Hey everyone, it’s Kate here! I wanted to chat about watercolors – tubes versus pans. These were questions I had when I first started, so I figured I’d make a video to share what I’ve learned. This won’t cover every single thing, but it should give you a good idea of what to choose when you’re starting out with watercolors, or maybe even if you’ve been using them for a while and want to consider other options.
First, let’s talk about consistency. Some tube paints are runnier than others, others might have a toothpaste-like consistency. Pans, on the other hand, are completely dry to the touch. My MozArt Komorebi palette have a glossy look but are dry despite appearances.
Tubes typically come in larger quantities (the ones I currently have are between 8-10ml) and can often fill your pans more than once, depending on your pan size. You can buy pre-made watercolor sets or fill your own pans from tubes. The first palette I ever filled with tube paint was my original set of Royal and Langnickel Essentials, and while they were lower quality than other paints I’ve purchased since, they were great for a beginner like me. They’re still usable after several years, and although the paint is a bit dry and brittle, it still wets beautifully.
One of the biggest advantages of pre-made pan sets is that they’re affordable, especially with a wide range of colors, which is perfect for beginners who want to experiment. However, once you develop your favorites and use them up, you can’t necessarily buy individual pan replacements for some brands. I can’t buy just the individual yellow ochre I love from my MozArt Komorebi set, I would have to buy a whole new palette.
On the other hand, with open stock tubes in other brands, you can buy individual colors, so you’re not stuck repurchasing the entire set if you run out of one specific color. This is a great option for long-term use, especially if you fall in love with watercolors and want to invest in higher-quality paints.
For student grade paints, I really like the Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolors, which allows me to buy individual pans or tubes if a color runs out. I also uses tubes from various brands like Marie’s Master’s and Grumbacher Academy, both of which sell open stock.
Experimenting with both tubes and pans, the dried pan color and the wet tube color look very similar once activated and/or spread with water. You can also vary the concentration of the paint with both by adding more or less water.
However, there are some key differences in how you can use the paint. With tubes, you can access thicker, creamier paint for more textured effects or use a palette knife to directly apply paint. This isn’t really possible with pans due to the limited well space and the paint being solid.
Overall, there’s no right or wrong answer. It depends on your needs and preferences, what you want to experiment with, your budget, and how you prefer to paint. Pan sets are great for beginners or portability, while tubes and single pan options offer more flexibility and color options in the long run. I like having both for different situations!