Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Paint Set, Lightweight Metal Box, 24 Half Pan

Just started to learn watercolor painting. There are less expensive paints, but I have found that these are just a consistent go to for consistent pigments and just overall quality..

This is a set of 24 half pans of W/N professional (NOT Cotman) watercolors in a black tin, sometimes marketed as a travel set. The pigments are just about as good as they get-transparent, rich and easily activated. Few tins include ideal color selections beyond the basic warm and cool hues. This one is close to ideal and includes 7 neutrals, including both yellow ochre and raw Sienna, a sepia, and ivory. Highlights are Permanent Rose, Permanent Magenta, Winsor violet, Indanthrene blue and Hookers green. This set includes both traditional and contemporary colors such as phtalo blue and phtalo green. I added a few other pans of convenience colors in between the packaged rows. During the 18 months since I first bought this kit, I have tried many other brands of professional watercolors in both tubes and pans. I keep coming back to this palette because it is a great combination of mixing colors and convenience favorites, and the quality is really outstanding. The price is less than professional pan sets by other companies that I found to be less satisfactory than these, in terms of both performance and color range. Also-there is nothing wrong with the tin. When you buy any brand of these sets, one has to arrange and secure the half-pans by pinching together the sides of the metal brackets to hold them securely in place. I ordered a second set on Feb 8, 2023 and the order was cancelled by the seller after more than a month. Seller did not respond to inquiries sent through Amazon messages, but Amazon re-ordered for me. It was worth the wait-I'm very pleased with these paints and recommend them highly. Edit 8/2/2025: Saw this set at a local discount art supply store yesterday for $195

Great paint set. These are quality paints.

I’ve been looking to add this set to my collection for a while now, and given that it retails for $189 ($113 at Blick), I wasn’t in a hurry. I happened to see that this set was listed for $65 here but held off due to all of the reviews alleging that these were actually Cotman sets sold as Professional. One of the other sellers on Amazon was listing them for $80 and had 100% positive reviews, so I took the chance and ordered a set. I received a 24-half-pan set of Professional watercolors packaged in the original box and tin with the paper wrappings intact. All colors were as listed without substitutions; this set is exactly the same as the one sold on Blick. Each pan appears as a Professional pan should and the information printed on the side is accurate. I have no concerns that these are not Professional pans, but I have no doubt that there is or was a seller passing off Cotmans as Professional. As for the watercolors themselves, they are easy to activate, heavily pigmented, and appropriately lightfast. I wish Winsor & Newton would hand-pour their Professional half pans instead of extruding them, but it doesn’t affect the quality or experience too much as long as you are okay with the bricks wiggling around or falling out from time to time. The colors in this set are great for a serious beginner or a professional looking to consolidate (this is going to be my travel set since I don’t enjoy lugging around all 80 Schmincke half pans everywhere, as wonderful as they are). I chose to supplement this set with Chinese White, Winsor Blue (Red Shade), and Scarlet Lake to encompass the 3- and 6-color systems that Winsor & Newton outlines for their Professional watercolors. These fit nicely within the same tin and still allow room for a full-size brush. If these have been on your wish list, snag them while the price is this good—you can always return and report if you happen to receive a set of Cotmans. I’m thrilled that I took the risk!

This is a well designed palette. I has plenty of wells for mixing, and a lift out set of colors which has a thumb holder below. The paints are the professional ones. I like how the colors are shown on the outside of the box, for reference to the actual paints, although the color names are printed on the sides of the individual removable holders. I think it is a bit pricey though.

wife says she likes them. that makes me happy

I really like the paints. Getting tired of the pans however. There are a few colors that are tough to get much, time consuming. The product itself the transparency the true color, very nice. The metal box isn't as (for lack of a better word) stable or solid. It kind of rocks and is easily disturbed. The pans fit awkwardly. Sounds like a bad review but it is not. They were my first pro paint set. They were perfect in that and a wonderful gift. I would give it to a intermediate painter like myself The variety is perfect, and I really like that the names are printed on the side of each individual pan.

Wonderful lightfastness and portable. All the colors and bright and intense so I forsee this palette lasting me about 3 yrs and I use it almost daily!!! I'm trying to find empty pan just like it so I can build my own pallet!! THANKS W&N!!!

Todo me llego bien, no soy una artista de acuarelas profesional, pero aun así noto la diferencia de calidad con otras acuarelas que he probado. Se mezclan muy bien y son muy pigmentadas. Disfruto mucho usándolas.

Der Aquarellkasten ist gut verpackt und zum versprochenen Zeitpunkt angeliefert worden. Die Ware war wie beschrieben, die Farben sind kräftig und gut zu vermalen. Die einzelnen Töpfchen waren separat verpackt, aber das ist normal und schützt die Farben beim Transport. Auf der Rückseite der Verpackung sind die einzelnen Farben nochmals beschrieben, was hilfreich für eine etwaige Nachbestellung ist.

Saw the older reviews about this being a scam and the pans being replaced with cotman, tin broken etc, but decided to take a gamble and purchase anyways. I had absolutely no problems! Arrived fast and the tin is in great condition, the watercolors were all professional grade and nothing is broken.

I love this product and have purchased it more than once. Top rated watercolours by a reputable brand that give quality results I am only sad to see that price for Australian customers has more than doubled over the last few months. The current price is double that of the price I paid to purchase - I would buy this W&N product again however only at the original discount price that I bought it in April 2025. Prices in Nov 25 are 50% more inflated and not accessible to most people - if they go on sale again I will then purchase again. For now I will enjoy the set I purchased in April.

Winsor Newton professional watercolor is one of the best brands out there and it’s definitely worth getting! I usually go for their tubes but needed to have a larger set like this one!