My friend, Julie lent me her set of Prang Watercolors to try out. You can see the results I got in bear portrait #5 below. I think Prang paints are a very good inexpensive paint option. You can find an 8 color set on Amazon for less then $4. The paints come in a tray with a lid that closes and can be used for mixing colors. The set also comes with a good #6 brush. The good quality of the brush surprised me as the 2 previous sets I reviewed included poor quality brushes. Using a good brush is crucial to succeeding with watercolors.

Given the results of my unsponsored, unscientific tests on cheap watercolor paints, I would recommend you purchase the Prang set because it has decent quality paints, a white plastic lid where you can mix and a good brush. If you purchase the cheaper sets you’re going to have to buy another brush and a palette so the cheap set will end up costing you more.