Sometimes, I find it very intimidating to use expensive artist-quality paints when I’m just goofing around in my sketchbook, so I’ve been on the lookout for affordable student-grade watercolors that can satisfactorily mimic artist-grade watercolors.
In this review, we’ll take a look at Winsor & Newton Cotman Studio Set.
It comes with all 40 colors available in the line, plus 5 duplicate pans. (The repeat colors were Alizarin Crimson Hue, Ultramarine, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black, and Chinese White.)
PRODUCT:
The paints are great for student-grade. They flow nicely with the water, blend very well, and lift easily. And unlike most inexpensive paints, these are not chalky at all.
They are a bit difficult to activate, so I recommend adding a drop of water to moisten the pans before use. Once dissolved, they are nicely pigmented and surprisingly vibrant.
VALUE:
This set usually sells for $56.99, but you can probably find one at a cheaper price on Amazon. At this price point, each half pan costs around $1.27.
PACKAGING:
The pans were individually wrapped with a thin sheet of plastic and a paper label containing the pigment information. (It’s like opening 45 little presents!) And each pan is labeled! Hooray!
The plastic case appears to be of high quality. It looks very similar to the White Nights plastic case, which has two large mixing areas (one of which is removable), but this set has a spot to put a brush in.
The paints do easily fall out of their pans when new, so I just added a drop of glycerine underneath, and I haven’t had an issue since.
The pans don’t always stay in the case, so I used removable glue dots to temporarily hold the pans in place (although I don’t intend to travel with this large set).
OVERALL:
I think it’s a great watercolor set for a beginner who wants a full range of colors. I just wish the duplicates were different because black and white are not usually used by watercolor artists. I’d rather have Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber repeated.
Jen de Leon 
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