Hello painters,

Over the past few weeks I've tested out many palettes to find the best ones for my students.

I look for those that are:

1. inexpensive
2. high quality
3. suitable for both individual and class use
4. easy to purchase (all are available on Amazon)

Here are my findings ranked from lowest to highest in price as well as quality (all product links are my affiliate links):

1) Best Budget - at $9
Ultimate Stationary Watercolor Paint Set, 48 Colors
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/45aCjf6

I've tried several low-cost palettes that felt cheap to look at and paint with; the paints were gooey and had a plastic-like sheen to them. In contrast, this product has more of a matte finish and also has several palette size options (12-color, 16-color, 28-color, etc.), which I appreciate. I recommend the 48-color palette over the others because more colors means more choices, and less time spent mixing paints. I've created several sample paintings with this set so far, and have decided to make it my go-to option for clients working with a small budget.

2) Best Middle-Level - at $17
MozArt Supplies Watercolor Paint Essentials Set, 24 colors

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/45jpCzI

I have used this set to teach my watercolor classes for several years now. The paints are rich with pigment and are therefore vivid in color. Because of that, it also lasts a very long time. They are also highly matte in texture, very similar to gouache.

3) Best "Serious Learner" - at $36
(the following two items combined):

Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint Set, 20 Colors - $26
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4l1eR9U

Mr. Pen Airtight 18-Well Watercolor Palette - $10
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/451yAAf

Paint tube set - This is a fantastic student-grade tube set at a budget. Professional tube sets can cost four times as much. It's a great one to start with.

Palette - This can be purchased individually or in packs of four at a discounted price.

You may have noticed that the tube set has two more colors than the number of wells in the palette - for me and my classes this is fine because I don't use black or white in most of my watercolor paintings. If and when there comes a time to use them, I squeeze small amounts onto the corners of the larger mixing areas.

I hope that this is helpful. Let me know if you try any of these palettes and please feel free to reach out anytime if you have any questions.

Happy painting!

With heart,
Cassie

Best palettes for beginners

Cassie Zhang Arver