Choosing the Right Watercolor Paint
Six factors that matter — grade, format, color count, lightfastness, pigment purity, and budget. Plus the full 36-color name list.
Student, artist, and professional grade
Watercolor comes in three tiers — student, artist, and professional. Student grade has more filler and variable lightfastness; professional grade uses single-pigment formulas with archival ASTM-I ratings; artist grade sits between them with rich pigment and consistent colour at a price hobbyists and developing painters can actually afford.
| Student grade | Artist grade (Chalkola) | Professional grade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pigment load | Lower (more filler) | High (rich, vibrant, true colour) | Highest (single-pigment, max strength) |
| Lightfastness | Variable, often unrated | Rated, suitable for lasting work | ASTM-I archival guaranteed |
| Colours per set | 12–24 | 28 brush pens · 36 or 64 tubes · 48 moist pans | 120+ single-pigment colours |
| Cost | $15–40 for a 24-colour set | $18.95–$39.94 (Chalkola) | $100+ per 12 colours |
| Certifications | Sometimes AP non-toxic | AP non-toxic · water based · washable | AP non-toxic · ASTM D-4236 |
| Best for | Kids' practice, classroom | Adults, hobbyists, lettering, bullet journals, watercolour pads, professional artists | Gallery work, exhibition pieces |
Chalkola is artist grade, not student. Our watercolor paint is richly pigmented and ranks as “artist-grade” or “professional” directly on our Amazon listings — the 64-tube set and the 48 Semi-Moist Professional set both ship artist-grade colour with excellent lightfastness at a fraction of professional tier pricing. See our watercolor paint products for all four kits.
Pan vs. tube
Pans (dry cakes in a tin) are compact, travel-friendly, and never go to waste. Tubes (moist paste) give you more pigment per stroke and are better for large washes.
- Travel or on-location work: pans win.
- Studio or large pieces: tubes win.
- Just starting: pans are cheaper to fail with.
Many working watercolorists own both — a tube set at home, a pocket pan palette in a travel kit.
Color selection: 12, 24, 36, or 48?
You technically need only 6 well-chosen colors to paint anything (two warm primaries, two cool primaries, one earth tone, one dark). But pre-mixed sets save beginners hours of mixing. Recommendations:
- 12 colors: minimal, forces you to mix everything. Slow for beginners.
- 24 colors: a strong starter — every useful color plus basic variations.
- 36 colors: sweet spot for most hobby painters. Enough for specialty mixes without overload.
- 48+ colors: only needed if you're painting very specific subjects (botanicals, portraits) with nuanced palettes.
Chalkola's 36-color set fits most people's needs — plenty of range without overwhelming your mixing options.
Chalkola 36-color watercolor name list
Here's the full color lineup in Chalkola's 36-color watercolor tube set — useful if you're identifying a color from a painting or matching to a reference photo. Names match industry conventions so they translate across brands.
| # | Color name | Family | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lemon Yellow | Yellow | Cool yellow — sunlight, fresh leaves |
| 02 | Cadmium Yellow | Yellow | Warm yellow — sunflowers, skin highlights |
| 03 | Yellow Ochre | Earth | Sand, old stone, warm shadows |
| 04 | Raw Sienna | Earth | Natural earth tones, tree bark |
| 05 | Orange | Orange | Sunsets, autumn leaves |
| 06 | Scarlet Red | Red | Vibrant warm red — flowers, fabric |
| 07 | Cadmium Red | Red | Warm red — apples, classic red |
| 08 | Crimson Red | Red | Cool red — roses, deep crimson |
| 09 | Rose | Pink | Cherry blossoms, pink florals |
| 10 | Purple | Purple | Lavender, deep shadows |
| 11 | Violet | Purple | Violets, sunset clouds |
| 12 | Ultramarine Blue | Blue | Deep warm blue — skies, water |
| 13 | Cobalt Blue | Blue | Clear-sky mid-tone blue |
| 14 | Cerulean Blue | Blue | Pale cool blue — distant mountains |
| 15 | Prussian Blue | Blue | Deep dark blue — night sky, shadows |
| 16 | Phthalo Blue | Blue | Intense cool blue — staining, tropical water |
| 17 | Indigo | Blue | Very dark blue — storm clouds |
| 18 | Sky Blue | Blue | Light sky blue — daytime skies |
| 19 | Turquoise | Blue-Green | Tropical water, jewel tones |
| 20 | Viridian Green | Green | Cool blue-green — deep water, foliage |
| 21 | Sap Green | Green | Natural warm leaf green |
| 22 | Olive Green | Green | Muted yellow-green — dry grass, olives |
| 23 | Emerald Green | Green | Bright pure green — grass, gems |
| 24 | Yellow Green | Green | Spring leaves, fresh growth |
| 25 | Grass Green | Green | Lawn and meadow green |
| 26 | Burnt Sienna | Earth | Warm brown — tree trunks, skin |
| 27 | Raw Umber | Earth | Cool brown — shadows, rock |
| 28 | Burnt Umber | Earth | Dark warm brown — deep shadows |
| 29 | Van Dyke Brown | Earth | Very dark brown — near-black accents |
| 30 | Chocolate | Earth | Warm mid-brown |
| 31 | Sepia | Earth | Warm dark brown for vintage effects |
| 32 | Payne's Grey | Grey | Cool dark grey — shadows without black |
| 33 | Neutral Tint | Grey | Almost-black cool grey |
| 34 | Black | Black | Pure black — use sparingly in watercolor |
| 35 | Chinese White | White | Mixing white for gouache-like effects |
| 36 | Titanium White | White | Opaque white for highlights |
Lightfastness — will it fade?
