Top 6 compared
The best watercolour paint sets
A tin of paints, a brush and a pad: one of the most relaxing hobbies there is, and easy to start.
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The top 6 at a glance
Most watercolour sets hold small blocks of dry paint, called pans, that soften with a wet brush; the colour is thinned with water and painted onto paper. Pans are the easy way in, as they last well and travel in a pocket or bag. Sets run from artist brands’ tins to big boxes of bright, metallic and fluorescent shades.
Most sets here have somewhere to mix colours, whether a tray, a palette in the lid or a sheet that doubles as one. Brushes vary more: some sets come with water brushes, which hold water in a hollow handle, some with ordinary brushes and some with none. Watercolour paper, heavier than drawing paper, keeps a wet painting from buckling.
What matters
- Plenty of classic mixing colours, not just metallics.
- A fine-pointed brush, if you’ll paint detail or lettering.
- A tin or box that shuts firmly, for a bag or pocket.
#1Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolour Set (24 colours)
£30–£50
- Pans larger than half pans
- Shows on coloured paper
- Colour chart to swatch
- No brush included
Twenty-four Gansai Tambi colours in pans much larger than the usual half pans, so a big brush picks up colour easily for wide washes. The paint is smooth rather than grainy, dries with a slight sheen and doesn’t leave hard edges, which makes even, flat washes easier.
What owners say: Owners describe the pigments as rich, fine and creamy and easy to work with, and single out the generous pans and how good the colours look on the page.
A closer look: Gansai colours are more opaque than most watercolours, so they also show up on toned or coloured paper. Swatch every colour on the chart before the first painting: dry pans can look quite different from the paint. Lay the protective sheet back over the pans after use to stop them shifting in the box.
Best for: Painters who use big brushes
- Colours
- 24
- Brushes included
- None
- Mixing palette
- Mixing sheet
- Metallic shades
- No
#2Grabie 50-Colour Watercolour Set with Brushes
£10–£20
- Six brushes, 3/0 to 3
- 50 colours
- Metal carry case
Comes with six proper fine-pointed brushes rather than the usual water pens, plus a mixing tray in a sturdy metal case, which makes it the starter kit here for detailed work.
What owners say: Owners like the choice of colours and the neat, well-designed case, find it compact and handy to use, and rate it highly as a first set for beginners.
A closer look: Rinse the brushes in clean water after each session, reshape the tips with your fingers and store them flat or bristles up so the points keep their shape. Wash the mixing tray before the colours dry on it, so the next painting starts clean.
Best for: Fine detail work
- Colours
- 50
- Brushes included
- 6 brushes
- Mixing palette
- Yes
- Metallic shades
- No
#3ARTISTRO 50-Colour Watercolour Paint Set
£20–£30
- Meets EN71 toy standard
- 50 colours
- Water brush pen included
Fifty colours in a slim, lightweight case with a built-in mixing palette, plus a water brush pen, a sponge and a swatch sheet, so only paper is needed before the first painting. The non-toxic paints meet the EN71 toy standard, so it suits children too.
What owners say: Owners like the colour range and that everything needed comes in one compact box with a water brush pen. They find it suits beginners and more practised painters, and travels well.
A closer look: A gentle squeeze of the water brush pen wets the paint without a jar of water, handy on a train or a park bench. Start with a light wash and build colour in layers, letting each one dry first. The sponge lifts off a mistake or softens a hard edge while the paint is still damp.
Best for: Child-safe paints
- Colours
- 50
- Brushes included
- Water brush pen
- Mixing palette
- Yes
- Metallic shades
- –
#4Artecho 100-Colour Watercolour Paint Set
£10–£20
- 100 colours, 51 classic shades
- 35 metallic shades
- Water brush and nylon brush
A hundred shades, including 35 metallics, 4 fluorescents and 10 soft pastel colours, for journaling, lettering and card-making sparkle. The metal case also holds a water brush pen, a nylon brush, a pencil, a colour chart and two sheets of watercolour paper to start on.
What owners say: Owners find the colours rich and vibrant, and like that the box is compact enough for a bag and copes with all sorts of projects.
A closer look: With 51 classic colours plus the metallics, it’s more of a lettering, journaling and card-making set than a landscape painter’s palette. More water gives soft, transparent washes and less gives strong colour, and the metallics shine on dark card.
Best for: Metallics
- Colours
- 100
- Brushes included
- Water brush + nylon brush
- Mixing palette
- –
- Metallic shades
- Yes
#5Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers’ Pocket Set (12 half pans)
£28.40 RRP
- Lightfastness rated AA and A
- Pocket-sized 13cm box
- Travel brush included
Twelve Cotman half pans, a travel brush and a built-in mixing palette in a box about 13cm long, small enough for a jacket pocket: everything needed for a quick sketch on a walk, at the beach or in a café.
What owners say: Owners find the colours highly pigmented and easy to mix into more shades, and like how easily it slips into a pocket, though some find the box much smaller than they expected.
A closer look: Pair it with a small bottle of water and a block of postcard-sized watercolour paper, which stays flat when wet. The twelve colours include Chinese White and three earth colours, enough for skies, fields and stone. Let the palette dry before closing the lid, or the colours run together.
Best for: Fitting in a pocket
- Colours
- 12 half pans
- Brushes included
- Travel brush
- Mixing palette
- Yes
- Metallic shades
- No
#6Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Complete Travel Tin (24 half pans)
£70.70 RRP
- Pans replaceable one by one
- Hinged mixing flap
- Thumb ring to hold it
- No brush included
Winsor & Newton was granted its first Royal Warrant in 1841, and this travel tin holds 24 half pans of its Cotman watercolours, bright and transparent, with a palette in the lid and a hinged flap for mixing.
What owners say: Owners rate the quality and the vibrant colours and find it easy to use, starting out or more experienced, though some report the pans coming loose from the tin.
A closer look: Half pans can be replaced one at a time when a favourite colour runs low, rather than buying a whole new set. Put a drop of clean water on each pan a minute before painting to soften it. The thumb ring in the base lets you hold the open tin like a palette while painting standing up.
Best for: Painters who mix their own colours
- Colours
- 24 half pans
- Brushes included
- None (space for one)
- Mixing palette
- Yes
- Metallic shades
- No
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Kuretake Gansai Tambi 24 | #2Grabie 50 Colour | #3ARTISTRO 50 Colour | #4Artecho 100 | #5Winsor & Newton Pocket Set | #6Winsor & Newton Travel Tin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.3 |
| Price | £30–£50 | £10–£20 | £20–£30 | £10–£20 | £28.40 RRP | £70.70 RRP |
| Colours | 24 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 12 half pans | 24 half pans |
| Brushes included | None | 6 brushes | Water brush pen | Water brush + nylon brush | Travel brush | None (space for one) |
| Mixing palette | Mixing sheet | Yes | Yes | – | Yes | Yes |
| Metallic shades | No | No | – | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | Painters who use big brushes | Fine detail work | Child-safe paints | Metallics | Fitting in a pocket | Painters who mix their own colours |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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