My Favorite Watercolors

Available at Amazon
Made in China by a company based in Miami, Florida
Student grade
Offered in sets of 24 or 48 half pans in useful, good quality tins of standard size
Tubes are also available, but they are a completely different formulation which crumbled for me when dried in pans; I do not recommend them
No independent lightfast tests are available; based on pigment information about 70% of the colors should be stable; refer to Kim Crick's problem pigment lists to cross-reference and mark an X on your swatch card for colors which might be fugitive
Disperse decently in water
Re-wet easily if spritzed with water before beginning your painting session
Wonderfully pigmented colors which are not "inky" at all
Colors hold true in mixes
Excellent collection of convenience colors
Earth tones are nice -- mostly made with PBr7 which stays cleaner in mixes than PY42 or PR101
Good mix of binder; not prone to bronzing, cauliflowering, chalkiness, or hard edges
Although the tins and packaging are reminiscent of Paul Rubens Artist or Superior, the colors paint out more like a much more economical version of Roman Szmal or White Nights
Important Note: Burnt Sienna and Umber seem to have flip-flopped labels in my sets

Available at Jackson's | Isaro's Website
Made in a small studio in Belgium
Artist quality
I do not have a set, preferring an assortment of individual colors
Isaro watercolors are only available in tubes
Dried nicely in pans with just a bit of shrinking from the sides
Most colors are lightfast; refer to Kim Crick's problem pigment lists to cross-reference your selections (for example, Ultramarine Pink PR259 is rated 8 by Isaro but listed by Kim as a pigment which tends to fade in light washes)
Disperse decently in water
Re-wet remarkably easily
Wonderfully pigmented colors which are not "inky" at all
Colors hold true in mixes
Good mix of binder; not prone to bronzing, cauliflowering, chalkiness, or hard edges
Isaro Yellow Light (PY129) makes an excellent, transparent mixing yellow

Available at Jackson's Art
Made in France
I do not have a set, preferring an assortment of individual colors
Similar to Sennelier; they can seem subtle at first but are made for layering
Limited range of 48 colors, but they are economical compared to other artist-grade brands
Re-wet easily
Available in full pans, half pans, 21ml tubes, and 10ml tubes -- but I always opt for the pans because the tubes have reviews which indicate quality control issues
Many colors are lightfast and transparent; refer to Kim Crick's problem pigment lists to cross-reference your selections
Colors hold true in mixes
Pan versions have a good mix of binder; not prone to bronzing, cauliflowering, chalkiness, or hard edges
Jackson's Yellow Light (PY154) makes an excellent, transparent mixing yellow
Especially strong earth tones (all using PBr7 which stays cleaner in mixes than PY42 or PR101)

Pans available at Blick | Jackson's
Tubes available at Blick | Jackson's
Made in Düsseldorf, Germany by a family-owned company which has been in business since 1881
Today's employees have been with the company for an average of 18 years
Schmincke is dedicated to using renewable resources as raw materials and prioritizes consistency, occupational safety, and environmental protection
I do not have a set, preferring an assortment of individual colors
Available in 5ml tubes, 15 ml tubes, half pans, and full pans
Most colors have accurate lightfast information; refer to Kim Crick's frequently-updated problem pigment lists to cross-reference your selections
Disperse well in water
Tube paints dried perfectly in pans
Re-wet remarkably easily
Wonderfully pigmented colors which are not "inky" at all
Can be prone to a bit of bronzing when used at full masstone
The best way I can describe Schmincke Horadam is to say they almost always do exactly what I ask of them
Note: Schmincke Akademie is the student-grade line and not my preference because colors are more prone to separate in mixes and bronzing is more pronounced

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