🌿 My Watercolor Palette Setup

🌿 After lots of experimenting, I finished my custom watercolor palette! I've chosen 40 full pans from a variety of brands including Da Vinci, Isaro, Jackson's, Roman Szmal, Schmincke Horadam, White Nights, and Winsor and Newton.

My criteria list is based on my preference for detailed ink and wash watercolor illustrations on hot press paper. I conducted endless comparison tests and favored the following:

1. Lightfast colors (except for opera rose!)
   
   
2. Transparent colors (except for titanium white!)
   
   
3. Limited blooms / cauliflowering
   
   
4. Limited bronzing (the shiny finish which appears at masstone)

Many colors are White Nights because they are a nice, economical choice for artist quality paints in full pans. I most appreciate their reds, blues, and violets. 

I've also selected several Da Vinci colors, as their earth tones are fantastic and they are a family of third generation paint makers in California. I don't enjoy their reds, blues, and greens as much because many of their colors tend to bronze more than I'd like. 

The rest of my selections are scattered across five additional brands.

One way to get a head start is to begin with the White Nights 35 Full Pan set in the lavender tin available at Amazon. This gives you a high quality tin with rolled edges and enameled mixing areas along with many excellent colors. Then build from there based on your preferences.

To be eco friendly, consider repurposing a tin from a watercolor set you no longer use. Or, look for empty tins at Amazon.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 4, 2026, I will post a video discussing this palette, my setup, and the individual colors. Watch here on YouTube.

🌿 color selections

• Jackson's Titanium White // pw 6 // available at Jackson's in some countries (not available in the United States at this time; just select a pw6 titanium white from any brand)
  * Note: this is the lone opaque color in my palette and I use it to add catch lights to animals' eyes)
  
  
• White Nights Neon Pink // pr122 + fluorescent dye // fugitive // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy
  * Note: this is what many brands call opera rose. It is not lightfast at all and could easily fade within just a few weeks when displayed in sunlight. However, it's a fun color for florals and for mixing retro colors. I've placed an X on my swatch card to remind me to use it on a separate mixing palette and avoid using it when I plan to frame, sell, or gift my work. 
  
  
• White Nights Quinacridone Rose // pr 122 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Quinacridone Violet Rose // pv19 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Pyrrol Red // pr254 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Quinacridone Scarlet // pr209 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Pyrrol Orange // po73 // available ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• Roman Szmal Aquarius Orange // n/a // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Jackson's
  
  
• White Nights Isoindoline Yellow // py110 // available ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Indian Gold // py150, pr101 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Ochre Light // py43 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• Da Vinci Nickel Azo Yellow // py150 // available at Blick or Da Vinci
  
  
• Winsor & Newton Winsor Lemon // py175 available in otherwise hard to find full pans at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Irgazin Yellow // py129 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• Schmincke Horadam May Green // py151, pg7 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain), at Blick, or at Jackson's
  
  
• White Nights Sap Green // py150, pg36, pbk7 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• Roman Szmal Sap Green // pg7 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Jackson's
  
  
• White Nights Green Light // pg36 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah) 
  
  
• Roman Szmal Perylene Green Deep // pbk32 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Jackson's
  
  
• White Nights Emerald Green // pg7 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Turquoise Blue // pb15:3, pg7 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Cobalt Turquoise // pb28 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Helio Blue // pb16 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• Schmincke Horadam Mountain Blue // pw5, pb29, pg7 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain), at Blick, or at Jackson's
  
  
• White Nights Blue // pb15:6 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Ultramarine // pb29 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Indanthrene Blue // pb60 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• White Nights Indigo // pbk7, pb15, pv23 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• Isaro Purple Deep // pv23 // available at Isaro (shipping from Belgium)
  * Note: I'm using this version of pv23 (dioxazine violet) because I already have it and feel like it's easier to control than most other iterations of this pigment; however, feel free to use whichever artist quality brand is more readily available in your country)
  
  
• White Nights Quinacridone Violet // pv55 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• Da Vinci Permanent Magenta // pv19, pb29 // available at Blick or Da Vinci
  
  
• White Nights Venice Purple // pr179 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Rose Brown // pbr25 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Raw Sienna // py43 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• Da Vinci Burnt Sienna Deep // pr101 // available at Blick or Da Vinci
  
  
• Da Vinci Burnt Umber // pbr7 // available at Blick or Da Vinci
  
  
• White Nights Mars Brown // pbr6tr // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain) or Etsy (shipping from Utah)
  
  
• Da Vinci Raw Umber // pbr7 // available at Blick or Da Vinci
  
  
• White Nights Bistre (Hue) // pbr7, pr102 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)
  
  
• White Nights Payne's Gray // pbk7, pb15, pv55 // available at ArteMiranda (shipping from Spain)

Happy painting,

Ann

Ann is an artist and writer from Ohio. Support her work and access her printables at Patreon. Follow her on YouTube for fresh journal flips and reviews. Join her newsletter for e-mail updates.