Watercolour paint comes in two main formats that serve different working habits. Tubes contain a wet, concentrated paint: a small amount is squeezed onto a palette, diluted with water, and quickly produces large quantities of colour, which is especially useful for covering broad areas or preparing generous mixes. Pans contain a dry or semi-moist paint that is reactivated with a wet brush: their compact format makes them ideal for outdoor work, plein air sessions, and shorter setups without preparation time. The choice between student and professional watercolour comes down largely to pigment concentration: professional formulas offer higher saturation, better lightfastness, and more predictable behaviour when diluted, which makes it easier to control washes and gradients. Colours made from transparent pigments, such as quinacridones or phthalocyanines, produce luminous washes because they allow the white of the paper to show through, while opaque or semi-opaque pigments provide more coverage and interact differently in mixes. Also explore our selections of watercolour tubes, watercolour pans, student watercolour and professional watercolour.
