six colors which showed evidence of fading within just a few summer months; (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Two colors (Cadmium Red Hue, Jaune Brilliant) ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse well in water
Very difficult to re-wet; pans dry crumbly
Vibrant colors
Several colors are extremely "inky" with a high proportion of dye present while others are extremely chalky to the point they may rub off on your fingers when dried on the page
I cannot call these student grade because they don't offer pigment information to help new artists learn how to mix properly

SENNELIER L'AQUARELLE AQUA MINI, 8 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon | Blick | Jackson's
Manufactured in France
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
Adorable box similar to an Altoids tin, but no mixing area unless you put a white card behind the lid
Included brush is tiny but performs exceptionally well
Color selection is not conducive to making this your main set as there is no quinacridone rose (or even a cool red), no warm yellow, etc.
38% single pigment
75% lightfast (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse well in water
Re-wet extremely easily
Lovely colors which are often subtle and well-suited for layering
I can't recommend this is an all-in-one useful set since it doesn't have a mixing area or a cool red, but it's a tremendous value for eight half pans of top-of-the-line, artist grade Sennelier watercolors; consider purchasing this as an addition to your collection

VAN GOGH 12+3 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in The Netherlands
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
Box includes thoughtful lift-out mixing tray
Included pocket brush is serviceable for swatching, but you'll want to collect better round brushes for everyday use
Color selection is fantastic, including a nice Quinacridone Rose and Sap Green along with cools and warms of all primaries and helpful earth tones
60% single pigment
93% lightfast (the only color which is possibly not lightfast is Prussian Blue which can shift in any brand)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test
Disperse very well in water but can be prone to cauliflowering
Re-wet extremely easily
Fillers are definitely present, but these are still considered good quality for student grade paints
Can run on the more opaque side when painting in journals and planners, but seem much more transparent on actual watercolor paper
Sometimes color mixes separate when dry; this can be a cool effect if you're looking for whimsy, but it is frustrating when you want an even color
Colors seem subdued compared to most other sets featured here

VAN GOGH 36 HALF PANS

Available on Amazon
Manufactured in The Netherlands
Extruded half pans in a traditional size
High quality tin with rolled edges
Included brush is decent
Color selection is fantastic, including a nice Quinacridone Rose and Sap Green along with cools and warms of all primaries, helpful earth tones, and several really nice convenience colors like Olive Green and Permanent Blue Violet
53% single pigment
94% lightfast (the only colors which are possibly not lightfast are Permanent Orange because of its PO73 and Prussian Blue which can shift in any brand)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Disperse very well in water
Re-wet extremely easily
Fillers are definitely present, but these are still considered high quality for student grade paints
Can run on the more opaque side when painting on journaling notebooks and planners, but seem much more transparent on actual watercolor paper
Colors seem subdued compared to most other sets featured here

WHITE NIGHTS 35 FULL PANS (LAVENDER TIN)

Sometimes available on Amazon | Sometimes available at Etsy
Manufactured by a longstanding company in Russia
Hand poured, filled-to-the-brim, full pans which are easier on brushes
High quality tin with rolled edges
Color selection is fantastic, including a nice Quinacridone Rose and one of my favorite Sap Greens along with cools and warms of all primaries
Helpful earth tones
Especially transparent cool mixing yellow (Aureolin, PY151)
Several really nice convenience colors like Cobalt Turquoise, Quinacridone Violet, and Ultramarine Violet
89% single pigment
89% lightfast (only four colors are possibly not lightfast, and all of them can be mixed using other colors in the set instead)
One color (Orange, PO64) pings on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Stay in place in water; great for illustrators
Re-wet extremely easily
Vibrant, highly pigmented colors
Not "inky" at all
This is my favorite watercolor set of all time

WHITE NIGHTS 36 FULL PANS WHITE BOX

Sometimes available on Amazon | Sometimes available at Etsy
Manufactured by a longstanding company in Russia
Hand poured, filled-to-the-brim, full pans
Proprietary box which will not fit pans from most other brands
Color selection is serviceable but not as strong as the White Nights 35 Full Pans (Lavender Tin)
72% single pigment
69% lightfast (I only use this set for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks)
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test (most likely to fade quickly)
Stay in place in water; great for illustrators
Re-wet extremely easily
Vibrant, highly pigmented colors
Not "inky" at all
I especially like Quinacridone Lilac (PV19), Indanthrene Blue (PB60), Green (PG8, not totally lightfast but gorgeous for painting forests), and Mars Brown (PBr6tr)
This is the older set and therefore more opaque and less lightfast than the far better White Nights 35 Full Pans (Lavender Tin)

YASUTOMO NIJI 12 or 24 HALF PANS

Available at Amazon | Blick
Designed by Yasutomo, a longstanding art supply company based in California
Manufactured in China
58% of the 12 pan set are single-pigment
54% of the 24 pan set are single pigment
100% of the 12 pan set should be lightfast (according to pigment numbers cross-referenced with Kim Crick's problem pigment lists)
about 79-88% of the 24 pan set should be lightfast (according to pigment numbers cross-referenced with Kim Crick's problem pigment lists)
Because these have not been independently tested yet, I only use these sets for my journals, planners, and sketchbooks
Zero colors ping on my UV fluorescent brightener test
Excellent, versatile tin provided; accepts standard-sized pans from other brands
Color selection is excellent overall including a Quin Rose, Sap Green, and Payne's Grey -- but the reds in the 12 half pan set are weak compared to other brands
Re-wet easily
Transparency is prized; very few fillers are used, so your rinse water will go a long way before needing changed
The Niji tins look exactly like those made by Phoenix, and both are probably made in the same factory; Yasutomo opted for more transparent pigments so their sets offer a better color selection
Given the small price difference, I would always prefer the 24 half pan set