Today’s question comes from Dawn and she asks:
“You suggest Winsor and Newton wc paints on your post, but I have kids and
little money. 🙂 They took a watercolor class last year, so I was going to get
some paints. I notice that Van Gogh and Grumbacher were pretty inexpensive on
the MisterArt site. Do you have a suggestion on what cheaper brand would be
best? I really appreciate it!”
Do you have any information that may help Dawn? Please leave your response in the comments box below.
Thanks!
If you live in a city that has a Chinatown, you should be able to find a store that sells things like chinese brushes, rice paper etc. I bought a set of watercolors in Vancouver BC chinatown for under $10.00. The downside is that they contain lead which is not a good idea for children to use.
Other than that, go for a set of half pan watercolors (cakes of watercolor) that you just add water too. Dick Blick offers a Winsor & Newton 8 color set for $23.95/us.
http://www.dickblick.com/items/00325-1039/
Hope this helps.
I used the Grumbacher paints for the first couple years I painted. As the tubes ran out I replaced them with higher quality paints. I found the Grumbacher to be a good paint for its price and still have a couple colors of the Grumbacher in my painting tray as the color hasn’t run out yet. Buy the best you can afford to start and down the road if you find this to be a hobby you will stick with you can slowly rotate out for better products.
Hi Dawn,
I too have limited money and found my paints on Ebay for a very good price.
They are student quality, but work fine. It’s all i use, as money is tight.
hope this helps you,
wendy-lou
Hi Dawn,
Good on you for trying to find a way – I too used student quality paints to begin and was happy with them at the time though am not now after 2 years 🙂 – the most important thing is to start – you do not need many colors and pick subjects that you can accomodate with your limited palette. you could even try with just a single color like sepia and do monotones which are fun while you are learning techniques and how to use your brushes etc. The most important thing I think is the paper- buy the best quality you can afford as it makes learning much more rewarding. good luck and I wish you much joy Jeni
Dawn,
I was low on funds when i started painting as well. I did use student grade paints to begin with but found them to be hard and easily dried int he tubes
I would suggest looking for sale, and starting with a limited palate of better quality paints.
Not only will this allow you to use a better grade of paint, but also force you to learn how to mix your own colors. Also painting with a limited pallet can be a good exercise for stretching your creativity.
Good luck, and don’t give up!
Michele
Dawn, I joined a mixed media art group that meets once a week. There is no instructor, we are all now aware of most mediums and our goal is to work together and share our knowledge. I joined with 20 years of oil painting , fell in love with watercolors, and this great group told me not to buy paint or paper but to bring a palette in to next class. They each contributed squirts of paint into the wells and stacks of small watercolor paper. This is our second year and my color palette is in exactly the same order, the stacks of paper got me through the practise stage and one actually got framed and these supportive artists truly shared their talent. Go find a bulletin board and ask for help, library too.
Look at Jerry’s web site. They feature Lukas brand paints. They are German made and are affordable. I’ve not used them, but I’ve heard good things about them. I’m sure they are better than VanGough or Grumbacher. I suggest you get 3 primaries, sap green, burnt umber, and yelow ocher. That is 6 tubes which will last a long time.
By now, you have probably bought your paints using the good advise you received. I teach watercolor classes and feel that you should buy artist quality paints. Student quality have less pigment and more binder and are less expensive because they are less paint pigment, I buy DaVinci paints online from Cheap Joe’s art stuff, ASW, Jerry’s artarama, etc. The 37 ml tubes give more for the money than the 21ml. Just buy three primary colors to start, a true red, a true blue and a true yellow. Later, add warm and cool shades of these primary colors, Alizarin Crimson, Vermillion Red, Phalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Gamboge yellow, Lemon Yellow.
Also, use Arches Watercolor Paper, I use 140# Cold press most often but like the 300# if I can afford it. Arches has a good sizing that allows you to scrub out mistakes withoug tearing the surface of the paper. Hope this helps. Happy Painting
Hi, I buy Cotmans watercolor tubes. They are a student quality and I learned with this brand and it’s fine for me. Good luck with your painting. It’s so good for the soul to develop our talent. We learn with a lot of practice.
Agathe
The two you mentioned are student level paint,
You could go to Lukas a paint that is a bit cheaper, but what you need to know is that you get what you pay for. If your children have develop their artistic talent to a point that is worth investing, then help them find odd jobs in the neighbourhood so they can invest in quality paints that won’t fade with time… which have higher or more pigments in the colour producing strong smooth colours because of the binding agent like honey. I think that if children learn to work a bit for the joy of acquire ring something, they appreciate it more…
Plus you do not need many colours, have them learn how to mix the basic palette, this will improve their knowledge of opaque and transparent colours.
All they need basically is Raw umber, Burnt umber, Ultra marine blue, Viridian, Sap green, Cerulean blue, Cad. Yellow light, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson.
Later they can add Cad Red, Prussian blue, Cobalt blue, Sepia and a rose colour like rose madder or Carmine rose, but start with the basic.
The kids can learn to share the paint all they need is a bit on a palette and when they run out of a certain colour then they can add more… watercolour does go a long way. You do not through away what is left on the plate you seal it and store it then rewet the paint when you want to use it and enjoy, unlike acrylic or oil that dies up and cannot be reused.
Hope this helps,
Lise King