How do I choose the best watercolor paints for beginners?

Honestly - Starting with watercolors is such a great idea and especially for unwinding after a long day. It's awesome that you're setting up that little corner in your apartment; natural light makes all the difference when you're painting those vibrant flowers you sketched. For beginners, I'd suggest going with student-grade paints that are decent quality without breaking the bank, and focusing on sets that include the basics so you can jump right in.

One set that stands out for someone just starting out is the Taotree Watercolor Set. It comes with 48 colors that blend nicely and flow well, plus it includes 10 brushes and a palette, which means you don't have to buy extras right away. This makes it super convenient for your small space, and it's affordable while still giving you those bright results you saw in the tutorials.

From my experience, starting simple like this helps build confidence without overwhelming you with too many options. Once you get comfortable, you can always upgrade, but this should get you painting those relaxing scenes in no time.

Hey and that model is a fantastic hobby for chilling out, especially in a cozy spot like your window corner.

When picking paints as a beginner, think about starting with student-grade stuff that's not too pricey but still gives you decent blending and color vibrancy and look for sets with a good mix of colors, maybe around that model to that model, so you can experiment without getting overwhelmed.

Pay attention to how the paints are described in terms of pigments; you want ones that are lightfast, meaning they won't fade quickly.

And check reviews from other newbies to see if they flow well on paper.

I remember when I first started, I went for something simple and it made all the difference in building my skills.

Works great for those flower sketches you're excited about.

Once you've played around a bit,, you'll figure out what you like and can upgrade later.

Have fun with it.

I got into that model after work too and my first purchase was a huge inexpensive assortment. The colors looked exciting at first and but a lot of them felt chalky and turned muddy when mixed. What helped was switching to a smaller student level range with fewer but better pigments. Twelve to twenty four colors is a sweet spot for learning because you can still mix anything while keeping choices manageable. Pans make cleanup easy in a small space and listings that mention strong pigment load, easy rewetting, and transparency tend to deliver that flowing look from tutorials. Skip metallic and neon colors until you are comfortable since they behave differently and can complicate early practice. If you see lightfastness information and specific pigment names, that is a good sign the maker cares about quality.

Oh man, jumping into watercolors at 28 after a stressful job sounds just like me a few years back. I was in the same boat, doodling as a kid and then nothing until I needed a break from work. For choosing paints, focus on affordability first since you're new; don't drop a ton of cash on pro stuff right away.

Go for sets that mention good pigment quality and easy blending, because that's what makes those YouTube tutorials look so magical. Something with a variety of colors helps, but not too many or it'll be confusing. I tried starting with basics and it was perfect, you know, mixing my own shades and learning as I went.

And hey, if it comes with extras like a palette, that's a bonus for your small apartment setup. You'll be painting those relaxing scenes before you know it, trust me.

I'd start with student grade pans so you can focus on learning without worrying about waste... For a compact setup and pans keep things tidy and are easy to store. Small footprint. A set of that model is enough to begin since you can mix most hues from a warm and cool yellow, red, and blue, plus an earth tone and a neutral. When browsing, look for clear pigment info, transparency icons, and lightfastness rated near the top. Those clues usually mean smoother blending, cleaner mixes, and colors that stay vibrant. Tubes can be fun if you want larger washes later, though they need a surface for squeezing and mixing. Aim for paints described as transparent and non chalky so those watery blooms and soft gradients come easily.

Pick transparent, forgiving watercolors that layer well and choose mid range student grade paints with vibrant color, not gummy fillers. Start small with a limited palette to learn faster and build confidence.

Think in terms of a mixing palette rather than a big rainbow. Two yellows two reds two blues that lean warm and cool will cover almost everything, then add one earth color if you crave quick neutrals. With that setup you get clean mixes and fewer surprises, and you learn how your colors granulate or stain. Pans are compact and let you paint in short sessions by the window, tubes feel creamier and stronger out of the gate but they take a bit more surface and planning and suddenly you are juggling puddles. When the box arrives, swatch every color and note which ones lift easily and which make cauliflower blooms when dropped into a wet area. If a color rewets quickly and looks clear in a thin glaze, you are on the right track. Game changer.