Top 10 Beautiful and Famous Watercolor Brands Worldwide

Neva Palette, also known as Nevskaya Palitra, is a Russian brand with over 85 years of experience in producing high-quality products for both professional and amateur artists. The company specializes in watercolors, oil paints, acrylics, gouache, and other artistic materials, all produced in a dedicated facility using advanced, professional techniques.

Since its founding, Neva Palette has forged close connections with prominent artists from Russia and abroad. This is based on expert evaluations, market trends, and continuous innovation in production technology. Today, Neva Palette is recognized as one of the world’s most famous watercolor brands, boasting impressive figures such as 500,000 tubes of paint sold annually by their global partners, availability in over 74 countries, and an annual growth rate of 15%.

Many of Neva Palette’s products are used to restore works of art in museums, galleries, churches, palaces, and other historical landmarks in Russia. The company also actively participates in the development of the arts, supporting creativity and organizing numerous related events. Their products are exported to countries across Europe, the Americas, and many other parts of the world. With a focus on safety and affordable pricing, Neva Palette has become a trusted brand for artists worldwide.

Holbein Artist Materials is one of the largest producers of artist materials in the world. With over 40 subsidiaries and affiliated companies, Holbein manufactures everything from framing materials to felt fabrics, metal accessories, fine porcelain, paper products, and printing presses. Holbein uses the highest quality pigments available and achieves the highest standards of quality control in the industry, crafting materials to precise specifications.

Holbein is known for its unique characteristics that set its products apart from other competing brands. Each product line from Holbein Artist is meticulously tailored to meet the specific demands of professional artists. Holbein Artist is considered one of the most irreplaceable brands for painters.

Holbein Artist Watercolors are imported directly from Japan, a country with a centuries-old tradition of fine watercolors. For over a century, Holbein's research department has refined and perfected a full range of artist-grade watercolor palettes. Not only do they meet the highest global standards for lightfastness, but they also maintain their vividness and clarity over time. In addition to the standard pigments used in European art, Holbein's collection features brilliant hues that cannot be found in other watercolor brands. Holbein avoids adding oxgall or any solvents that might degrade brush quality. This is an essential feature in traditional Japanese painting, where brush quality is paramount. Holbein Watercolors are an excellent choice for artworks that require fine detail and exceptional quality.

ShinHan is a renowned South Korean art brand, committed to inspiring creativity while offering high-quality products globally. With over 48 years of experience, ShinHanArt has become a well-known name in South Korea, exporting to 32 countries worldwide. Famous for its quality, ShinHan is used by artists in various fields, constantly innovating and inspiring creativity with its range of safe, high-quality art materials. The brand is particularly known for its watercolors, oil paints, markers, and more.

The ShinHan watercolors offer remarkable transparency and vibrancy. Brushstrokes with ShinHan watercolors do not leave harsh edges, ensuring smooth, fluid application. Made with top-quality pigments and premium Arabic gum, ShinHan watercolors provide the superior transparency and lightfastness that artists desire. With a palette of 84 carefully curated colors, ShinHan offers vibrant hues that allow artists to fully express their creativity.

The PWC line includes three product ranges: PWC Extra Fine Watercolors, ShinHan Professional Watercolors, and SHAMI Watercolors. ShinHan's watercolors possess all the qualities that make them a popular, globally recognized brand. Positioned in the mid-range segment, ShinHan watercolors use quality pigments and gum arabic to create vivid, lively colors with excellent adhesion and color retention. The balance between quality and price makes these watercolors a perfect choice for students and beginners seeking reliable, high-quality paints.

Mijello is one of the oldest and largest art supply manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1853 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Martin F. Weber Co., Mijello has been providing artists with high-quality materials for over a century. The company has also supported numerous art education programs, collaborating with renowned artists such as Jon Gnagy, Bob Ross, and Susan Scheewe. One of Mijello’s most prominent figures is Minjin Seo, a talented Korean artist and CEO, who introduced innovative color mixing techniques to the company. In 2012, Mijello introduced its Mission Gold Watercolors to the U.S. and Korean markets, a line that represents a significant breakthrough in the company’s history. Each color is handmade using the finest pigments from around the world, combined with a binder in a perfect ratio, which Mijello calls the 'Golden Ratio'. The paint is then aged in traditional Korean ceramic pots, accompanied by classical music, to achieve superior quality with vibrant hues, excellent opacity, and smooth flow.

