10 Best Watercolour Paints UK 2024

The top advantage of these lovely Faber-Castell watercolours has to be the vast range of colours. Team that with the fact you'll have all 48 of your colours in one place, with even a squeezy water brush, a sponge and lots of mixing space built-in, and we think you're onto a winner. These award-winning watercolours also blend perfectly.

We also love the interesting range of pre-mixed colours; there are rich and earthy tones, sweeter pastels and jewel tones alongside your staple black and whites. Such a carefully-curated range really allows you to create subtle, natural and realistic pieces of art. The price, volume of colours and additional tools make this our perfect pick.

For the artist in your life, you cannot go far wrong with this charming watercolour gift set. Derwent is a renowned name in art supplies and specifically watercolour painting. This box contains twelve tubes of the highest calibre, heavy-pigment paints that can be blended blissfully and work well on even the poorest quality paper. 

Included in the pack are four natural brushes which allow you to paint in different width brushstrokes. There's also a mini palette with six deep sections, well-spaced to avoid accidentally blurring one new shade into another. Presented in a wooden box, this watercolour set is a joyful and good-value gift to a friend or yourself. 

Now to bring out the big guns. Choose this colossal collection if you want to go wild with colour and have ambitious painting projects in mind. The pigment is good quality, but the price is totally unintimidating. There are enough shades not to require over-the-top mixing, but the blending options are great too.

The shades have quite a light, bright, quality and err on the more pastel side, while the high pigment in the paint reduces the risk of fading. With three soft, silky paintbrushes providing variety in terms of painting techniques, this is a really wonderful and all-encompassing set which we think is splendid value for money!

Pick these terrific tubes if you want a big set of bold colours and are willing to pay a little more for a refined class of paint. Remember, sometimes it really does make a difference to the overall result! Though the specs (24 x 12 ml tubes) are the same as product number 7, most reviewers name the superior quality of Arteza paints, especially on the right kind of paper.

You will need to pick up a palette and brushes separately, but the extra effort is worthwhile since these paints come in a range of subtle, carefully mixed shades. A tiny dot goes a very long way here and reviews glow with enthusiasm for the long-lasting quality of the paints and sophistication of the colours when mixed together. 

The kaleidoscope of colours you can mix with this stunning paint range is second to none. Who would have known just six basic shades could achieve a whole rainbow? These paints are ideal for advanced watercolourists who know their stuff and get a thrill from mixing and taking colour risks. The quality is fantastic and the highly-pigmented paints last brilliantly.

While we adore these paints, they're quite an investment, and we do recommend them to experienced colour mixers. For newer artists, we suggest finding a Daniel Smith colour mixing chart to support the process. Beloved by those in the know and for good reason, these paints sit effortlessly on paper and blend beautifully. 

A great kit for budding watercolour lovers or old-hands, this little palette is a big hit on the paint charts. Winsor and Newton are the absolute dons of the watercolour world and the paint quality here is exceptional; really very minimal quantities are needed to create dreamy sweeps of colour. 

The set is lovely and compact too, so it's ideal to stow in your backpack for when inspiration strikes on-the-go. The mini brush is very small, meaning if you have grander projects in mind, you'll need to find a bigger one. There's not a world of mixing space in the lid, so be aware of that if you decide to buy. 

What we think you're going to love about this paint tube set is the boldness and intense pigment of the paints, especially considering the friendly price tag. Royal and Langnickel is among the top arts materials brands you can buy in the UK, known for their high-end products and thoughtfully designed tools. This set is no exception.

A small drawback of this product is the lack of brushes and mixing palette, and – as with all tubes – the potential to lose a particular colour or for paints to dry out. Take good care of this set, however, and it's an affordable, effective tool with which even beginners can learn their craft and thrive.

If you want to experiment with the amount of water you blend with your paint, try these effective brush pens. Perhaps you're new to watercolours and like the idea of a pen as it's something you're used to; there is a certain knack to squeezing out water at just the right moment, but once you've nailed it, these paints are very effective.

With 28 rather gorgeous and subtle shades, you can create elegant lines and exquisite detail. Mixing will have to be done in a separate palette, but the colour variety is already pretty sophisticated so you might leave that process down to a few natural leaks or layers once you've put paint to paper. 

This palette of paint is another ideal option for beginners hoping to experiment with the joy of watercolours and avoid over-spending. The range of reds and blues is impressive, and while there are just two shades of green, endless more can be mixed up in the compartments of the tin lid. 

This set comes with a slim, good quality watercolour brush, which has a very fine tip, so is best suited to small, detailed scenes. The biggest perk of these paints is that they're all together in one place and the pigment is top quality, meaning only a little is needed on your brush. 

A good shout for a tighter budget, this craft kit is perfect for beginners wanting to try out watercolour painting. It comes with 12 half pans of essential colours, 9 watercolour sheets, 2 brushes, 1 pencil, and 1 eraser - everything you need to get started.

On the downside, while it has everything you need, you may want to purchase a carrying case if you plan on taking this kit around so that you won't lose any of the pieces. With only 12 colours available, you'll also be limited to painting smaller portraits.