Which Is Better for You: Watercolour Pans or Tubes?

If you're just starting your journey with watercolours, you may be wondering whether to choose watercolour pans or watercolour tubes. It's a common question for beginners—and the truth is, there’s no single “right” answer.

Both pans and tubes have their pros and cons, and the best choice depends on your painting style, workspace, and how you like to create. Whether you prefer minimal mess or bold, colour-rich washes, this guide will help you understand the key differences and choose the option that fits your creative process best. Before we dive into that just a quick reminder that Watercolour Florals Early Bird offer ends tonight (6th of July, midnight). Click the button below to find out more and sign up for just $35 USD (local tax may be applied at checkout) instead of $69!

Find out more!

Watercolour Pans

What they are: Pans are those tidy little blocks of dried watercolour, tucked into a palette. They’re often arranged like a miniature sweet shop - all neat rows and luscious colours.

My favourite brand: Sennelier are the perfect pans, made with honey for that extra creamy finish.

Why I love them: Pans are portable, low-fuss, and perfect if you like to work in short, spontaneous bursts. You can just add water, swirl your brush, and off you go. They’re easy to pack for travel, relatively clean and tidy, and great for layering soft washes and details without feeling rushed.

Best for you if…

• You’re someone who paints in little pockets of time.

• You love sketchbook work, journaling, or painting on the go.

• You like to keep things clean and simple.

  
  

Watch out for: Because pans are dry, it takes a moment to reawaken the colour. I advise you to put a couple of drops of water on with a pipette or clean brush and let it sit for a minuite on the paint to get the most vibrant colour. The better the quality of your paint the sooner the colour will reactivate. Sennelier pans take less than a minute. It can also be a bit frustrating trying to mix pan colours without dirtying the paints in the palette, having a brush per colour you mix will help this, or occasionally wiping the pan with wet paper (although this can waste paint!)

Watercolour Tubes

What they are: Tubes hold wet, concentrated watercolour paint — like toothpaste, but much more exciting! You can squeeze out just what you need onto a palette and mix large puddles of vibrant colour.

My favourite brands: Sennelier (again!) and Daniel Smith make beautiful watercolour tube paints. Daniel Smith's have such an interesting complexity that reveal themselves as they spread over the page.

Why I love them: Tubes feel generous. They’re brilliant for big work, juicy washes, or when you want to work with intense colour. You can premix colours into subtle hues, create glorious gradients, and cover larger areas much more quickly.

Best for you if…

• You love expressive, loose painting or working on large surfaces.

• You want full control over how much pigment and water you use.

• You enjoy colour mixing and like to make your own blends.

• You don’t mind a little mess (or actually enjoy it!).

  
  

Watch out for: Tubes can dry out on your palette if you leave them exposed - but the dried blobs can be reactivated, just like pans! So don’t worry too much about waste. The main things is tubes take up more space and aren't ideal for travel. And also remember to wipe the tube before you put the lid back on. Dried up paint could mean the lid doesn't go on properly, letting air into the tub and drying all of its contents. I've done it a few times and though it is hearbreaking to cut through the metal tube of Daniel Smith, you can still do it, take the dried up paint out, put it in a little dish and reactivate with water. Just like pans!

So... Which Should You Choose? Are watercolour pans or tubes better?

Honestly? You don’t have to choose. Many artists (me included!) use both, depending on the project or mood.

One of the common myths is that pans are less intense in colour. That is only true if you use poor quality, budget watercolour pans. Watercolour pans of low quality will have very little pigment in them giving you a very subtle, pale colour. Not my favourite! If you get good quality paint the colour will be vibrant and strong, regardless of whether they tubes or pans. See the comparison on the picture above.

If you're still not clear here’s a gentle guide:

If you…	Try…
Paint in a sketchbook or journal	Pans — easy, clean, portable
Work big or love vibrant washes	Tubes — more pigment, more flow
Are just starting out	A small pan set — manageable and inspiring
Want to mix your own custom colours	Tubes — easy to blend large puddles
Travel or paint outdoors	Pans — compact and mess-free
Want to expand your palette slowly	Pans — buy one or two open-stock colours at a time
Love to experiment and get a bit messy	Tubes — go wild!

A Final Thought

Whether you’re using pans, tubes, or even watercolour pencils — the most important thing is how it feels to you. Do you feel curious? Inspired? At ease? That’s the real guide.

Sometimes, I think of pans as whispering colour, and tubes as singing it — both beautiful in their own way. One isn’t better than the other, just different voices in the same joyful conversation.

So try a few, see how they behave on your page, and trust yourself to choose what makes your creativity feel most alive.

If you'd like to know more about how to paint with this magical medium, the lovely Anneliese Bates has created a course all on painting watercolour florals, it is a beautiful yet simple course for beginners and you can find out more here.

With love and colourful puddles,

Kasia x