If a painting is kept out of direct sunlight, student-grade colors hold up for years. In brighter conditions, fugitive pigments (some bright pinks, purples, and greens) can fade within months. Artist-grade colors are rated by ASTM:
- ASTM I — Excellent (lightfast for 100+ years under normal display)
- ASTM II — Very good (50–100 years)
- ASTM III — Fair (will fade within 15–50 years; avoid for archival work)
For work you want to last, filter your color choices by ASTM I or II ratings. Student-grade sets typically don't publish ratings — another reason to upgrade for archival pieces.
Single-pigment vs. hue colors
Artist-grade tubes often list a single pigment (e.g., "PY35" = pyrrol yellow). Mixed student colors may contain multiple pigments. Single-pigment colors mix cleaner — a mixed color mixed with another mixed color turns muddy quickly. For learning color mixing, single-pigment paints teach faster.
Recommended sets by budget
| Budget | Set | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Under $40 | Chalkola 36-color tube set ($37.95) | First-year painters, kids 8+, gift |
| $35–60 | 36 watercolors + 28 brush pens bundle ($34.95) | Mixed-media painters, sketchers, travel |
| $50–70 | 30 acrylic markers + 36 watercolors + 28 brush pens ($56.95) | Mixed-media + traditional painter mega bundle |
| $100+ per 12 tubes | Professional / single-pigment archival | Gallery painters, exhibiting artists |
Free shipping across the USA — all orders, no minimum.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best watercolor for beginners?
Look for an artist-grade student-tier set in the $20–40 range with at least 24 colours, AP non-toxic certification, and decent pigment load (the paint should feel rich and apply opaquely with the right amount of water). Chalkola's 36-colour tube set hits this profile at $37.95 with free USA shipping. The premium / single-pigment archival sets cost 3–5× more and only become worth the price once you start selling or exhibiting work.
Do I need more than 24 colors to start?
No — 24 well-chosen colors give you every mixable hue. 36 colors adds convenience (pre-mixed flesh tones, earth tones, specialty blues) and makes mixing faster. More than 48 is mostly marketing; most painters actively use 15 of them.
Pan or tube for a complete beginner?
Pan. Cheaper, travel-friendly, no palette mess, you can see exactly which color you're picking up. Upgrade to tubes once you're comfortable with water control and want richer washes or larger pieces. Many painters keep both formats in their kit.
Are kids' watercolor sets real watercolor?
Big-box kids' sets typically use watercolor pigment plus extra gum arabic and brighter synthetic dyes — fine for children but they don't teach serious watercolor technique. Move to an adult student-grade set around age 10+ for actual skill building.
What's in the 36 watercolor + 28 brush pen bundle?
Chalkola's bundle ($34.95) pairs our 36-color tube set with 28 watercolor brush pens — two different formats for two different work styles. Great for sketchers who want to combine line-and-wash journaling with traditional watercolor landscape or botanical work.
How do I read a watercolor colour name list?
Colour names are industry conventions that translate across brands. A "Cadmium Red" from Chalkola targets the same hue as any "Cadmium Red" from another brand, though pigment exact shade may differ slightly because every manufacturer mixes its own batches. See our 36-colour table above for the full Chalkola lineup with descriptions.
Tools for your next project
Chalkola favorites — ready to ship.
