Selecting a paint manufacturer

Whether you go to the art store or shop online, you can't help but notice that there are a lot of colors to choose from and their characteristics vary by manufacturer.

Since most of us can't afford to buy every color in every brand, nor should we ever aspire to do so, there's a lot to consider when it comes to selecting which colours we want from what manufacturer. I don't believe that there is any right way to do this.  Have a look at the various successful professional watercolorists and you'll note that they all have their own personal preference for paint manufacturer.  However, all agree that it is worth the investment to buy artist quality paint from a reliable manufacturer.

Although the quality and characteristics of watercolour paint will differ between brands, this doesn't mean you can't mix and match. There isn't one brand that is the very best. Some manufacturers will excel at producing certain colors but disappoint with others. It really comes down to personal preference. I encourage you to experiment with different brands and see what strikes you.

Perhaps it's necessary to point out that just because paints from different manufacturers have the same index number it doesn't mean the shades will be identical. Pigment suppliers vary and it can happen that pigments from different sources, although supposedly the same, may well vary. In addition those like PV19 have a number of versions which is reflected in the finished paint. Another factor is how the paints are made by eack maker and what binders and other additives are used. I don't pretend to know the technical details and differences but they do exist.

There are many major manufacturers of watercolour paints (Windsor & Newton, Maimeri Blu; M. Graham, Daniel Smith, American Journey, etc.) around the world.  Selecting the best of breed is not easy and takes time.   Given the price of paint, I expect that many artists don't switch from brand to another enough to make effective comparisons. If you want to read up on the traits of different brands, here are two sources of information:

• http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/pigmt2.html
• The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints.

These resources may seem a bit dated. Does anyone have a reference that would be more recent?

This week's artist find is Mona Omrani:

Have a great week
Danielle