Tube paint VS Pan Paint
I get asked this question often when I’m painting in public, so let me give you the lowdown on the different options.
Prima pan paint in Currents
This might not be a common opinion, but I really don’t have a strong preference for one or the other. There are pros and cons for both.
Remember when you were a kid, and you went to art class and your teacher gave you some crisp white paper and a brush to wield you and opened that big, bright tray of Crayola colors? That’s watercolor pan paint. While the smooth, bright primary Crayola colors are what we all typically tend to think of, we also have some “grown-up” choices available to us.
Prima shimmer pan paint
Pros of pan paints:
They come already neatly packaged.
Pan paints often showcase fun and unusual colors.
Cons:
Sometimes they can be a little “chalky” in texture.
I find they are not always as pigmented as I would like.
Windsor & Newton and Daniel Smith tube paint on a handmade ceramic palette
Tube paints are exactly what they sound like: little metal tubes of concentrated liquid watercolor pigment. There are several ways to use it such as squeezing your desired amount of pigment onto a palette (preferably ceramic) and using “straight from the tube” while the paint is still wet.
The way I most often use them, however, is to buy an empty metal palette and pans and squeeze the paint (kinda haphazardly, I don’t bother trying to smooth the paint out like some do, but I do write the paint colors on the side of the pans in case I forget) into the empty pans. You then allow them to dry and voila! You have your own custom set of paints colors that are easily reconstituted with water.
Custom watercolor tube paint in a metal travel palette
Pros of tube paint:
Straight from the tube, they are more pigmented and saturated.
Usually sold in a larger quantity per color.
You can create custom palettes.
The color names can be written on the pans to help keep track.
Close up of filled watercolor pans
Cons:
Does not come in a neat little package like most pan paints. There is a little prep required.
Can be pricier if you are using professional level pigments.
So, I love pan paints for the uniquely curated color sets options and tube paints for the saturation, pigment, and the ability to customize my palette. Whichever you choose, the important thing is to just do it. Don’t let fear of the blank page keep you from creating, there is no wrong way to do it.
Happy painting!
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