Mission Gold Watercolors are the first in the world to be made without any thickening agents. Typically, silicon dioxide is used as a binder in watercolor production, but this can affect the paint's transparency and cause grainy texture. Mijello’s researchers developed a unique process that creates naturally thickened paint, free from any artificial binders, achieving the desired transparency and vibrancy, even when mixed with other Mission Gold colors. The pigment in Mijello watercolors is highly concentrated, meaning only a small amount is needed to achieve rich, vibrant color. This concentration allows artists to use the paint freely without worrying about wastage.

Mijello’s reputation for high pigment density makes their paints exceptionally bright and vivid. While transparent colors are more popular, some artists prefer the bold, opaque consistency that Mijello offers. Its intense color saturation allows for the creation of darker tones, which can be deepened by adding a bit of black. Despite the richness of the colors, Mission Gold Watercolors remain clear and don’t appear muddy. Made with natural binders, the paint retains a “wet” feel even after drying, providing a sticky texture that makes it easy to reactivate the paint from the palette, even when it’s dry. Mijello is also known for its eye-catching packaging. The sets often come with sturdy plastic cases and pallets treated with nano-coating technology to keep the paint fresh and clean. The palette’s surface is designed to enhance the brightness of the colors, ensuring they appear true to their hue when applied to paper.

Viviva is a young Indian company, founded in April 2015 by Aditya Vadgaonkar. Originally a medical student, Aditya’s passion for painting—particularly outdoor watercolor painting—led him to create a revolutionary new product. Viviva Color Sheets, developed alongside his brother Rohan, offer a groundbreaking solution for artists who enjoy painting on the go. Although the company has only been around for a few years, Viviva has quickly gained attention from YouTubers and artists worldwide, receiving rave reviews for its innovative approach.

At first glance, Viviva Colors may look different from traditional watercolor sets due to their unique sheet format. However, these colors are made from high-quality dye-based pigments, ensuring vibrant hues that are easy to pick up with a brush. Despite the small size of each sheet, Viviva Colors are incredibly efficient. One sheet contains the same amount of pigment as a half-pan (2.5ml), making it a long-lasting and highly portable option for artists. With its handmade quality, Viviva Colors truly impresses as a convenient solution for outdoor painting, fitting easily into a bag for use anywhere.

Viviva Watercolors are special in their ability to offer clarity and transparency. Crafted from premium, pure dye-based pigments, the colors are free from fillers and optical brighteners, ensuring that each hue is rich and long-lasting. The colors remain vibrant on paper, and with just a light swipe of the brush, the pigment is easily activated. Each set of Viviva Colors comes with a color mixing chart and water-resistant paper, making it simple for artists to blend their shades. For those who love outdoor painting, Viviva provides a compact and efficient tool for stunning, high-quality artwork.

For art enthusiasts, the name Winsor & Newton Professional is synonymous with excellence. This brand introduced the first ever moist watercolor to the world, and their Professional watercolor line has long been one of the most revered and sought-after among artists worldwide.

Boasting a palette of 109 stunning shades, Winsor & Newton Professional watercolors offer an exceptional range of vibrant, luminous colors. Known for their unparalleled quality, these paints are made using only the highest-grade pigments available, with qualities such as lightfastness, durability, and strong color intensity.

The pigment selection is vast, with over 80 single-pigment colors, providing artists with a remarkable variety of both traditional and modern pigment combinations for endless creative possibilities.

The transparency of Winsor & Newton Professional is virtually unmatched, achieved through a unique pigment dispersion process. The natural properties of the pigments contribute to the paint's remarkable clarity, allowing layers to shine through without muddiness.

Winsor & Newton Professional watercolors are also known for their exceptional color permanence. An impressive 106 out of 109 colors in the Professional range have earned AA or A ratings for lightfastness, meaning the colors retain their vibrancy and resist fading over time, ensuring your artwork remains as bright and true as the day it was painted.

For watercolor enthusiasts, Schmincke is a highly coveted brand, known for its superior quality and consistency. Schmincke offers a range of exclusive colors that are vibrant and long-lasting, with excellent color flow on paper. The brand’s paints are revered for their bright, vivid tones and their smooth, controlled blending properties.

The Akademie range is Schmincke's student-friendly option, offering 24 vibrant colors at an accessible price. On the other hand, the Horadam line is designed for professional artists, with 139 rich, complex shades, including many single-pigment options. The pigments and binders used in the Horadam range are of the highest quality, making them ideal for serious artists who demand top-tier performance.

