Watercolour Pans or Tubes?
When shopping for paint, which is better: pans or tubes?
Colours, brands, prices, pan sets, tube sets, individual tubes… with so many choices at the art shop, it can be overwhelming in the beginning! Let’s take some of the confusion out of the first decision you need to make between pans or tubes. Here’s the good news: in the end it doesn’t matter which option you choose and both will work perfectly fine. In fact, I have both pans and tubes in my collection of colours.
If you ever encounter an artist or art teacher that says one is better than other, take that statement with a grain of salt. It really just comes down to personal preference and how you like to work.
Paint Tubes
Pros:
Working fresh from the tube can make it much easier to get your paint ready for your work
It can save you the time it takes to rewet dry paint and build a sizeable puddle of colour
While tubes can seem expensive, a little goes a long way. A single tube of colour, depending on how much you paint, can last you years
Anything you squeeze on to your palette that goes unused can also be left to dry and use the next time you paint. In this way they are no different from pans
Cons:
Paint tubes can be a little messier to work with
It can also be really easy to get paint on the threads of the tube, making them tricky to open in the future
Unless you are a more experienced watercolourist, it can be too easy to use more paint than is necessary
Paint Pans
Pros:
Pans are simply dried watercolours. They can be a neater way to store paints and typically come in sets that have a built in palette for mixing.
Working with paints from a dry state can help you use your paint more efficiently and avoid getting too much paint on your brush.
Cons:
Colours in the pan take a little more time to rewet and the rewetting process can be hard on your good brushes
There are fewer colours available in pans
My advice on where to begin building your paint collection:
If you are completely new to painting with watercolours, I recommend beginning with a set of pans. Starting with a set is an economical way to have a wide range of colours in a more compact form and it gives you a built in mixing palette.
Working with pans can help minimize paint wastage as well. I often tell my students who have purchased a set of tubes to fill a palette and let the paint dry so they can work with the paint in the same way they would with pans for this very reason.
Ideally, get a set that has space for you to add pans of colour in the future. This would allow you enjoy the best of both worlds! I’ve supplemented my own set of pans by purchasing specific tube colours and then filling up empty pans with the new colours. I also let these pans completely dry so that I can use these tube colours the same way I would pan colours. Using a dropper, I rewet the pans of colour and, if necessary, I use an older brush to activate the paint.
Got more questions about watercolour supplies? I’ve got a PDF guide that is chock full of information to help guide you through the isles at the art shop! Trust me, this guide is FULL of information from paint brands, prices, types of paper, brushes, where to shop…answers to all your art supply questions that you would learn in art class or over a lot of trial and error.
Shop my Artist's Guide to Watercolour Supplies - Downloadable PDF
Thank you so much for reading! Happy painting!
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