Experimenting the Beginner, Intermediate and Professional Levels of Watercolour.

I cheers to the acrylic work in the process... But I couldn't take an
updated picture because my students played the jumping
dinosaur game on my phone till the battery went flat. The rascals...

Hey everyone! How's painting coming along? As for me, I've been busy producing everything colourful on paper recently (and more ideas has been a speechless, endless down pour I kid you not). This time, my students actually asked me what's the difference between cheap watercolour and expensive watercolour brands out there and why the cheap ones always finish so fast compared to the slightly pricier brands. Here's why.

I've been working with a few brands of watercolour and my best pick will always be Alpha Watercolour from Korea and Holbein Watercolour from Japan. 2nd best is Derwent, Daler Rowney for intermediate, and my last best, but great for beginners Pentel watercolour... And very likely Marie's. So let's start with the beginner's brand up to the more professional brands sold out there.

Pentel Watercolour Set

Marie's Watercolour and Pentel Watercolour Set

As far as I have been painting with my students, my students who did and are still using these two brands have complained (and stealing my watercolour afterwards...) about why their watercolour keeps finishing so fast and my watercolour set is so much nicer to use despite already 10 years old.

One reason: the colour quality in these two sets are really mild and low pigmented. When one layer

The artwork one of my students did...
It has decent colours, very subtle and easy.

 is applied, the colour isn't strong and may require more from the tube itself. However, I do recommend these two brands for beginners because they cost waaaaay less than the mid range brands out there, and for those who are just exploring too. You may use the watercolour in a breeze when you've gotten the hang of it, but for starters, these two are great for starters.

You can, however, find it's comparable solo tube from Buncho since I have seen it first hand in ArtFriend Malaysia in case you may need to replace only certain colours that doesn't kill your budget.

Daler Rowney Aquafine

I was intrigued by my cousin; Cheryl when she presented her Daler Rowney watercolour travel set (AND FULL RANGE OF COLOURS!!!) and so we started painting together one day. The price for this brand is surprisingly affordable for its range and can be considered mid to intermediate level due to the colour quality being strong and you only require a small amount at a time to apply to your artwork. I'd give it a 9/10 rating since it is the next best thing to my top favourite brand.

The other best part about this particular travel set, it isn't as messy as my tubes and they do not threaten to explode from pressure. (I had one of my tubes exploding watercolour in all directions before... And it had to be my violet tube. Joy...) You can, if available, purchase the cakes when you have run out of a certain colours or simply purchase tubes and refill, let them dry and start again.

The colour review I requested my cousin to help
me out with since I do not own her watercolour set haha.

Daler Rowney Aquafine travelling
watercolour set.

However, not to bullshit given it's Daler Rowney, the Aquafine range has its solo tube sold in my favourite art shops (I am odd because the first place I will run to in a mall is either the book shop or the art shops) so I don't have to purchase a new set of colours to replace my missing few. They have larger tubes at 15ml too if you tend paint more with certain colours, or you can just settle with the small 8ml tubes if you are satisfied with it.

There is also UMAE, which surprisingly costs waaaaaaay lesser for a bigger tube and ooh la laaa... The colour pigment for this brand is super strong too. However, my luck for its solo tube is limited with only 18 colours available sold and I have yet to find the wider range sets. The price per set is surprisingly affordable or can be considered steep for only 18 colours per set, but it's 15 ml tubes can last you a few good years.

My few UMAE watercolour tubes. I've only purchased
these few tubes since I also needed to replace my finishing
and mostly used colours. They cost half the price of
Daler Rowney Aquafine solo tubes. Surprise...

Now For The Intermediate Pro Range Holbein and Alpha

I've been using Alpha watercolour for a good 4-5 years albeit my watercolour has aged a great 10 years, dusting away in storage after my college days are over. I picked it up again since I started teaching art 5 years ago and ooh! They live!!! One of my best investment for watercolour and I don't regret it. Even my students take my word for it and loves it as much as me. 

So here's the difference why I love Apha Watercolour and Holbein. The colours for Alpha Watercolour are high pigmented albeit can be pricey for beginners, however they do not break the bank for intermediate and professional users on the budget. They last longer since very very little amount is used (and recommended to only squeeze a little at a time and dilute with lots of water.) Only set back I have faced is not a lot of places sells the solo tubes in case you may need to only replace certain finishing colours.

The most recent painting I did
and the quality outcome is fabulous!!

Here is where I've discovered (and was recommended by another fellow painter) Holbein and more ooh la la spews from my lips. The colour is comparable to Alpha watercolour and the best part- they sell a wide colour range in their solo tubes! Oh joy! No more hunting like mad and I was

sold at 3 tubes of the same colour per

purchase albeit the price.

Colour quality comparison for the same Cerulean Blue range between Alpha (from he top), Holbein and Daler Rowney Aquafine, except I have Holbein in Peacock Blue because I was running out of Cerulean blue of an Alpha quality.

 I used a lot of cerulean blue in my artworks and it was sad that I could not replenish with the same brand

so I had to find another alternative however... The colour quality isn't what I preferred working with with other available brands sold out there. When I discovered Holbein, I finally managed to replenish the cerulean blue (but it was with another name with the same quality) and I definitely recommend it.

So now that a huge comparison is made, I'm definitely up for the challenge when it comes to exploring more of the watercolour world and updating more on my Instagram account. I have been bugged to sell my art too since I've been getting tonnes of support (and nagged too) to sell my artwork online. Eventually I have attracted an interested buyer too! Splendid!! Now to work out my.. International payment and such... Oh, what a headache. This is practically new to me. I hope I don't fry my brains by the time I am done with all the needed arrangements. 

My ex-student Haritha did this and I...
have... no... patience like her...

I hope this helps everyone in terms of choosing your first watercolour set to work with, and how much you want to invest in watercolour art. I won't be a salesmen here and proclaim the best brands are the most expensive range because I personally haven't tried them myself. However, I kid you not by personal experience so I hope you will enjoy trying out and come up with your own preference because not any or all brands are suitable to either your budget, interest and skill, or all three in the list.