It would be an oversight to miss out on the Schmincke Horadam watercolors. While their price may be higher, the quality of this professional-grade German watercolor line is undeniable. The paints are poured into pans four times to ensure maximum pigment concentration, while gum arabic keeps the colors fresh and allows for easy rewetting. Thanks to Schmincke's special formulation, the pigments dissolve evenly in water, creating smooth washes even on delicate watercolor paper. The consistency and quality of the paint remains uniform whether using tubes or pans. With a particularly high proportion of single-pigment colors, Schmincke also offers exclusive pigments that are only available through their brand.

Daniel Smith (DS) is a renowned American brand known for producing professional-grade watercolors using unique and exceptional ingredients. As a pioneer in the use of high-performance Quinacridone pigments, DS has introduced innovative watercolor lines like PrimaTek, Luminescent Watercolors, Watercolor Grounds, and Watercolor Sticks, among others. In addition to their watercolors, Daniel Smith is also recognized for their oils, inks, solvents, and other artist products. With a strong commitment to creativity, diversity, and color permanence, Daniel Smith is a brand that constantly evolves and improves its product offerings, making it a favorite choice for artists worldwide.

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors are globally recognized for their exceptional quality, featuring a vast palette of 238 colors. Handcrafted in the USA, these watercolors are known for their rich Quinacridone pigments, which produce some of the brightest and most daring hues available. The paints are highly concentrated, offering an intense pigment load and a smooth texture that is unrivaled in the watercolor market. Many colors are classified as LR I or II, ensuring high permanence and lightfastness. In addition to the standard range, Daniel Smith is also famous for its unique specialty colors:

• The PrimaTek series offers some of the rarest and most precious colors, such as Hematite, Tiger’s Eye, Rhodonite, and Lapis Lazuli, all derived from gemstones and minerals that have fascinated artists for centuries. These colors provide stunning effects, ranging from warm and subtle to vibrant and sparkling.
• The Luminescent range uses tiny particles of mica coated in titanium to create vibrant, glowing hues. These colors can be used alone or mixed with standard pigments to create striking effects.
• The Iridescent/Pearlescent series appears nearly colorless when first applied, but when used on dark paper, it reveals a captivating depth and color shift depending on the light angle.

Royal Talens, based in the Netherlands, is a long-established manufacturer of art materials with over 100 years of history. The brand caters to a wide range of consumers, from beginners and hobbyists to professional artists, and has built a strong reputation worldwide. The history of Royal Talens began in 1899 when Marten Takens founded a factory in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, producing paints, lacquers, and inks.

The introduction of the Rembrandt oil and watercolor range marked the beginning of Talens' focus on producing high-quality art supplies. Over time, the company expanded its operations, and the Rembrandt oils gained international recognition. In 1912, Royal Talens established a business office in the United States, and by the 1920s, their products were increasingly popular, prompting the company to automate its production process.

The Van Gogh watercolor range by Royal Talens is made with high-quality pigments and gum arabic, ensuring vibrant, rich colors that show beautifully on watercolor paper. These paints are known for their excellent lightfastness, ease of use, and smooth color transitions, making them ideal for all levels of artists, from beginners to professionals. Due to their accessibility and affordable price point, Van Gogh watercolors are highly regarded as the best student-grade watercolor paints globally. Many professional artists choose Van Gogh for sketching or quick studies because of their portability and consistent quality.

Kuretake is a traditional Japanese art brand founded in 1902, originally specializing in sumi ink production. Over the years, it has grown into a well-known name in Japanese craftsmanship, renowned for its high-quality, handmade products and dedication to preserving traditional art techniques. Kuretake is also recognized for its safety, with all products certified as non-toxic by the AP standard and environmentally friendly, in line with ISO-14001 standards.

Famous for its ZIG brand, Kuretake offers a wide range of traditional drawing and painting supplies. The packaging of Kuretake watercolor sets is notably elegant, often housed in beautifully designed green cardboard boxes. These watercolors are ideal for anyone, from beginners just starting to explore watercolor painting to experienced artists. The compact and portable design of the Kuretake sets makes them perfect for travel and painting on the go.

The traditional Japanese watercolor range by Kuretake is crafted to meet the needs of both professional artists and beginners. The rich, vibrant hues of Kuretake watercolors are perfect for illustration, landscapes, greeting cards, and various paper crafts. These watercolors are non-toxic and suitable for sketching, illustration, calligraphy practice, watercolor decoration, or even traditional Sumi-e painting. Each watercolor comes in a rectangular pan with a color code, and the underside of the box lid includes a blank color chart for you to test the paint color outside the pan.