There’s a certain moment when you open a new watercolor set and the first thing you do is run a brush across each pan, just to see how the paint feels. With the Paul Rubens 24-color artist grade set, that initial impression is surprisingly good. The paints come in a sturdy metal tin with a mixing tray built into the lid—a practical design that works well for studio sessions and plein air outings alike. But the real question is whether these colors hold up in actual use, not just in the first five minutes of swatching.
I spent a few weeks using this set for everything from quick thumbnail sketches to more deliberate landscape studies. The paint activates quickly with a damp brush, which is a relief—nobody wants to scrub at a pan for thirty seconds just to get a hint of pigment. The colors are vibrant and, for the most part, transparent in the way you expect from artist-grade watercolors. The set includes a decent spread of earth tones, primaries, and a few convenience colors like a Payne’s gray and a sap green that make mixing a little less laborious. The inclusion of a white pan is a bit of a puzzle—most watercolorists know that white paint is rarely used for lightening, and it feels like a space that could have been filled with another useful pigment, like a neutral tint or a warmer red. It’s a minor quibble, but it speaks to the set’s slightly generic color selection.
In terms of performance, these paints behave predictably. They rewet well, which is a big plus for a pan set. You can go back to a dried wash days later and reactivate it without much trouble. The pigment load is respectable—not quite at the level of professional brands like Daniel Smith or Winsor & Newton, but noticeably better than student-grade sets. Colors like the ultramarine and the burnt sienna granulate nicely, giving texture to washes that would otherwise look flat. The cadmium yellow and the alizarin crimson are strong and mix into a clean orange and a decent purple, respectively. However, some of the lighter hues, particularly the lemon yellow and the cerulean, feel a bit chalky when applied heavily. They work fine for delicate washes, but if you’re looking for that luminous, stained-glass quality that top-tier paints can achieve, you might find these lacking.
One thing that stands out is how forgiving these paints are for beginners. The consistency is smooth, and they don’t dry into a hard, unusable crust like some cheap pans do. That said, the set is marketed as “artist grade,” and that label deserves a little scrutiny. The pigments are mostly single-pigment, which is a good sign, but a few of the colors are blends, and you can tell when you mix them—they can turn muddy faster than you’d expect. For instance, the sap green is a convenience mix that, when combined with ultramarine, produces a dull, lifeless gray-green. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a reminder that this set sits in a middle ground between student and professional quality.
Compared to other affordable pan sets, like the Sakura Koi or the Winsor & Newton Cotman, the Paul Rubens set offers more pigment intensity and better rewetting. It’s a step up from those, but it’s also a step below the high-end professional tins that cost three times as much. If you’re a hobbyist who paints a few times a month, this set is a solid investment. If you’re a professional illustrator or a serious watercolorist who relies on the most lightfast and finely ground pigments, you’ll likely want to supplement this set with individual tubes from a brand like Schmincke or M. Graham.
The metal tin is a mixed blessing. It’s compact and protective, but the hinge is a little flimsy, and the latch can pop open if you toss it into a bag without care. The pans are not removable, which means you can’t rearrange the colors or replace individual pans when they run out. That’s a limitation that might annoy people who like to customize their palette. On the plus side, the mixing tray is spacious enough for a few generous pools of water, and the whole thing fits easily in a backpack.
Who is this set for? It’s ideal for beginners who want to move beyond student-grade paints without spending a fortune, and for intermediate painters who want a portable, all-in-one kit for travel or urban sketching. It’s also a decent choice for students in art classes who need a reliable set that can handle daily use. Who is it not for? If you’re a professional who demands the highest lightfast ratings and the most nuanced pigment behavior, or if you prefer to work with tube paints and build your own palette, this set will feel limiting. Also, if you’re allergic to pans that aren’t replaceable, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
In the end, the Paul Rubens 24-color set is a strong contender in the budget-to-midrange watercolor market. It delivers good color payoff, decent granulation, and a user-friendly format. It’s not the last word in watercolor quality, but it’s a reliable workhorse that won’t disappoint for most casual and semi-serious painting sessions. Just don’t expect it to replace your favorite professional paints—it’s a companion, not a replacement.