I know someone who inherited a lot of watercolor paints from her grandmother. The tubes were all dried up, but after getting it out of the tubes, they were all still usable. And, a few years back they found 2000 year old watercolor paint in Egypt, and it was also still usable :) Edit: When chosing paints, I like to buy tubes from different brands, mostly by if they are translucent and with only one pigment. That is because the more different pigments are in the paint, the more chance you get of merky or dull colors when mixing them. All brands can be used together no problem, so I go for the colors I like best from every (artist) brand and the ones I use the most.
I am fairly new to watercolor and have been using pans due to fear of trying tubes. You answered every question I have! Thank you for this video, I think I have the courage to buy some tubes, and save some money (well probably not initially 😉😂)!
I prefer tubes of paint also but I fill *wells* instead of half or full pans. I like big brushes so wells are a better option but also, slanted wells gives the option to mix large amounts of paint right in the well! I pour my paint at the top of the well leaving the bottom, deeper part free of paint. Once dried i can add water to the bottom of the well and get a light wash or grabbing more paint with my brush for more pigment. I love well palettes.
Another very interesting one thank you !i need to check these wells out, it sounds like something I would use. Wouldn't it be very roomy though when you have many tubes ?
Thank you so much! I am trying to learn from tutorials and online lessons. The question of how to use the paint in a tube was so basic that I was stopped before I even began. Thank you for sharing your experiences and backing it up with facts from various sources. I appreciate your help!
This was super helpful, I’m a beginner and I’ve been using koi pans as my starter paints (they’re a step up from the circle pans you get from the dollar store) and someone saw I used koi and gifted me koi tubes, but they’re super intimidating when you’re so used to pans and know very little about the used and care of tube paints.
Informative video. I prefect tubes and squeeze it into my pan and then refill it whenever it's empty. 😊 I don't paint large so I hardly get chance to use paint directly from tube .
My preference for tube paint are all the honey brands: M Graham, Sennelier, Schmincke, and Mijello Mission Gold (pure pigments paints.) I’m not sure if Schmincke adds honey but the rewet very well although they don’t remain moist like the other 3 brands and that’s exactly why I like them. I never have to struggle and dig at my paints to get pigment, nor do I have to pre activate them with water to get them going, they’re always ready to go when I am.
This is very interesting feedback, thank you! I don't use Mijello I didnt know they were this good ! For M Graham I heard they’re excellent I would love to try them !
Hi , thanks for the very informative , and interesting video, it's been a big help to me. I've recently returned to watercolours after probably 30 yrs, so I'm learning all over again, lol. And to answer your question on using old paint, I can say my W &N cottman pans look perfect, and are painting just as good as I remember them. Some of my pans need a top up, so I'll be using tube paint after watching this video. Many thanks, stay safe, best wishe's, Stuart Uk.
The reason I prefer tube-dried 'pans' (i.e. palette wells) rather than pans is because store bought pans are too expensive (1000+ in my country's currency for a set of 12 half-pans in student grade compared to a little over 300 for a set of 12 tubes, 5 ml artists grade + 250 for a 20-welled foldable palette). I prefer to dry my paints because I run out of paint so quickly when I use it straight from the tube. Plus, it's less of a hassle to travel with. As for gently squeezing the sides of the tube to suck back the little excess paint, I can guarantee it works as long as it's not TOO much paint (it's not impossible but it's messy for too much paint). And it works not just for paints but toothpaste, moisturizers and anything else that's in a tube.
Excellent video! But I'm still confused as to whether you get the same effect, once the tube paint dries in the pan. Is it different from when it's freshly squeezed, or does it behave like pan paints once it dries?
