The biggest difference when stepping up to the artist-level paints boils down to a couple of factors: pigmentation in the paint and the ability to last the test of time after being painted, meaning it will still look good as a piece of art long after it is finished. A good set of tube paint offers a good range of colors that come with a medium level of pigmentation. Markham, the creator of Starling, a podcast dedicated to helping artists develop depth in their creative practice, broke down the difference between the levels of pigmentation. If you are a beginner, I would suggest a pan set because it is more economical and will give you a chance to experiment,” she said. “And, you can use them together. You can mix pan paints and tube paints as you build your practice with these materials.

As Markham points out, finding truly rich pigmentation in paints is not always easy and not usually cheap for the companies making the products. Remember, as an artist, it’s essential to keep experimenting and exploring new materials to keep your creativity flowing. So, grab some new art supplies and start creating! Tube paints are better for larger works and more for artists who work in a studio-like setting,” says Markham. “Rewetting tube paint is different than pan paints that are made for that. Using tube paints that have dried on the palette is possible, but it is hard on your brush and will often give you a duller version of the color.”

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Another handy tip from Markham: Rewetting tube paint is not the same as rewetting pan paints. The tube paints begin as a liquid and, when rewetted, are going to show up duller than when they were fresh out of the tube. Rewetting is also not very friendly to your brush. Keep this in mind so you can avoid the frustration of finding this out firsthand.

The student-level tier level of paint is where most people will find the best value for their needs. A typical painter who is trying to express their artistic side through a relaxing practice will want to begin working with a set of watercolor paints. Some sets include a color mixing wheel as an added bonus, but the paints themselves are easy to work with and will show up on paper with the hue and vibrancy you need to really achieve the color that you hope to. If you’re only just starting out, make sure you’re using the appropriate materials. “As you are beginning to explore watercolor painting my suggestion would be to start with student-level products and then once you have a feel for the process move into artist-level,” Markham suggests. “You can mix these products without fear. And as you build your paint collection you may find you like one color from one company and another color better from a different brand. So it is all about personal experimentation.”The better quality versions have a higher concentration of pigment and would be considered artist-level. An artist-level watercolor will have a higher intensity of color, which gives it the ability to create a better range of value in washes. It also is more archival and often has a better lightfastness rating,” Markham said. “Lightfastness refers to how the paint responds with exposure to light and humidity. On tubes of watercolors, many artist level paints will have a rating on the side for lightfastness and you want a very good or excellent rating here if you are investing in artist level paints.” All watercolor paint is non-toxic and easy to clean up, which makes it a great choice for a beginning painter,” says our resident arts and crafts expert Amy Markham, an artist and middle school art teacher. “Yet, it has so many possibilities that any artist can develop a lifelong love affair with the medium.” Creating art through the use of watercolor paints is fun, challenging, easy to try and highly rewarding in many ways. “Many people find the fluidity and transparency of watercolor to be challenging,” says Markham, “But that is also what makes it such a versatile and amazing medium for expression. It asks us to loosen up, be free and allow the flow in our process.”