Add Bright Color to Your Art Projects with the Best Liquid Watercolors
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Similar to ink, liquid watercolor is a concentrated dye- or pigment-based solution providing brilliant, transparent color that can be diluted with water to achieve varying hues. Valued for their color strength and fluidity, liquid watercolors are a versatile material used in much the same way as tube and pan watercolors for creating paintings and washes. Some solutions are also suitable for use in calligraphy, fountain pens, and airbrushes. A popular choice for use in classrooms, student-grade liquid watercolor can be applied using a wide range of tools to develop fine-motor skills; it can also be used to dye a variety of materials, making for fun kids’ craft projects and sensory play. Note, however, that a majority of liquid watercolors are dye-based solutions that are not light safe, so be sure to use an archival watercolor if you don’t want your image to fade over time. Our picks below will help you find the right product for your project.
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ARTNEWS RECOMMENDS
Royal Talens Ecoline Liquid Watercolor with Dropper
Ecoline watercolor, made from dye and gum arabic, makes bright and crisp tones on the page. Appreciated by watercolorists and calligraphers alike, the smooth-flowing liquid has a uniform consistency that blends beautifully. Although it is fast drying, artists will have some success rewetting the paint and moving it around, which is unusual in this medium. Also notable: these liquid watercolors are available in a vast selection of 60 colors, which include an especially good selection of gray tones. They are available in 30 milliliter bottles that include a dropper and have a wide opening to allow you to work directly from the bottle if you wish.
Royal Talens Ecoline Liquid Watercolor with Dropper
WE ALSO LIKE
Blick Liquid Watercolor
Blick’s dye-based liquid watercolor paints are highly concentrated and quite viscous. This makes them harder to use straight from the bottle, but they last a very long time and are among the most affordable options available. The U.S.-made paints come in 30 colors including fluorescent and metallic shades. Choose from two sizes—the 8-ounce jar packs the most bang for your buck, while the 4-ounce version makes it easy to try new shades.
Blick Liquid Watercolor
TOP OF THE LINE
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor
An issue with most liquid watercolors is that they are not lightfast, and therefore not appropriate for professional work. Dr. Ph. Martin’s liquid watercolors are an exception; they are made from high-grade pigments, as traditional watercolors are, and therefore are indeed lightfast. Note that the highly saturated colors do not lift well, if that is an essential part of your process. Available in 36 colors, these paints are packaged in 30-milliliter glass bottles with a helpful pipette for measurement and application.
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor
EDUCATORS’ CHOICE
Sax Liquid Watercolor Set, 8 Colors
For classrooms, Sax’s sizable set is a sure bet. It includes eight consistent, vibrant colors (blue-green, red-violet, blue-violet, fuchsia, coral, pink, yellow-orange, and yellow-green) that are all AP certified as nontoxic. Sax is honest about how washable these colors are: They will come off clothes and hands, but it may take a few washes. Sold in 8-ounce bottles, these paints will last for project after project.
Buy: Sax Liquid Watercolor Set, 8 Colors $37.24
ALSO CONSIDER
Sargent Art Watercolor Magic Set, 6 Colors
Sargent Art also makes a respectable student-grade option. The AP-certified nontoxic paints in this set come in six colors: blue, yellow, red, green, orange, and purple. The same line also has groupings with glitter, metallic, and fluorescent finishes that are a fun spin on traditional hues. Even when diluted with water, the colors are vivid and luminous. Parents can rest easy knowing that the eight-ounce bottles will last for quite some time and that the paints wash out of most fabrics with ease.
Buy: Sargent Art Watercolor Magic Set, 6 Colors $36.27
Brought to you by the oldest and most widely circulated art magazine in the world, ARTnews Recommends helps you make the choice that suits you best from products in hundreds of art and craft supply categories. Our offerings are based on intensive research, interviews with artists and craftspeople, and the accumulated experience of the site’s editors and writers. We provide trustworthy and helpful advice about materials to artists ranging from beginner to professional.
1. EcoLine Liquid Watercolor Set
Known for their bright and brilliant colors, the EcoLine liquid watercolors are highly concentrated dyes mixed with gum arabic for a bold color. These 10 hues come in 1-ounce eyedropper bottles for precise measuring, with a few drops of liquid color going a long way. Suitable for use with paintbrushes, calligraphy brushes, airbrushes, and fountain pens, the paints are rewettable so they can be further manipulated after they dry. They are an excellent choice for designers and illustrators who plan to scan their images for reproduction as EcoLine watercolors are not lightfast.
EcoLine Liquid Watercolor Set
2. Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Watercolors
Made out of high-quality artist pigments, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Watercolors will give you permanent, vibrant color similar to that of traditional tube and pan watercolors. These lightfast, archival-grade watercolors an ideal choice for professional artists; they come in a 12-color set of 0.5-ounce eye-dropper bottles for easy dispensing. Suitable for use with a brush, dip pen, airbrush, or technical pen, these colors can be blended while retaining their luminance.
Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Watercolors
3. Contact USA Liquid Watercolor
With an intensity similar to that of traditional watercolors, Ken Oliver liquid watercolors are an excellent choice for illustration, scrapbooking, paper crafts, and mixed-media projects. This set of six bold colors in 0.5-ounce bottles will keep their transparency and luminosity when mixed. Highly concentrated, this medium can be diluted with water to produce smooth washes and brushwork.
Contact USA Liquid Watercolor
4. S&S Worldwide Liquid Watercolor Paint
For a highly versatile painting medium, choose Color Splash! watercolors. This set of six popular colors comes in 8-ounce flip-top bottles. The concentrated solution can be diluted with water and can be used on a wide variety of surfaces such as wood, clay, eggshells, fabric, and even shaving cream. Safe for all ages, the paints are AP-certified nontoxic, making them a great choice for classrooms.
S&S Worldwide Liquid Watercolor Paint
5. Sax Liquid Washable Watercolor Paint
An excellent choice for crafts, this set of eight vibrant colors from Sax comes in 8-ounce squeeze bottles. While suitable for use by artists of all abilities, these watercolor paints are both AP-certified nontoxic and washable out of most fabrics, making them an especially good fit for young, messy artists. The watercolor can be used as a painting medium or as a dye to create sensory materials for exploratory play and fine-motor development.
Sax Liquid Washable Watercolor Paint
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