Best Watercolor Sets
Top watercolor sets ranked by transparent trust scores.
8 products ranked
Affiliate Disclosure: PickClarity earns commissions from qualifying purchases through our partner links. Our rankings are editorially independent — they are never influenced by affiliate relationships or commission rates. Learn more about our methodology.
Find the best for your needs:
Top Pick
9.4
Excellent
Winsor & Newton Cotman 24-Pan Set
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
#1
9.4
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #1 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Trusted Winsor & Newton brand
- Trusted Winsor & Newton brand
- Pocket tin with mixing palette
Cons
- Student grade less vibrant than pro
- Student grade less vibrant than pro
- Half pans are small for large washes
Don't buy this if…
- Half pans require patience when loading a wet brush as they produce less pigment per stroke than tube paints.
- Half pans require patience when loading a wet brush as they produce less pigment per stroke than tube paints.
#2
9.2
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #2 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Professional single-pigment formulas
- Professional single-pigment formulas
- Exceptional granulation effects
Cons
- Only 6 colors to start
- Only 6 colors to start
- Small 5mL tubes
Don't buy this if…
- Daniel Smith paints are highly concentrated so use less paint than you think when starting out.
- Daniel Smith paints are highly concentrated so use less paint than you think when starting out.
#3
9.0
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #3 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Water brush included for travel
- Water brush included for travel
- Extremely compact pocket size
Cons
- Water brush flow hard to control
- Water brush flow hard to control
- Pan colors are not professional grade
Don't buy this if…
- The included water brush requires practice as the flow rate is different from traditional watercolor brushes.
- The included water brush requires practice as the flow rate is different from traditional watercolor brushes.
#4
8.7
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #4 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Maximum pigment concentration
- Maximum pigment concentration
- Honey-based binder for smooth rewetting
Cons
- Premium price for 12 colors
- Premium price for 12 colors
- Only 12 half pans in starter set
Don't buy this if…
- Schmincke paints are extremely concentrated and a common beginner mistake is using too much pigment too quickly.
- Schmincke paints are extremely concentrated and a common beginner mistake is using too much pigment too quickly.
#5
8.5
Excellent
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #5 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- 36 colors for wide range
- 36 colors for wide range
- Water brush pen included
Cons
- Some colors chalky when dry
- Some colors chalky when dry
- Pans can crack in cold weather
Don't buy this if…
- Store the tin in a temperate environment as extreme cold can cause the half pans to crack and crumble.
- Store the tin in a temperate environment as extreme cold can cause the half pans to crack and crumble.
#6
8.3
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #6 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Creamy instant rewetting
- Creamy instant rewetting
- Intensely saturated colors
Cons
- More opaque than traditional Western watercolors
- More opaque than traditional Western watercolors
- Pan layout in box is snug
Don't buy this if…
- Gansai Tambi paints are more opaque than Western watercolors and do not layer transparently in the same way.
- Gansai Tambi paints are more opaque than Western watercolors and do not layer transparently in the same way.
#7
8.1
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #7 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- 48 colors including 8 metallic shimmer
- 48 colors including 8 metallic shimmer
- Elegant faux-leather case
Cons
- Metallics can overpower subtle work
- Metallics can overpower subtle work
- Case is bulkier than tin sets
Don't buy this if…
- The metallic shimmer colors contain mica particles that can contaminate non-metallic colors if brushes are not cleaned between uses.
- The metallic shimmer colors contain mica particles that can contaminate non-metallic colors if brushes are not cleaned between uses.
#8
7.9
Good
Consensus
Compare
Ranked #8 based on expert reviews, user sentiment, and value analysis.
Pros
- Generous 10mL tube sizes
- Generous 10mL tube sizes
- Pure transparent pigments
Cons
- Only 12 colors
- Only 12 colors
- Requires a separate palette
Don't buy this if…
- Tube paints require a mixing palette which is not included in this set so purchase one separately.
- Tube paints require a mixing palette which is not included in this set so purchase one separately.
Quick Comparison
How We Rank
Composite trust score from expert reviews, user sentiment, complaint analysis, and value assessment.
Trust Score
Weighted composite of all factor scores
Expert Score
Aggregated expert review ratings
User Sentiment
Community votes and review analysis
Value Score
Price-to-performance ratio
Freshness
Recency of reviews and data
Change Log
Discussion (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your experience!
AI Shopping Assistant
Ask questions about products in this category. Answers are grounded in our evidence data.
Try asking:
Get Alerts
Stay updated when rankings change or prices drop in Watercolor Sets.