10 Best Metallic Watercolor Paints 2025 in the United States

The Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set stands out in the metallic watercolor category, particularly for artists and crafters looking for high-quality, vibrant colors. With 24 glittery colors, this set offers a diverse range, including five new shades that enhance the collection. The pigment quality is impressive, providing vivid and opaque colors that can be diluted for a lighter watercolor effect or used in a more concentrated form for bold techniques. The larger pans allow for easy use, accommodating both small and large brushes, which is great for detailed work or broader strokes.

In terms of lightfastness and opacity, this set performs well, ensuring that the colors maintain their integrity over time, which is crucial for artists who want their work to last. The water-based pigments are non-toxic, making them a safe choice for both adults and younger crafters. The slight sheen that dries on the surface adds an attractive finish to completed artwork, enhancing its visual appeal.

There are a few considerations to keep in mind. While the packaging is user-friendly, some artists may find the solid form of the paint less convenient compared to liquid alternatives, especially when it comes to mixing. Additionally, while the pigment quality is high, achieving a consistent blending may require some practice, particularly for beginners who might be less familiar with watercolor techniques.

The Winsor & Newton Cotman Metallic Watercolor Paint Set offers six shimmering metallic colors in 8ml tubes, ideal for artists looking to add a luminous touch to their work. These paints use fine art pigments rather than dyes, which means the colors are vibrant and permanent—great if you want your artwork to last without fading. They have high lightfastness, so the metallic shine and color won’t easily dull over time. The paints feature a satin finish that provides a smooth, controllable gradient, even on softer watercolor papers. This makes layering or mixing with non-metallic colors easy and effective. However, as typical with metallic watercolors, they aren’t fully opaque—expect some transparency which is common in this category. They are designed mainly for paper surfaces and indoor artistic use, so they might not be suitable if you want to paint on other materials or require waterproof qualities.

The packaging in small tubes makes it convenient to squeeze out just the amount needed without waste. While this set offers a limited range of six metallic shades, it’s a solid choice for beginners or hobbyists wanting to experiment with metallic effects without investing in a larger, more expensive collection. Keep in mind, these paints are not waterproof, so finished pieces should be handled carefully. This set combines quality pigment, good lightfastness, and easy usability, making it well suited for creative projects that benefit from subtle metallic highlights.

The Artecho Metallic Watercolor Paints set offers 50 shimmering metallic colors that are richly pigmented and bright, making it great for adding a sparkling touch to your artwork. It’s well suited for beginners and hobbyists who want to experiment with metallic shades, as well as more experienced artists looking for a compact and portable set. The colors are designed to be clear and vibrant, which means they have good pigment quality. These paints are watercolors with a shimmery finish, so they tend to be more transparent rather than fully opaque, which is typical for watercolors but worth noting if you prefer solid coverage.

The set includes a bottom ring and a compact box, making it easy to hold and carry around for painting on the go. It also comes with a palette, brushes, and watercolor papers, adding convenience for users starting fresh. The paints are non-toxic and acid-free, aligning with safety standards, which is great for indoor use. These paints are not waterproof, so your artwork may be sensitive to water after drying.

This set is a good choice if you want a broad color range with sparkling effects and easy portability. If you need completely opaque colors or waterproof finishes, you might want to consider other options.