Student Grade Watercolor Paints

At Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff we often get this watercolor art supply question… “What is the difference between student grade and professional grade watercolors? The answer is actually easier than you think. Watercolor paints are a basic emulsion of pigment suspended in a binder. Pigments are usually some sort of dry ingredient that gives the paint its color. Binders are things like glycerine, gum arabic and even honey. These pigments are ground into fine powders and are then milled with the binder. With a student grade watercolor paint you will find a little less pigment and a little more binder than you would find in a comparable color of professional paint.

What does knowing this information mean to your watercolor painting? It simply means that, for not too much money, you get watercolor paints that are of higher quality than even the old masters used. However, since student grade watercolors do have lower ratios of pigment to binder than professional grade colors, you will find that your paint is less intense in color when it comes out of the tube. Also, in student watercolors you will see colors that are called “hues”. A hue is a word that is used to let you know that specific paints are different in some way. For instance, in Winsor Newton’s Cotman Watercolour line, Cobalt Blue and Cobalt Blue Hue are going to be different. The “hue” lets you know that there is some pigment that has been substituted in the formulation to keep the price down. The other important fact to keep in mind is that there is little to no difference in the transparency of student grade watercolors and professional grade watercolors. Since essentially the same pigments are used, just smaller proportions the transparent properties of the paints are the same.

The good news is that if you are a beginner to watercolor you will be hard pressed to notice the difference between the two grades. Some professionals even find instances where student grade watercolors work better for what they are trying to create. So, save some money while you are learning and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Student grade watercolor paints are great!

Here is a tip for aspiring artists out there! Find especially great deals when you are expanding your watercolor art supply by purchasing a watercolor paint set. Sets usually have wonderful assortments for beginners at a great price!